Today and my brand new ZT350CB

Flatlander1963

Flatlander1963

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Jan 28, 2008
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I am now a very pleased owner of a brand new Zero Tolerance. I've been thinking of getting a ZT350 for some time and just haven't due a long list of knife "I wants." Recently I started following the ZT550 thread and its discussion of Elmax steel. Frankly, I hadn't heard of it before. In the thread it was mentioned that the ZT350CB had a composite blade with Elmax. Since I'd been thinking of a ZT350 and have become interested in Elmax I went and ordered one.

I can't at this point tell you anything about the Elmax other than the knife came very, very sharp. The knife just got here yesterday and I've not had much cutting oportunities. I can tell you that the fit and finish is absolutely top shelf. The lock up is rock solid and everything is straight and centered. I also really like the assist mechanisms speed (not fast but not slow) and the solid thunk when the blade locks up. I've already said that the Elmax is outragously sharp out of the box. More comments on how it sharpens, how the edge wears, etc. when I know something there. I also think this knife is plenty big, strong, and burly.

I highly recommend this knife! If you're a kershaw fan you already know this one is a great knife. I'd say it's a must have knife!:thumbup::thumbup:

On a side Bar: Dad and I went fishing today and I'd took the knife along. I pulled it out to cut some line etc and laid it down next to the steering console. As we got set to go at the end of the fishing, I stood next to the console's seat and was trying to push the ZT350's clip into my back pocket. Being new the clip was very stiff. Anyway, I managed to drop it while trying to clip it. It went straight down and pogo sticked off the seat towards the water. Then clunk, it hit the edge of the boat, teetered, and fell back in the boat. It was a damn sick feeling watching it bouncing through the air towards the water, then wobbling on the edge for that terrifying moment. I decided I'd just put it in the front pocket with the cell phone for the rest of the day.
 
Flatlander1963 said:
I am now a very pleased owner of a brand new Zero Tolerance. I've been thinking of getting a ZT350 for some time and just haven't due a long list of knife "I wants." Recently I started following the ZT550 thread and its discussion of Elmax steel. Frankly, I hadn't heard of it before. In the thread it was mentioned that the ZT350CB had a composite blade with Elmax. Since I'd been thinking of a ZT350 and have become interested in Elmax I went and ordered one.

I can't at this point tell you anything about the Elmax other than the knife came very, very sharp. The knife just got here yesterday and I've not had much cutting oportunities. I can tell you that the fit and finish is absolutely top shelf. The lock up is rock solid and everything is straight and centered. I also really like the assist mechanisms speed (not fast but not slow) and the solid thunk when the blade locks up. I've already said that the Elmax is outragously sharp out of the box. More comments on how it sharpens, how the edge wears, etc. when I know something there. I also think this knife is plenty big, strong, and burly.

I highly recommend this knife! If you're a kershaw fan you already know this one is a great knife. I'd say it's a must have knife!:thumbup::thumbup:

On a side Bar: Dad and I went fishing today and I'd took the knife along. I pulled it out to cut some line etc and laid it down next to the steering console. As we got set to go at the end of the fishing, I stood next to the console's seat and was trying to push the ZT350's clip into my back pocket. Being new the clip was very stiff. Anyway, I managed to drop it while trying to clip it. It went straight down and pogo sticked off the seat towards the water. Then clunk, it hit the edge of the boat, teetered, and fell back in the boat. It was a damn sick feeling watching it bouncing through the air towards the water, then wobbling on the edge for that terrifying moment. I decided I'd just put it in the front pocket with the cell phone for the rest of the day.
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Glad you like the Knife man, I sure am glad it didn't go into the drink, of course I would have been happy to send you another one, Ha.
 
I would love to have one but I just cannot warm up to the assisted opening aspect of the ZT knives.
 
