Opinions on the ZT0561

C

cutter17

Joined
May 16, 2006
Messages
6,873
Hi all, and I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas! I have been out of the loop for the past 5 months or so, and due to some health problems and their bills I had to sell off my collection, keeping only a Boker Valkriye because I just love it's design. So since November I have been rebuilding my collection with my first two knives being a ZT0200KW, and a Benchmade Bone Collector BM15020. Tonight I was browsing the knife sites and I decided to do something I swore I never would; buy a folder with G-10 and titanium handles. I don't know how many times I've stated that I would never own a knife with this type construction, but I know it was many!

The design of this knife was what struck me, plus it having a steel liner on the G-10 side did not hurt anything! If you respond to this thread, and have this knife, I have a couple questions; 1- How thick is the blade, and 2- How is the lockup on the knife, meaning how much of the lock covers the blade tang?
 
Had one. Big knife, stout construction. Only got rid of it as it was a bit big for my edc. Mine was about 50% on the lockup. Smooth, flipped nicely.
 
I have one with me, and I EDC it.

It's a good stout knife, Kershaw reached a good balance in tactical and EDC carry. Not too heavy at 5.9~ oz, and packs a blade that has a thick stock with a stout tip.
Despite the blade stock, it has been ground out well to keep good edge and overall blade strength, and good cutting performance. The jimping is aggressive where it needs to be, and smother else where so traction with the 3d machining, on top of the g10 scales, the dual function flipper and "finger guard" and finally the jimping make it a knife you can be confident cut with, without sacrificing to much in ergos.

The blade profile/grind is something that many tactical, heavy duty knives do not get right unlike the ZT 560/1 which have a superb profile. They get too chunky for everyday use, and essentially can only be used with great performance in situations where a prying tool or fixed blade would work better and be far safer. In an effort to make a heavy duty knife, Emerson for example has essentially great a prying tool with a sharp edge on one side. Not a proper cutting tool.
 
I like the ZT 0560 so much I have two. Both mine lock up at about 40% - 45%. I don't have the blade thickness handy, but it is pretty thick, but still a decent slicer. It is one of the better folders to come out in a while, well made, and overbuilt. You can't go wrong.
 
I have a 0560, and love it for EDC. It's about as large as I can go, but not too large. My only complaints were for the first bit that I had it, it had a really strong detent which made opening (with flipper or thumb studs) a chore. After I broke it in though, it's great. The blade is sometimes a little too thick for some precise cuts, but it's not a problem for most things that I need to do. It's a really great knife and I'm glad I bought one.
 
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I have a 560, it's a great knife. Made well, sturdy, feels solid and smooth. A bit heavy to carry it everyday, that's my opinion. I will still carry it sometime.
 
Thanks for the speedy replies guy's! I forgot to add that the medical problem I have left both of my legs and the tips of my fingers, on my right hand, with neuropathy, thus making it nearly impossible for me to open a thumbstud knife. Thus the need for flippers (ZT0200), which I have no trouble with....go figure....also the Spyderco thumbhole (BM 15020) has proven usable for me. But anyway I really appreciate all the information that has been given. I am a person who likes his folders heavy duty with stout blades and a solid feel/weight, so the 561 will not be a problem, and I can't wait to try out the Elmax steel.

So keep those opinions coming!!
 
I have a 0561 and a blem 0560. I like the ergos, the blade profile and the materials, but both have minor flaws. I'm left handed and carry in my left-front pocket, so I had to move the pocket clip to the proper position. In both cases the screws were too short and barely engaged resulting in stripping the last thread. Both also had weak detents. ZT took care of me on the 0561 but I'm on my own for the 0560 since it's a blem. I have some screws ordered for that one. If you're right-handed the clip screws will be a non-issue. The strength of the detents on these seems to be all over the map though with some people reporting that they're very difficult to open and others, myself included, who have very weak detents.

