Kaizen1
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jan 4, 2006
- Messages
- 6,248
Yo,
So I've been EDCing a ZT 0620CF for a month or so now and today I picked up a Kershaw CQC-6K at a store semi-nearby (Perfect Edge Cutlery, San Mateo, CA. Friendly staff, nice selection) as a default Christmas gift for the GF in case I can't think of something better. If I do come up with something better, I get a new knife:thumbup:.
In any case, I thought this might be a good time to do an initial comparative overview of the two knives since they're both Emerson designs made by KAI, and are each on the far edges of the price range spectrum from each other. Just an FYI, this is not a review about performance. I haven't really used my 0620CF (I'm a city boy, not much to cut. No apologies.) and I just bought the CQC-6K, which I plan to gift. Just don't want to waste your time if that's what you're looking for. To start, let's look at the tech specs from KAI's site for these two:
Kershaw CQC-6K:
Zero Tolerance 0620CF
Cost:
Some initial shots:
The Weight:
Though the ZT comes in at about 1.2oz heavier than the 6K, subjectively, I'm having a difficult time feeling that difference. Before looking up the weight, I suspected that the 6K might actually be heavier. And now looking at the numbers, I still have difficulty feeling that difference.
Ergonomics:
The ergonomics on the 0620CF are nice, but not great. On a scale from 1-10 with 10 being best and 5 being average-feeling, I'd give the ZT a 6.7. It may be a bit of a surprise to some that the 6K actually feels noticeably better in hand than the 0620CF. I'd rate it around 7.7. Considering that the handle on the 6K looks almost identical to the Commander model in the actual Emerson line up, it may not be that much of a surprise. The Commander model is one of the more popular designs by Emerson, so it may not be a great coincidence that a similar handle is comfortable in-hand.
The Scales:
The CF on the ZT feels a bit on the slick side. Other than the 9 grooves visible on the handle, there's no other texturing on the scale. The handle and jimping adds a bit of reassurance from the thought of the knife slipping in the hand during use, but it feels slicker than most of the other FRN and G-10 textured knives I've owned. The 6K has textured G-10, but it's far from aggressive. It's certainly much less aggressive than a standard Emerson knife. It feels about as textured as my 3-4 year-old Spyderco Paramilitary 2. G-10 wears down over time, so the Para 2's grippiness isn't as pronounced as it was from when I first bought it new, and the 6K's grippiness is about the same at the current state of the Para 2's G-10. I would expect that to smooth out over time. But as it stands, the 6K's scale has a grippier feel to it than the ZT's. The 6K's G-10 scale interestingly comes in thicker than the ZT's CF scale. The steel liner underneather both appear to possess the same thickness. The 6K is on the left in the photo.
The Thumb Disks:
The disks appear to have the same circumference. The knurling on the ZT's disk feels more aggressive than on the 6K. I'm not sure if it's the coating on the 6K's disk, the knurling, or both.
Lock Up, Related Stuff:
Both knives lock up solid with no play in any direction. The 6K locks up around 70%. Its frame lock is made of 410 stainless steel and appears to be bead blasted. The ZT's frame lock initially came in locked up at about 45%. A month later, it's at about 55%. The ZT has a stonewashed titanium frame lock with a steel insert that meets the tang. I've read that this is for better mating between the tang and the lock bar (steel-to-steel, as opposed to titanium-to-steel), a longer lasting lock up due to the similar hardness, and from a manufacturer's perspective, it would seem much more cost effective to replace a worn-down insert than the entire frame lock when repairing knives. That probably also means a quicker turn-around time for repairs for us users. The steel insert also acts at an over-travel stop when disengaging the lock, but because they machined the lock bar so nicely, the spacing between the lockbar and the handle (toward the spine-side of the knife when open) is very narrow, making the over-travel stop difficult to see. This allows the knife to keep a simpler look, and I consider this a positive. The lock-side slab for the ZT handle comes in much thicker than that on the 6K (See the scale comparison photo above). The ZT is on the top in the photo.
The spacing on the 6K between the lockbar and the handle (toward the spine-side) is very wide; much wider than most frame locks I've seen or owned. Many people look at Rick Hinderer's 'lockbar stabilizer' and just see an over-travel stop. An additional feature of the lockbar stabilizer is that it was designed to prevent moving the lockbar toward the handle (the spine-side) when gripping hard in the open position. You can read more about the lockbar stabilizer here. There's no over-travel stop on the 6K, but the SS handle makes it tougher to pull the lockbar out too far. With a gap between the handle and the lockbar being so wide on the 6K, this looks like something a lockbar stabilizer might be good for. However, keep in mind that the handle is made of steel, so it won't be as easy to bend as a titanium lockbar. I tried gripping it hard and have not seen or felt any movement in the lockbar.
