- Joined
- May 4, 2015
- Messages
- 947
I am by no means a professional. I have not used this knife for anything yet, but I was very impressed with the overall shape and construction of this knife, and it just feels like pure quality. This is a general overview of the knife. I wanted to share my thoughts and a few pictures, and hopefully help a few people pull the trigger on an outstanding example of quality manufacturing!
The 0909 is, as I understand it, the result of a collaboration between ZT and Les George. The design is based on his "Talos" folder, and if you google it, you can easily see the resemblance. The first time I saw the 0909, I knew I wanted it. There was a lack of detailed information online, and a scarcity of videos on youtube, but I decided to roll the dice and pay the reasonable $180 for it. I mean, it's a ZT. How could I go wrong? I couldn't be happier now that I have it. I want to start this overview off by saying that this knife may not be ideal for everyone, but for it's intended use, which is most certainly HEAVY DUTY, I think it's an excellent choice. I have no doubt that it could stand up to almost anything, and shrug it off without skipping a beat. Let's dive in!
-Quick specs-
S35VN steel
Blade length: 3.8 inches
Closed length: 4.75 inches
Overall length: 8.5 (looks more like 8.75) inches
Weight: ZT's site says 7.5oz, but mine is about 7.1oz. Maybe my scale is off.
KVT ball-bearing opening system (very smooth!)
The knife is beautiful, ergonomic, and heavy. Around 7 oz. The weight is due to the extra thick, solid stainless steel liners. This may turn some people off, but it really adds a solid feel. I think this is an important factor in terms of overall confidence for someone who is really going to use this thing hard. It's also nice to have a steel liner interacting with the blade. It wears less, which is great for long term use! It feels tough, so you won't be afraid to really use it!
Centering was DEAD PERFECT! I've come to expect this from ZT, but it's nice to see the continued consistency! (Is that redundant? ha!) The handle is a little shorter than what you would expect for housing a 3.8 inch (almost 3.9 inch) blade. This results in a nearly 1:1 ratio when closed. It appears as if the tip of the blade might catch your finger, and this initially worried me, but I've had no trouble with it so far!
Lock up is early, strong, and there is ZERO lock stick. Absolutely perfect. I can't tell you how secure this thing feels while still being easy to unlock. This is exactly where the lockbar was when I recieved it, and after 250+ HARD flips, it has yet to move! GREAT job ZT!
Here you can see how thick those liners are, as well as how beefy the standoffs are. Very solid construction! All the lines meet up, and it looks great!
The flipper has some very aggressive jimping (gimping, not sure how to spell it) which is a great thing if you're wearing gloves, but it's not so aggressive that it destroys your finger every time you flip it without gloves. I want to also add that this is the HEAVIEST DETENT I HAVE EVER FELT. Holy crap... This thing sucks into the handles so hard. It can be a little difficult to flip at first, but once you find the right angle, the blade ROCKETS out. It might just be mine, but I honestly hope they build all 0909s like this. A+!
Medium texture peel ply g10 is a perfect choice for the handle. Feels nice without gloves, and would certainly be easy to hold onto with gloves. The pivot isn't the prettiest thing, but it definitely does its job! Like I said before, I've been flipping this thing non stop since I got it. Nothing has come loose! Rock solid!
Simple, but perfect stonewashing. s35vn is a great choice for toughness, and as you use it over time, this style of stonewashing should hide additional scratches very well.
This is really the only thing that I didn't like. It's a small "deep carry" (not so much) clip. It really needs something bigger that carries deeper in the pocket. It's ok though. I've carried it for a few days now and it seems to be working just fine.
The tip and blade are nice and thick. Not much to say here. This is the combo I would want for hard use!
- My dog was very interested in what I was doing on the floor. I went ahead and took the picture with her paws in it!
