New 2015 ZT lineup

PURPLEDC said:
Hey i used to get up tight about announcing a knife at shot and it not being available for over six months. But then people reminded me of what im reminding you of. You simply cant get upset over missed release dates if there is no release date. And the the preorder bs is out of their hands. Just wait man. In less than a week there will be a thread with someone asking why preorders arent being taken. I get frustrated too. But i have to admit i put that on myself.
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No worries, my purple friend. I'm not upset . . . really. I've already got what I want . . . a ZT knife that I'm willing to carry. If I get another one, fine. If not, fine. As the saying goes, happiness isn't having what you want. It's wanting what you have. :)
 
Stays Sharp said:
I clearly remember Thomas, on one of the many discussions he had with members here succintly say that the dealers are their customers NOT the end user. In context during said discussion, he meant it literally... Probably to back someone off who he was arguing with. That's probably what he was referring too.
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You, sir, remember correctly.
 
daveb068 said:
Pretty sure the thread was about the 2015 lineup.
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Exactly. First time he brought the Foundry up, I shook my head and left it alone. He pressed on it a second time and now someone else is asking questions about it.

This is very much a ZT thread, (with all the classic ingredients). Point of my post was to keep it that way.
 
It really doesn't matter if the Shot show is an "industry only" show. Manufacturers *USE* Shot as marketing to the public, just as much as they do to dealers. Otherwise they would not let the press in and take time out to do countless interviews and product demos. Anyone that attends the show can tell you just how many press people are there, usually because we're tripping over their tripods, though with SLR cameras shooting such high quality movies it's less annoying now. If you don't consider the Shot show to also serve as public marketing, you've obviously never been there. Shot jump starts customer demand by design, and dealers order partially based on that anticipated demand.

ZT might consider dealers their customers, but what hurts individual sales, hurts dealers. *IF* the 0562/0620 would have hit the market in large numbers by the start of the 3rd quarter imagine how many would have sold by now. Those buyers would already be ripe to buy new models again. Defend ZT all you want for not giving a release date, but I doubt it's in their best interest for dealers/customers to still be waiting for regular production items for 12+ months after announcement.

I'm sure none of this is lost on ZT, they probably feel worse about delays than anyone, and kudos to them for not releasing a product before it's really ready as many companies will under the pressure to get product to market faster. In their hour long video it's very clear they listen to the forums/customers/dealers and they do concern themselves with many of the issues we talk about, even if we don't like their decisions. I still wonder if that might be the major reason behind the change to S35VN.
 
If I'm reading some posts or peoples tones it sounds as if they are unhappy with s35vn. Isn't this the same steel used on hinderer and crk? Same as on the 550?
I could be wrong though. I had a 550 and used it hard for year at work. It got dull and I sharpened just like any other knife. Either way I'm still in for the 450 and the 452
 
bld522 said:
You, sir, remember correctly.
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LOL, It was probably either you or I doing the arguing with him, lol.

hunterjrg said:
If I'm reading some posts or peoples tones it sounds as if they are unhappy with s35vn. Isn't this the same steel used on hinderer and crk? Same as on the 550?
I could be wrong though. I had a 550 and used it hard for year at work. It got dull and I sharpened just like any other knife. Either way I'm still in for the 450 and the 452
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I have no issues with S35VN. But one thing that will ALWAYS be consistent is that there isnt a single steel they could use and have someone not complain.
 
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hunterjrg said:
If I'm reading some posts or peoples tones it sounds as if they are unhappy with s35vn. Isn't this the same steel used on hinderer and crk? Same as on the 550?
I could be wrong though. I had a 550 and used it hard for year at work. It got dull and I sharpened just like any other knife. Either way I'm still in for the 450 and the 452
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- Steel snobs. :)

Although, at this point of my knife buying career, I tend to buy the best steel offered. Most of the knives I buy now have M390...
 
Pier23 said:
I haven't read all the posts in this thread, but any idea why the 0300 is being dropped?
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Sales or lack thereof. 0301 continues to be in production. Also, 0560BW and a bunch of the 0350 series which is their all-time best sellers. That's about it for the old lineup.

ZT PRODUCTION MODELS

Current

  1. 0180
  2. 0301 (Gen 2)
  3. 0350
  4. 0350BW
  5. 0350ST
  6. 0350SW
  7. 0350SWCF
  8. 0350TS
  9. 0350TSST
  10. 0560BW (Gen 2)
  11. 0562
  12. 0562CF
  13. 0566
  14. 0566BW
  15. 0566CF
  16. 0620
  17. 0620CF
  18. 0770CF
  19. 0801
  20. 0801BW

Upcoming

  1. 0010BLK
  2. 0010EB
  3. 0010TI
  4. 0450
  5. 0452CF
  6. 0630
  7. 0808
  8. 0900
 
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I didn't realize they had a Gen 2 0301. I may have to upgrade.

Kinda surprised the 0301 has been in production so long. Since, what, 2008, right? :eek:
 
Lost Cosmonaut said:
I didn't realize they had a Gen 2 0301. I may have to upgrade.

Kinda surprised the 0301 has been in production so long. Since, what, 2008, right? :eek:
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0301 Gen 2 has the lockbar insert and no Hinderer LBS. I think it goes back to the very early days of ZT which was 2006.
 
I remember the early days of the 0301. I checked one out at Plaza Cutlery. I remember thinking to myself, "What a beast! I could go to war with this thing". Only problem was, I was too old to go to war and I didn't want to have to wear suspenders to carry it. But that doesn't mean I wasn't impressed with it. I was!

From that point until the 0770CF was released, I kept an eye on ZT. Pretty much every time they released a new knife, I asked myself the same question . . . Is this knife worth having to wear suspenders to carry? The answer kept coming up "no". But I never gave up on them. At one point, I even bought an 0200. I knew I wouldn't carry it, but I just wanted to have an example of a ZT in my collection. I sold it eventually, but my hankering for ZT products never went away. I just thought they'd never make a knife I'd be willing to carry.

Then came the 0770CF. I was so knocked out by it that I put in a preorder and bought one for full MAP from my favorite guy. It's been in my EDC rotation ever since. And if it turns out to be the only ZT I ever own, I'll never regret not buying another.

One way or the other, I have to congratulate ZT for breaking away from their pocket brick mold long enough to cater to the portion of the marketplace that refuses to wear suspenders. ;)

Well done, ZT. Well done indeed. :)
 
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Really liked the way the ZT 0900 felt in the hand, thing fires like a rocket. Comparing it next to Les's custom, ZT really did an exceptional job on it.
 
I carry my 0801 and 0562 in the office and make a point of it to use them as my letter openers :D

That new Rexford is starting to grow on me a bit....
 
Looks like they are done with all the complaints, problems, and issues with their Elmax and are moving to what most midtechs are using. S35VN. Glad to see it. After having three elmax zt blades crack for no reason (I never use my blades other than opening and closing them) I sworn off Elmax completely. I won't go near it. Glad to see the change.

I'm liking that 900 and 808 and 452.
 
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