The ZT no one is talking about! ZT0804CF

Ruggdogg87 · Apr 13, 2016

Seems like people think this knife is overpriced but I'm not in that same boat. I love Benchmades. And the 940-1 has an MSRP of $315. The ZT 0804CF has an MSRP of $350 or $35 more and you get a much larger knife, carbon fiber, titanium, and a huge slab of CTS-204. I think it's extremely well priced.

Paul Hart · Apr 14, 2016

I will buy this knife if ZT or someone else ever comes out with a deep carry pocket clip. Wish knife makers sent one out with all large folders. Working at a large corporation and having the back of a knife like that sticking out of my pocket would be asking for trouble... Such a sweet folder though.

tantrik77 · Apr 14, 2016

I love everything about it except the finish. If the blade and titanium scale were blackwashed, I'd buy one immediately.

Ruggdogg87 · Apr 14, 2016

tantrik77 said:
I love everything about it except the finish. If the blade and titanium scale were blackwashed, I'd buy one immediately.

If they make a blackwash version like the 0095 (which I own) I would buy it immediately also (in addition to the one I have lol)

Scurvy092 · Apr 14, 2016

Paul Hart said:
I will buy this knife if ZT or someone else ever comes out with a deep carry pocket clip. Wish knife makers sent one out with all large folders. Working at a large corporation and having the back of a knife like that sticking out of my pocket would be asking for trouble... Such a sweet folder though.

I would like to see zt move to the two vertically aligned screw configuration for every knife and let people decide to use the fold over 0560 clip of the standard clip like on the 0450

Sosa · Apr 17, 2016

unwisefool said:
There is only a .2" difference in blade length between the two, how does that make it too short?

Because a lot of times the blade length and edge are really far apart. And .20 is close to 1/4 which is a lot if you ask me.

Dfunk1210 · Apr 17, 2016

Ruggdogg87 said:
If they make a blackwash version like the 0095 (which I own) I would buy it immediately also (in addition to the one I have lol)

I actually wish the 0095 came in the same black coating as the 804cf. Or at least the stonewash of the Limited version. But since it's already been done with the limited edition and the Snap-On version, its just not gonna happen.

As for the the 804cf, it certainly seems like a solid release but a little too pricy for me. I don't put down that much for a knife very often and at around $280, there really is a lot to choose from.

Sigguy · Apr 17, 2016

I looked at buying it pretty hard. The reason I didn't was the DLC blade. If the knife was 180.00 for the DLC blade I would have bought it. If it had a satin finish or backwashed finish I would have bought it at their asking price. Every ZT I have owned has been perfect in terms of quality, but I have sold them all except my wife's 0900.

Snapper314 · May 10, 2016

I picked up one of these 0804CF knives a couple of months ago and love it!

I think the Black DLC coating on the blade and titanium back are excellent and add to the appearance of the knife. I alternate between carrying this one and a 0450CF, which is like a baby brother in appearance & size to the 0804CF.

And I'm VERY glad ZT goes with a metal back coupled to a CF or G10 front. I have a ZT 0350 which has G10 on both sides. The grip is great but the G10 wears a hole in my pants over time. The Titanium backed ZT knives don't suffer from this problem.

Brummie · May 10, 2016

I like the 0804. I'm a fan of simple designs that put a lot of blade in a compact package, especially when that blade has decent geometry and outstanding steel.

Aesthetically, I'm not a huge fan of the all-black appearance, the al back-spacer or the made-in-USA markings on the pivot, but I can live with it. The price is on the higher side, but not extravagant for what it is.

My biggest gripe is that the detent is very strong on the one I have. I've always quietly sniggered at people who complain about strong detents and flipper jimping hurting their fingers, but now I have to admit I'm in the same group. Opening the knife is just not a pleasant experience for me, particularly if I do it a few times in succession. The actions on my other ZTs are great.

flarp · May 10, 2016

Finally gotten around to trying this one out. Initial impressions... It is a big knife, but it is still really sleek. It carries comfortably for its size. Opening action is great. I would have preferred a small offset between the locking and front scales to make disengaging the lock a little easier. The blade was very sharp out of the box, and the high flat grind slices very well. I found the handle to be comfortable for my uses, although if I were going to be doing a lot of cutting, I might prefer something thicker (trade-off between comfort in pocket vs. in hand). The design itself has a very clean appearance, and the execution is perfect. The milled Ti pocket clip and backspacer are also nice touches.