Other than those two issues I really like the knives. I think that they're a great design with a couple of minor flaws in the execution. I find that they're pretty pocket-friendly considering their size. I don't carry mine every day, but the 0561 definitely sees quite a bit of pocket time. The 0560 will once I get it fixed up.
 
I have the 0561 and love it; the lock-up is at about 35-40% and as many have said despite the very beefy blade stock, it is ground fine enough to be a good slicer. The ergos are excellent for me (I wear large size gloves) and though the jimping is pretty aggressive, I have not complaints. My serial number is in the 2000's which may account for none of the early issues some had with the knife when it first came out. Perfectly centered, no play, 100% solid, strong by fairly light (for what it is) due to the milling out of the liners... overall, this is the knife I want to use when I need to use a knife. The blade is a bit more stout that my BM 15020-2, though it slices better--maybe due to a combination of the Elmax + geometry. Though I still like carrying my para2 and military, the 0561 is my preferred edc... even if it just skirts legality around here. It is a big knife, but that is not a point of criticism for me. I'll tell ya, I have not carried my BM rift or bone collector since buying the zt. The other thing is, it has become difficult to justify the purchase of another knife since picking-up the ZT--at least on the basis of need ;)
 
0561 lockup and comparo to Buck 110 blade for thickness:

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I have been carrying the 561(Serial Number 2710) and I couldn't be more tickled with it. As a gateway folder it has me hot for a XM-24...
 
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My 0561 operates very smoothly. The handle is comfortable but certainly bigger than the average EDC. I suspect the knife is a bit big for most people for EDC unless they use it for work. I will put mine in my EDC rotation and I also intend to use it for times when I expect to need a heavy duty knife.
 
Great pics oregon, and thanks for the added responses. I'm really looking forward to getting it, and seeing if I can get over my bias toward the G-10/titanium handle construction. I think it will help that Kershaw has added the stainless liner under the G-10. It seems that I have seen a titanium handle replacement for the 560/1, like the G-10 replacement handles? Anyone seen this, or am I just hallucinating?
 
cutter17 said:
Great pics oregon, and thanks for the added responses. I'm really looking forward to getting it, and seeing if I can get over my bias toward the G-10/titanium handle construction. I think it will help that Kershaw has added the stainless liner under the G-10.
Click to expand...

My pleasure, I love this stuff, cutter17. BTW I paid $100 for the pictured, blem, knife @ the Kershaw/ZT factory sale. The blem is that the last few letters in the etched word on one side of the blade "Design" are a little too reflective/shiny. The factory is within walking distance of my homestead so I like to visit this once-a-year sale just to be neighborly, get into the press of the crowd and revel in cutlery.
 
My 561 has been great no problems at all, 40-50% lockup and what I consider a perfect detent for this knife. Mines ser # 2000 something and going strong after 6 mnths
 
I love my 0561. Good knife, great size. 50% lockup. The only issue that I had was it developed lock-rock (I don't force blade play on my knives-this was very wiggly up and down) so I sent it back to Kershaw. They fixed the lockup issue, however, when it returned the detent was weaker. I actually liked the strong detent as the blade would rocket out once you broke the detent. Still very pleased and KAI's customer service is great.
 
Good to see you back, cutter17! Below are my big ZT-0561, el-neato 0551, of which I have a spare, and the 'moose' 0301. They are all from ~.156" blade stock. Hard to believe. The 0561 is fluid like - and it's lockup engagement is still as box-new - 40%. The 0551's lockup is fine at 30-40% out of the box and after a lot of carry & use, but it's blade centering is a function of pivot tightness, which oddly is at mid point when the tightness is just right. Both of my 0551s - and the others at the store - are similar. I might have bought a 0560 had I known of a weekend sale locally - $200! Actually, I like the non-flipper 0551 the best - but the 0561 is a close second.

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Stainz
 
Love it but mine has a super weak detent. It cut me when I was trying to fish it out of my pocket while evacuating from hurricane Sandy. That sucked.
 
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