Random thoughts on ZT LEs

[poolhustler]

Knives, with rare exception, are not good investments.

Exact same thing with custom pool cues!!

 

[ToxicBot11]

That being said, if one buys LE knives because one thinks they'll grow in value, that person would be better off putting their money into a money market account. It'll grow at a faster rate in line with inflation. Knives, with rare exception, are not good investments.

Which money market account can I put $375 into then be worth $650(or more)the next day? That's what happened with the 0392.

 

[euthymic]

....For the 0392, I wish I could hold an eklipse to compare against, but in some ways the features exceed whats offered on the more expensive eklipse (titanium scales + bearings).

If you did all of the upgrades to the eklipse (Ti scale, Ti hardware) it would raise from it's $425 and quickly eclipse $700 (bad word pun intended)

Owning both, these are the primary differences I notice:

Rick's eklipse excels in the area of easy thumb deployment (it has thumb studs that can easily be used as thumb studs and will still flip good enough although no where near the rocket of the 0392).
It's flipping action is much improved over my earlier XM-18.
The eklipse is wonderfully devoid of any sharp edges (except the blade) which usually means less snagging in clothing, etc and less hotspots in the hand with use.
Tanto blade shape
S35VN steel

0392
No thumbstuds (that makes that comparison easy) but rockets out with the flipper (my blackwash 0392 had a noticeably stronger detent than my 0392).
Bearings (which adds to the rocket experience).
Exceedingly handsome (in my opinion) drop point blade shape with cool swedge.
CTS-204p Steel

Overall, I think the 0392 is a remarkable knife and although I'm aware that ZT is marketing heavily on the "factory custom" aspect of the knife, I'm not terribly concerned with who made the hardware. If you look at retail pricing on the ZT site, the original 0392 at $375 is only $35 more than a BW 0300 and I think it would be worth it even if it didn't have Rick's hardware. So I agree, at it's price point I feel it does exceed a Eklipse, particularly if you like flippers (another bad pun opportunity given the 2ndary market). Of course, I love the look/blade profile and the ergonomics fit me great so I'm admittedly biased. If this knife was produced at a slightly lower price point (say $325 retail, $275 street), I would pick up about a half dozen, sign out of BF, and walk happily away (or maybe I would just spend more time in the traditional forums ;-)

 

[n850gt]

Which money market account can I put $375 into then be worth $650(or more)the next day? That's what happened with the 0392.

You completely missed the point. Knives are not investments, they're commodities.

In five years the 0392 will still likely be only $650, and that's regardless of interest rates or inflation rates. If the economy is bad and people don't have money, it won't be worth what you paid because nobody will buy. You'll get far more over time with smart saving and investing in something other than consumer commodities. My $375 in a money market will continue to grow.

'Course, I'd rather have the knife, but I don't buy them expecting to get back out what I put in.

 

[ToxicBot11]

In five years the 0392 will still likely be only $650, and that's regardless of interest rates or inflation rates. My $375 in a money market will continue to grow.

Unless you have a handy dandy time machine you are like every one else and have no clue what they will be worth.

Look at some of ZT's LE's that came out a few years ago and they haven't went down in value..can you name one ZT LE that I can buy for less or even the same as what they sold for when they first came out if its not used/beat up?

As for the $375 well I'll be doing better because I'll be starting out with $650 in the money market account

I don't think knives should be investments because to me they are tools.

 

[toker]

Which money market account can I put $375 into then be worth $650(or more)the next day? That's what happened with the 0392.

- How many ZT LE's could a person realistically buy and sell a year? Two or three?

 

[n850gt]

Unless you have a handy dandy time machine you are like every one else and have no clue what they will be worth.

Not enough to make it worthwhile to buy them up hoping they'll be worth more in a few years. Which again is the point I'm making and you're still missing.

 

[ToxicBot11]

Not enough to make it worthwhile to buy them up hoping they'll be worth more in a few years. Which again is the point I'm making and you're still missing.

And the point you've been missing and are still missing is I said the "next day".

Can you point out where I said anything "about buying them up hoping they'll be worth more in a few years"?

"Next day" is not a "few years".

 

[n850gt]

And the point you've been missing and are still missing is I said the "next day".

Can you point out where I said anything "about buying them up hoping they'll be worth more in a few years"?

"Next day" is not a "few years".

My statement that apparently kicked this off:

"That being said, if one buys LE knives because one thinks they'll grow in value, that person would be better off putting their money into a money market account. It'll grow at a faster rate in line with inflation. Knives, with rare exception, are not good investments."

I meant long term, "few years."

You brought up "next day" as a Strawman argument in the face of my original statement. I am- and have been- talking in terms of a "few years" and you insist on the "next day," totally missing my original point. I never wrote that point with your argument or the "next day" in mind. I was more or less responding to this:

So, looking down the road, are we thinking that ZT LE's will go way up in price or in 10 years if I decide to sell my 0392BRBRZ I'll be looking at $600 in the secondary market? OR more OR less? Any long time collectors have thoughts with other Limited Editions?

Why don't we get back on topic?

 

[alphatiger]

This will definitely start trouble. Is the 0562cf a production knife of LE. If you can't find it to buy it, it's a LE in my opinion...

 

[Colorodo]

This will definitely start trouble. Is the 0562cf a production knife of LE. If you can't find it to buy it, it's a LE in my opinion...

According to ZT it is a production knife but due to its popularity it is sold out.

 

[Colorodo]

The way to find out if a knife is an LE or not is to ask ZT if they will replace the blade for $30. On the site it states LE and out of productions knives are excluded from the $30 blade replacement. I would love to have a ZT0454 Russian model but with the way I read the blade replacement feature I decided to stay with the 0452. I also think they went to S35VN in a production model because it is cheaper to replace the blade for $30.

 

[PURPLEDC]

The way to find out if a knife is an LE or not is to ask ZT if they will replace the blade for $30. On the site it states LE and out of productions knives are excluded from the $30 blade replacement. I would love to have a ZT0454 Russian model but with the way I read the blade replacement feature I decided to stay with the 0452. I also think they went to S35VN in a production model because it is cheaper to replace the blade for $30.

Still, i have to wonder what world in which we would have to worry about replacing a 4" piece of cts204p? $30 blade replacements are great. But i wouldnt let it prevent you from owning such a great knife seeing as it would take some pretty extreme circumstances to have the need to cash in on that offer.

 

[jill jackson]

It's all about the numbers, one of my favorites is the 0600, but since there was 1200 made nobody cares too much about it.

 

[bodog]

The 0600 is the only ZT I've been wowed over. I had it and like a fool sold it. IMO it's the only knife they've made that's been worth more than 400 bucks and I've handled several of their LE models including the 0454.