Photos Questions about ZT 0500 MUDD Folder

T

Trowa13

Joined
Aug 29, 2020
Messages
6
I recently came into possession of my uncles knife collection and among this collection are a couple of Zero Tolerance 0500 MUDD folders.

I saw that the Zero Tolerance forums have been archived a while ago so I hope there are some people with some knowledge about this knife.

Probably my biggest question is about the serialization of them. One knife has a lot of text on the blade. Along with the 0500 KAI Patented MADE IN USA, it has the G & G Hawk designs (Grant and Gavin Hawk), a date of MAR 09, and what I believe is a serial number of 1369. The other knife on the other hand only has the date MAY 08, the 0500 KAI Patented MADE IN USA, and slightly less visible "XXXX". I am guessing (a big guess at that, so sorry if I am wrong) this might mean it is pre-production release. If anyone could verify this I would appreciate it.

Any information would be helpful, thank you in advance.

 
Last edited:
Confirmation of the above - from the zt kai website, under FAQ:
WHAT DO THE 4 XS ON MY BLADE MEAN?
If the blade of your ZT knife has etched “Xs” on it, the knife was originally purchased at our annual Warehouse Sale as a factory “second.” In other words, the knife is not “first” or top quality. These knives usually look and work just fine; they are simply not up to ZT’s demanding standards. As a result, these factory seconds do not carry the ZT Limited Lifetime Warranty.
Click to expand...
 
Trowa13 said:
So it means there might be something wrong with the knife?
Click to expand...
No, it means THERE IS something wrong with the knife. Often, it is simply a blemish in the finish... and it may not even be noticeable. Occasionally, it is a more obvious issue; but the knife would be fully functional, and safe to use.
 
"No, it means THERE IS something wrong with the knife. Often, it is simply a blemish in the finish... and it may not even be noticeable. Occasionally, it is a more obvious issue; but the knife would be fully functional, and safe to use."

Yes, it will have the same good heat treat and the function and safety will not be an issue. Those get destroyed. Enjoy the knife and use it. They were well regarded knives and should serve you well. Just note if you sell it to explain that it is a second and not given a warranty but functionally it should work as well as any other.
 
The Mastiff said:
"No, it means THERE IS something wrong with the knife. Often, it is simply a blemish in the finish... and it may not even be noticeable. Occasionally, it is a more obvious issue; but the knife would be fully functional, and safe to use."

Yes, it will have the same good heat treat and the function and safety will not be an issue. Those get destroyed. Enjoy the knife and use it. They were well regarded knives and should serve you well. Just note if you sell it to explain that it is a second and not given a warranty but functionally it should work as well as any other.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the response. I will enjoy these knifes for now. I was more interested in finding info on the knife more than trying to price it, especially since I am not a paid member of this forum. That being said how would you price the difference of a second versus a knife with warranty? Does that make a knife undesirable?
 
A lot of people await the sales in which seconds are sold, just because of the price reductions. If the plan is to use the knife, especially if it is to be "hard use", the discount is a big bonus... and the blemishes won't matter because it will be marked up from use, anyway.
I have one "second"; but I was not made aware of that label when I purchased, and the price I paid did not reflect its status. (It's a Spyderco, so the indicator is a small grind mark at the spine.) I have no idea what caused it to be considered a second; but the fact that I can't come close to recouping my money is probably the only reason I still have it. Still a great knife, and I use it occasionally.
 
hhmoore said:
A lot of people await the sales in which seconds are sold, just because of the price reductions. If the plan is to use the knife, especially if it is to be "hard use", the discount is a big bonus... and the blemishes won't matter because it will be marked up from use, anyway.
I have one "second"; but I was not made aware of that label when I purchased, and the price I paid did not reflect its status. (It's a Spyderco, so the indicator is a small grind mark at the spine.) I have no idea what caused it to be considered a second; but the fact that I can't come close to recouping my money is probably the only reason I still have it. Still a great knife, and I use it occasionally.
Click to expand...

Thank you again for the informational response. Are these sale events of seconds hosted by the company? Would people buy a "secondhand" second if it isn't being sold straight from the company?
 
Yes, most have a major annual sale - the name of the event varies with the company. Factory seconds aren't the only things sold; but I believe the sales to be the main way the companies sell their blems to the public. I have seen a few authorized dealers with them; but I don't know if they have other access (vs having to wait for the sales line everybody else).

Yes, some people will buy them secondhand; but the expectation is that they will be a bargain.
 
"I was more interested in finding info on the knife more than trying to price it, especially since I am not a paid member of this forum. That being said how would you price the difference of a second versus a knife with warranty? Does that make a knife undesirable?"

It's not undesirable for a user knife but it would be to a collector who wants one in the best condition possible. It wouldn't stop me from acquiring a knife for EDC just how much I'd be willing to pay. Balance that with the fact they are pretty much unavailable. Actual value isn't something I can give and if I could I'd recommend you find someone more knowledgeable than me. I feel pretty good telling you to use the heck out of it. Those models were best known for being able to be used in dirty and muddy environments while not worrying about field stripping the knife to get the mud out and for that it doesn't matter if it's a second or not.

Joe
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top