Overall, I am stunned by the level of quality in this knife. The feel is solid and reassuring. I honestly believe I could go out and do just about anything with it. Whether you want to add it to your collection, or you need a good thick, heavy folder for hard use, the ZT 0909 is an ideal choice. I bought this one through USA MADE BLADE! Let me know what you think!
The 0909 is, as I understand it, the result of a collaboration between ZT and Les George. The design is based on his "Talos" folder, and if you google it, you can easily see the resemblance. The first time I saw the 0909, I knew I wanted it. There was a lack of detailed information online, and a scarcity of videos on youtube, but I decided to roll the dice and pay the reasonable $180 for it. I mean, it's a ZT. How could I go wrong? I couldn't be happier now that I have it. I want to start this overview off by saying that this knife may not be ideal for everyone, but for it's intended use, which is most certainly HEAVY DUTY, I think it's an excellent choice. I have no doubt that it could stand up to almost anything, and shrug it off without skipping a beat. Let's dive in!
-Quick specs-
S35VN steel
Blade length: 3.8 inches
Closed length: 4.75 inches
Overall length: 8.5 (looks more like 8.75) inches
Weight: ZT's site says 7.5oz, but mine is about 7.1oz. Maybe my scale is off.
KVT ball-bearing opening system (very smooth!)
The knife is beautiful, ergonomic, and heavy. Around 7 oz. The weight is due to the extra thick, solid stainless steel liners. This may turn some people off, but it really adds a solid feel. I think this is an important factor in terms of overall confidence for someone who is really going to use this thing hard. It's also nice to have a steel liner interacting with the blade. It wears less, which is great for long term use! It feels tough, so you won't be afraid to really use it!
Centering was DEAD PERFECT! I've come to expect this from ZT, but it's nice to see the continued consistency! (Is that redundant? ha!) The handle is a little shorter than what you would expect for housing a 3.8 inch (almost 3.9 inch) blade. This results in a nearly 1:1 ratio when closed. It appears as if the tip of the blade might catch your finger, and this initially worried me, but I've had no trouble with it so far!
Lock up is early, strong, and there is ZERO lock stick. Absolutely perfect. I can't tell you how secure this thing feels while still being easy to unlock. This is exactly where the lockbar was when I recieved it, and after 250+ HARD flips, it has yet to move! GREAT job ZT!
Here you can see how thick those liners are, as well as how beefy the standoffs are. Very solid construction! All the lines meet up, and it looks great!
The flipper has some very aggressive jimping (gimping, not sure how to spell it) which is a great thing if you're wearing gloves, but it's not so aggressive that it destroys your finger every time you flip it without gloves. I want to also add that this is the HEAVIEST DETENT I HAVE EVER FELT. Holy crap... This thing sucks into the handles so hard. It can be a little difficult to flip at first, but once you find the right angle, the blade ROCKETS out. It might just be mine, but I honestly hope they build all 0909s like this. A+!
Medium texture peel ply g10 is a perfect choice for the handle. Feels nice without gloves, and would certainly be easy to hold onto with gloves. The pivot isn't the prettiest thing, but it definitely does its job! Like I said before, I've been flipping this thing non stop since I got it. Nothing has come loose! Rock solid!
Simple, but perfect stonewashing. s35vn is a great choice for toughness, and as you use it over time, this style of stonewashing should hide additional scratches very well.
This is really the only thing that I didn't like. It's a small "deep carry" (not so much) clip. It really needs something bigger that carries deeper in the pocket. It's ok though. I've carried it for a few days now and it seems to be working just fine.
The tip and blade are nice and thick. Not much to say here. This is the combo I would want for hard use!
- My dog was very interested in what I was doing on the floor. I went ahead and took the picture with her paws in it!
Overall, I am stunned by the level of quality in this knife. The feel is solid and reassuring. I honestly believe I could go out and do just about anything with it. Whether you want to add it to your collection, or you need a good thick, heavy folder for hard use, the ZT 0909 is an ideal choice. I bought this one through USA MADE BLADE! Let me know what you think!
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