Robust folder suggestions?

XtianAus said:
Sanrenmu folder, schrade something fixed blade and swamp rat ratmandu fixed.
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Not sure what blade steel those have. I would suggest something in M4, 4V, Vanadis 4e, maybe 3v, etc.
I have all those except vanadis 4e, which is equivalent to 4v. Of those, I find M4 gets damaged the least.
 
At this point I am looking at the ZT 0550 and ZT 0456.
Does anyone own both and can offer some insight and preference between the two?

Hinderer Jurassic will probably follow a ZT when Christmas comes around.
 
XtianAus said:
At this point I am looking at the ZT 0550 and ZT 0456.
Does anyone own both and can offer some insight and preference between the two?

Hinderer Jurassic will probably follow a ZT when Christmas comes around.
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I would pick the 0550 hands freakin' down. I don't own either one but have often handled them at my local knife store.

The 0550 is in my estimation the thickest g10 one side Ti framelock ZT has ever made. The knife is an absolute tank but pulls it off very well. Every model I handled seemed to have excellent fit and finish. This knife has a sort of boxy Strideresque feel more than any other ZT. In my opinion this may be the best knife ZT has ever produced.

The 0456 is a great knife too. It is heavy too but has a more smoothed out and refined feel unlike the more "military" and rugged feeling 0550. Again all the models I handled were excellent fit and finish. This ZT is newer and thus has more refined features than the 0550. By this I mean lockbar tab, bearings, tuned amazing flipping action.

Fundamentally they are both amazing choices. It all depends what you want. However if I am going to say of the two which is more "robust" the 0550 takes it because it doesn't have bearings.
 
Lapedog said:
I would pick the 0550 hands freakin' down. I don't own either one but have often handled them at my local knife store.

The 0550 is in my estimation the thickest g10 one side Ti framelock ZT has ever made. The knife is an absolute tank but pulls it off very well. Every model I handled seemed to have excellent fit and finish. This knife has a sort of boxy Strideresque feel more than any other ZT. In my opinion this may be the best knife ZT has ever produced.

The 0456 is a great knife too. It is heavy too but has a more smoothed out and refined feel unlike the more "military" and rugged feeling 0550. Again all the models I handled were excellent fit and finish. This ZT is newer and thus has more refined features than the 0550. By this I mean lockbar tab, bearings, tuned amazing flipping action.

Fundamentally they are both amazing choices. It all depends what you want. However if I am going to say of the two which is more "robust" the 0550 takes it because it doesn't have bearings.
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Thank you very much for your extensive reply!
I think I will go with the 0550 bases on what you said.
I found one website that has them but only the gen 1. Do you know if there are any major differences between the gens? I noticed the gen 1 has the cut out on the lockbar on the inside rather than the outside. Do you know if this makes any significant difference?
 
0550. 0456 is not nearly as balanced and does not have the same hard use feel, despite the weight. I have both and just haven't fallen in love with the 0456. 0550 and 0560 are some of my favorites.
KRZIjIy.jpg
 
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Both the RAT-3 and 4 can be ordered as a folder, but there is a HUGE wait list, as they have not perfected the lock bar yet.
What happens is, you order the folder and they send you the fixed version until your folder is ready...I have been on the list so long that I realized what I was really looking for was a fixed blade ! I called them and asked them to take me off the list for the folder.
 
I should have reviewed the more recent posts (I actually took that picture to post here a few days ago; but never got around to it).
0550 vs 0456? That's an individual decision. I LOVE the 0550 (not so much the one pictured...but my copper scaled Gen 1 and my BW are favorites). I like the 0456 a lot; but I like the feel of the 0550 better...on the other hand, the blade shape of the 0456 pushes it toward the top of the pile. If it had a 3.5" blade, it would probably never leave my pocket. (Don't whine to me about the weight, lol; I don't mind it, and the extra weight on a larger version would be well worth it)
 
marcinek said:
Does anybody make a knife right now that isn't a $400 "hard use" folder? :D

I'll throw "Sebenza" out if nobody has already.
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I second the Sebenza. If my 25 can’t handle it I move to a fixed blade.
 
Uh. Sorry, I need to hijack the thread for a minute, because

I need to know moar about this:

Angus McGunnigle said:
Both the RAT-3 and 4 can be ordered as a folder, but there is a HUGE wait list, as they have not perfected the lock bar yet.
What happens is, you order the folder and they send you the fixed version until your folder is ready...I have been on the list so long that I realized what I was really looking for was a fixed blade ! I called them and asked them to take me off the list for the folder.
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A folding version of the RAT 3? Yes please. That sounds like... a certain other knife which is distantly related to the Randall Adventure Team knives. Best not speak the name.
 
Shorttime said:
Uh. Sorry, I need to hijack the thread for a minute, because

I need to know moar about this:



A folding version of the RAT 3? Yes please. That sounds like... a certain other knife which is distantly related to the Randall Adventure Team knives. Best not speak the name.
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I am sorry....my post was a poor attempt at letting the OP to buy a smaller, stout, fixed blade
 
Another member once mentioned he used his ZT0909 for everything on his ranch in Australia, including prying I believe. Now that they are $130 at knifecenter, I decided to get 2; the one I opened was sharper than any ZT purchased before. The first 1/4” of the tip I wouldn’t pry with, but about 2/3rd of the way down the blade the sabre style grind reaches the full thickness of the blade at about 4mm. Since S35vn is supposed to be a little tougher than s30v, I’m going to say this knife, at this price, should be the only ZT I would ever pry with! Not for opening cans of paint, though
 
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midnight flyer said:
I use my knives in my construction job and some of them get pretty nasty work. I carry two knives, a smaller folder and a "utility" knife that does anything required of it, including scraping, light prying, heavy cutting of wood, cardboard cutting, etc. I have broken a tip only once on a "work" knife in over 40 years, and have to say it was because I overstressed the knife trying to dig out a nail head in a 2X4. Regardless of how stout the knife is, I try to only use it for cutting.

I like my ZT 0909, and it works just fine on site. I have several others in rotation, but they are all have a point on the blade that might be too thin for you.

This would be my suggestion. TRY, just TRY (LOL!) to break the tip on this bad boy. I have one of the models of this knife and it is practically indestructible.

https://goo.gl/m1jaVD

The point of the blade actually looks so blunt it might not be useful, but that isn't the case. It surely isn't stabby, but it slices pretty well and the belly has proven to be a nice long slicing edge. Comes in different colors and scale choices, too. The 3d aluminum scales are comfy, and the price in aluminum (you can get it in all titanium) with their stock steel that roughly approximates a really hard D2 nails your budget requirements, too.

Robert
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I don’t know if you’ve seen knifecenter’s price on the 909 ($129.95!) I know it’s not the knife you’re recommending to the op, but in case you need a backup! For the op, I’d look for a knife that had a locking flat-head screwdriver “blade.” In addition to the regular blade, of course, the only knife I’ve seen like this was a made in China gerber obsidian, at about $30
 
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Lots of good choices here, and you may have made up your mind, but I will echo those who listed the CS SR1. I had a BM Adamas, and it was pretty stout, but did not cut well. The CS SR1 is a beefy blade that cuts decently well, lots of steel all the way to the tip. The 4max is an even better cutter because the width of the blade allows the grind to thin out towards the edge, but it is a pocket hog (carries fine in a chore coat though). I carry a spyderco mili or PM2 for most cutting duties, and the CS SR1 as a pocket, folding fixed blade :)
 
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