10after10 · May 10, 2016

I love mine. It replaced my ZT0801S110VBLK. I've been carrying mine for about a month. It's big knife without being overly obtrusive. Great fit & finish. Looks great, the all black w/ carbon fiber is understated, not gaudy at all. Typical awesome ZT flipping action. Feels better than quite a few customs I've had experience with.

whitty · May 10, 2016

I said I would get back with you guys about the bearing system and if it could run a track in the titanium and become a problem in 20-30 years. I talked to ZT about this and they said the same thing a lot of others have said. The track marks you see in the ti are mostly from dirt. When you wipe it clean it typically is not noticeable. They also said that those bearings barely turn or move when the knife is open and closed. The answer sounded like a mythbusters answer, "is it possible to wear out in 20-30 years? Sure, but not very likely!"

I think knowing ZT and their customer service, and assuming they stay the same in 20-30 years, they will offer a fix for this if it really ever does become a problem.

Tachead7075 · May 12, 2016

whitty said:
I said I would get back with you guys about the bearing system and if it could run a track in the titanium and become a problem in 20-30 years. I talked to ZT about this and they said the same thing a lot of others have said. The track marks you see in the ti are mostly from dirt. When you wipe it clean it typically is not noticeable. They also said that those bearings barely turn or move when the knife is open and closed. The answer sounded like a mythbusters answer, "is it possible to wear out in 20-30 years? Sure, but not very likely!"

I think knowing ZT and their customer service, and assuming they stay the same in 20-30 years, they will offer a fix for this if it really ever does become a problem.

Metal filings and a distinct channel worn into the Ti has been observed by users. Due to the use of unsealed bearings, the wear can be accelerated as well by debris mixing with the bearing oil/grease especially for users who dont regularly disassemble, clean, lubricate and use their knives in harsh environments.

Or, they could just put hardened steel washers in in the first place like other companies do. They already do on their CF scales so it would be a simple and logical improvement imo. There is a reason why pretty much every bearing on the planet uses hardened steel races.

MacLaren1 · Sep 9, 2016

Got mine yesterday, and its freakin awesome imo!

sharp_edge · Sep 9, 2016

Looks REALLY nice and thanks for sharing. I've been on the fence, fearing that some scratches on the blade or the handle will easily mar the beauty of this knife.

Gideons · Sep 9, 2016

I think the knife does look very nice and I think would preform amazing. But, frankly... I don't like too have too large of a knife collection. I am a ZT fan, but the knives this year look less ergonomic than the ZT's I own and don't offer really anything new and improved over the ZT's I currently own. IMO, the best ZT's ever made were the 0301 and the 0560. These2016 knives are slightly more "commercial/main stream" and less hard use. Which isn't a bad thing, I am sure they are capable. But, not what I want in my ZT's.

stabman · Sep 9, 2016

Gideons said:
but the knives this year look less ergonomic than the ZT's I own

It's actually extremely ergonomic.

I used it for about 2 hours last night working on the handles for the bullet-resistant shield I am making.
So not only does it look great and have awesome ergonomics, it also helps keep bullets from ruining your day.

Gideons · Sep 9, 2016

stabman said:
It's actually extremely ergonomic.
I used it for about 2 hours last night working on the handles for the bullet-resistant shield I am making.
So not only does it look great and have awesome ergonomics, it also helps keep bullets from ruining your day.

Bullet proof shield? Alright then haha. And I never they WEREN'T ergonomic, I just said less than previous year as in my opinion the ZT/Hinderer collab are the most ergonomic knives for me. They just feel amazing compared to every other knife I own.

dogrunner · Sep 9, 2016

I love the looks and enjoy the pictures. I'm sure the build quality is there and materials are great. I just don't like flippers or flipper-only openings. If they made this with thumb studs or discs like on the 620 or 630 (Emerson models), I'd already have one!