NEW BUY! ZT 0300BW Any first hand experience???

C

Copenhagen55

Joined
Dec 6, 2014
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101
Just bought this blade 5 min. ago. I've heard nothing but good things about it, but I was curious as to any negative points anyone had on an experience with this blade? Positive points too! And how good is the black was really?
 
I just got one this week. I was prepared to look over the knife with a pretty critical eye because I had some problems with the 0560 I bought earlier this year, but the 0560 problems all worked themselves out after a long break-in period.

The 0300 is great knife if you know what you're getting into. It's big and heavy. Some people don't like the assisted opening because it makes the knife difficult to close with one hand, I like it. The blade shape makes the knife into sort of a skinning knife dressed up in a tactical costume. Again no problem for me. It's a good cutter for an overbuilt knife and the ergonomics are great.

I've been on a big/tough folder binge lately and I like the 0300BW as much as any I've bought.
 
I've been on the same war path. One of the other folders I bought the other day was an Emerson Super CQC-8. I have decent sized hands, but I love the feeling of a big knife. That blade is an awesome combat blade. Recurve blades with a big belly like the 0300, 0350, and Emerson Commander are made to put large amounts of PSI on a small area for slashing cuts. I like to EDC them not only for that purpose, but because they also lend themselves well to just about any other situation you can think of. Any positive or negative points on the black wash?
 
And per the flipper action I don't mind it at all. I find it pretty easy to close as long as you know how to press the back of the blade against your thigh to close it, haha And if you practice, sometimes with the right knife yu can learn to open it with the corner of your pocket kind of like an Emerson.
 
My 0300 and 0560 both have the blackwash finish. I haven't really put either one through the wringer yet so I can't really comment on the durability of the finish but damn does it look good. In person it looks like the finish is nothing more than stonewashed DLC. Whatever it is, it looks great and it hides wear really well. I don't like pocket clips, so I take them off and my knife rides in a pocket with keys and a single cell flashlight. My 0560 has a fair amount of carry like that and it still looks brand new.

I've been looking at either CQC-8 or a Commander. I'll get one sooner or later I'm sure!

One more thing, If you don't have a Benchmade 275 you need one. Although the knife is not nearly as cool looking as the ZT knives, that knife is built like nothing else I've seen.
 
It's actually a carbide coating so it should be pretty tough. Though even when it does wear you can't really tell. I got the Super CQC-8 cause I found it for a really good deal, and the Comander and Bulldog were more of an impulse buy. I'm thinking about either a CQC-7 or Gentleman Jim next. I really want the classic CQC-7, but the Gentleman Jim is just freakin sexy. That's the kind of knife that sleeps with your sister, drinks your last bottle of scotch and says "what are you gonna do about it." And I was thinking of getting a 275. Just to have a tough knife I know I can beat up on and scratch up and not have to worry about it.
 
Zt 300 series are excellent. My only complaint would be the rattling noise with the knife in open position. It's easily silenced by 1. Either de-assisting or 2. add a miniscule amount of grease in and around the torsion bar. Have done both, prefer #2 as I love the authoritative the thwaack of it opening. Great tool enjoy it
 
Can't speak to the durability of the BW, but the 0300 series is a great knife.

I carried a 0301 for a year and a half, every single day. Put it through some serious use and the DLC coating held up very well. Only had minor scratching, and wear on the high edges of the blade.

Passed it on to my son as I am over my heavy, overbuilt, ti frame lock phase. He carries it every day now.
 
Is there a specific grease that works well on these?

And Todd. I've heard great stuff about their DLC coatings, but when I get scratches on a knife like that it pisses me off to no end... I figure with the carbide black wash it will help hide any little scratches that make it through. I'm just getting into my over engineered indestructible folder stage. And the way it looks right now I'm Esther gonna get out of it soon or go bankrupt, haha
 
I just used a miniscule amount of some lithium grease I had. That was like 3 yrs. ago. Rattle hasn't returned yet.
 
Well damn, I can live with that. Anything about the knife you have noticed that people don't normally mention?
 
Not really. The rattle was biggest gripe I heard aside from the weight and maybe the roughness of all the grooves. Especially when opening by pushing down on flipper. I deploy by curling my index finger first knuckle around flipper n pull/slide finger parallel to frame. No impact on finger tip
 
I did not have the blackwash model but I had an all black version. It was probably the most overbuilt production folder I have ever owned. I dont have it anymore as I tend to get bored with things but they are very solid knives. If they were to offer it in a KVT equipped format I would own one still. Some complain they are a bit heavy and as such they arent for the faint of dress pant. My favorite thing about that knife is the width of the handle. It really fills the hand and feels substantial. I think you will be pleased with it.
 
That's a good tip, I'll have to try that when it gets here. I would try it on the Kershaw Scallion I got my girlfriend cause it's the only flipper in the house right now. But it's way too small for my hands, haha Fits my girl fine though, considering she wears gloves from the children's section, haha
 
PURPLEDC said:
I did not have the blackwash model but I had an all black version. It was probably the most overbuilt production folder I have ever owned. I dont have it anymore as I tend to get bored with things but they are very solid knives. If they were to offer it in a KVT equipped format I would own one still. Some complain they are a bit heavy and as such they arent for the faint of dress pant. My favorite thing about that knife is the width of the handle. It really fills the hand and feels substantial. I think you will be pleased with it.
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I like big and heavy. I like to know when it's there and when it isn't. What is KVT? Still getting used to the acronyms y'all use here.
 
Copenhagen55 said:
I like big and heavy. I like to know when it's there and when it isn't. What is KVT? Still getting used to the acronyms y'all use here.
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KVT is their proprietary bearing system. It stands for Kinetic Velocity technology. Its not all that different from most caged bearing systems but put their own name to the feature as many makers do. Many of Kais products have an assisted opening feature like on the knife you bought. You push the flipper and a torsion bar takes over and opens the blade for you. With KVT instead of the blade being assisted and using flat washers they use a plastic washer that holds steel bearings in it and combine it with (usually) a heavier detent (the ball that keeps the knife closed). Once the detent is overcome by building up stored energy the blade is opened just as fast if not faster. Basically its two ways to skin a cat and I prefer bearings. But there is nothing wrong with the washer equipped assisted knives. You might even argue that the washer knives are stronger due to more material in the pivot area.
 
The 300 series is an impact weapon in its own rite. You will luv it n have a stupid smile stuck on your face while u open n close it 2000 times. Enjoy it brother
 
M
PURPLEDC said:
KVT is their proprietary bearing system. It stands for Kinetic Velocity technology. Its not all that different from most caged bearing systems but put their own name to the feature as many makers do. Many of Kais products have an assisted opening feature like on the knife you bought. You push the flipper and a torsion bar takes over and opens the blade for you. With KVT instead of the blade being assisted and using flat washers they use a plastic washer that holds steel bearings in it and combine it with (usually) a heavier detent (the ball that keeps the knife closed). Once the detent is overcome by building up stored energy the blade is opened just as fast if not faster. Basically its two ways to skin a cat and I prefer bearings. But there is nothing wrong with the washer equipped assisted knives. You might even argue that the washer knives are stronger due to more material in the pivot area.
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I know exactly what you are talking about now. And personally I prefer washer. KVT may be smoother, but I've heard the space needed for the bearings can sometimes get a lot of dirt in it, and foul the action. Whereas with the washer system there is much less space for contaminates to get into the action. And if they do it's much easier to clean out.
 
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