Bimmer1 said:
I would love to have one but I just cannot warm up to the assisted opening aspect of the ZT knives.
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I just can't understand that, I have seen many a thread where a few people didn't like AO. I remember when the first Kershaw came out with it, I would sit in front of the tv and cycle the knife for hours, the wife even told me I needed to stop a few times, Ha. I love it. But hey there is always the 0200 for those that don't like AO, it is a sweet knife
 
Bimmer1 said:
I would love to have one but I just cannot warm up to the assisted opening aspect of the ZT knives.
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RevDevil said:
That can easily be remedied with a Torx bit and a couple minutes.
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I feel spoiled by the assisted opening but not all of the ZTs are SpeedSafe. The ZT200, for example is not as SpeedSafe assisted opener and has the same gorgeous lines and toughness.
 
I would not remove that feature personally. It's just a simple and quick way to securely open a knife. Besides, it's just fun.
 
If the ZT-350CB opens like my new ZT-301 (Thanks, Kershawguy!), it will be 'polite'. My nearing 7-year old once-red K-shaw Blur still pops out with 'authority'. But... yesterday's new BM 790 Subrosa purchase can only be described as a 'Lurch' - not to be mixed up with the 'LERCH' on the blade - he was the designer. New to me, I have discovered a possible way of discerning new 790 owners - blood blister pinches evidenced on their right forefinger - from holding the knife too high when deploying the blade and being pinched as the blade locks deployed. The ZT is a better deployment design. The 790 reminds me of my 6150 Auto... leaves you wondering where the knife jumped to - and hope that the cat's okay!

Stainz
 
I like this one, and the ElMax steel. One thing I've already noticed is it likes higher grit finishes more than S30V does, in my opinion. S30V is great, but I've stopped putting super fine ( above 4-6000 grit) finishes on it as there's no real benefit to doing so.

The Elmax I've taken up to 8,000 grit ( DMT diamond with a following strop on Chrome Oxide) and it got sharper, but sustained the real scary sharp what seemed like longer cutting regular cardboard.

I stopped before I got it to that medium sharp, but still sawing high vanadium steels are known for.

Wear resistance IMO is the whole package, so I won't say Elmax has greater wear resistance overall than S30V does, but it does seem to do the real sharp edge stuff a bit better.

Nothing scientific, just a noticable trend so far. I don't know the hardness numbers but the overall feel is of a harder steel ( than S30V is typically run at by Kershaw, Spyderco, Benchmade etc.), which I like.

Mine too came perfectly centered, with a very sharp, well finished edge on it. In fact, the edge it came at had a slightly higher polish than what I'm used to.

Nice thick, smooth lock positioned just the way I like it, good feel from the handles.

It's difficult to imagine getting more bang for the buck, but that's Kershaw for you.

I do usually like longer blades but in this case the grip is large and ergonomic enough for my hands , and it's performance slicing isn't suffering any, that's for sure.

This one won't be getting traded or sold.


Joe/raleigh
 
Flat Out a fine knife. I really like this knife's assisted action. Noone should fear it! It's a really well executed flipper assist design.

On the pictures of the bouncing knife, didn't have the camera/phone out.
 
I guess I'll use this thread to ask a question I've always had about Kershaw knives...

Why are recurve blades so common in thier patterns? I'm not complaining, just wondering.
 
Hi Flatlander1963 -

Sounds like a another great knife from Kershaw.

Man - I am glad that did not bounce into the water!!!

I had an old OLD zebco 33 classic that my grandfather left to me - I was fishing with it and on one cast, the back cover came dislodged and, similar to how your knife-bounce scenario went, the part bounced off of the seat in the boat, then arced up and over the transom and into the water...

I could see the shiny part as it sunk out of sight. I was sick.

Glad your story turned out better!

thanks for the post (and upcoming pictures? :D 0 )

best regards -

mqqn
 
Flatlander1963 said:
I guess I'll use this thread to ask a question I've always had about Kershaw knives...

Why are recurve blades so common in thier patterns? I'm not complaining, just wondering.
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Many of the recurves are Ken Onion designs and if you look at his designs you can see he likes recurves.
 
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