The Blades:
Both knives come in a two-tone, brushed satin/ stonewashed finish. However, where those finishes are on each knife are reversed. The 6K is satin finished on the flats and stonewashed on the hollow grind closer to the edge. The ZT has a stonewash finish on the flats and a satin finish on the flat grind closer to the edge. The 6K is a saber-hollow drop point with an unsharpened swedge and the ZT is a saber-flat tanto. I'm normally not a fan of tantos, but the ZT (obviously) was an exception. I think it's mostly about the slightly longer edge toward the tip compared to many other Americanized tantos, along with the very subtle curve/belly on the tanto tip. It just looks cool as shit.
Opening:
The 6K came in very smooth in the sense that opening it feels like a very constant movement; no jerkiness if that makes any sense. It's kind of like it's moving through molasses, but in a very smooth way. But it's not flickable. I've tried waving it open and I've had to put in a bit more effort to ensure that it locks up because the blade doesn't gain much momentum due to the aforementioned molassesiness. The ZT doesn't have that issue and flicks open just fine.
Anyway, I'm talking way too much. Here are some pivot shots:
Clips:
Backspacers:
Lockbar cutouts, jimping:
Shot with the Kershaw Ruby:
The 6K is a great design. It feels like a very solid folder. At these prices, it's difficult to find comparable knives in the same genre that can compete value-wise. If I had a limited budget and went with the 6K as a primary EDC, I wouldn't feel like I was settling for some low-value budget Emerson. I've owned at least 5-6 production Emersons, and I think I like this just as much as I liked the actual Emerson models. It's hard to tell since I got this today and I had time to actually use the Emersons, but all signs point to this being a knife I would enjoy at the same level. The frame lock feels very solid. The ergos are great. I don't get very concerned with steels nowadays. I suspect the 8Cr14MoV would work just fine for at least 90-95% of us. That's certainly the case for me. The only reason I got the M390 0620 instead of the Elmax is because I think the satin finish is prettier.
The 0620CF is, well, just a great fucking design. It's like an XM-18 made sweet, sweet love to an Emerson blueprint on Zero Tolerance's production floor. This stabby lovechild has earned its child support. Hmm, I feel like the analogy breaks down somewhere, but I can't find it.
And now the call to action. Shut up, get both.
Cheers:thumbup:
So I've been EDCing a ZT 0620CF for a month or so now and today I picked up a Kershaw CQC-6K at a store semi-nearby (Perfect Edge Cutlery, San Mateo, CA. Friendly staff, nice selection) as a default Christmas gift for the GF in case I can't think of something better. If I do come up with something better, I get a new knife:thumbup:.
In any case, I thought this might be a good time to do an initial comparative overview of the two knives since they're both Emerson designs made by KAI, and are each on the far edges of the price range spectrum from each other. Just an FYI, this is not a review about performance. I haven't really used my 0620CF (I'm a city boy, not much to cut. No apologies.) and I just bought the CQC-6K, which I plan to gift. Just don't want to waste your time if that's what you're looking for. To start, let's look at the tech specs from KAI's site for these two:
Kershaw CQC-6K:
- Designed by Emerson, built by Kershaw
- Thumb disk; "waved shaped opening feature"
- Manual opening
- Frame lock
- Reversible pocketclip (left/right)
- Steel: 8Cr14MoV, stonewashed & satin finish
- Handle: textured G-10 front, 410 bead-blasted finish back
- Blade length: 3.25 in. (8.3 cm)
- Closed length: 4.5 in. (11.4 cm)
- Open length: 7.75 in. (19.7 cm)
- 5.0 oz. (153.1 g)
Zero Tolerance 0620CF
- Made in the USA
- "Wave shaped opening feature"
- Thumb disk for manual opening
- Reversible clip (left/right)
- Frame lock, hardened steel lockbar inserts
- Steel: M390, stonewashed & satin finish
- Handle: Carbon fiber front, stonewashed titanium back
- Blade Length: 3.6 in. (9.1 cm)
- Closed Length: 4.9 in. (12.4 cm)
- Weight: 6.2 oz. (177 g)
Cost:
- CQC-6K:
Street Pricing: ~$35-$40 at retailers
$54.99 MSRP
Black Market: The hair of a virgin. - 0620CF:
Street Pricing: ~$240 at retailers
$300.00 MSRP
Black Market: The kidney of an alcoholic.
Some initial shots:
The Weight:
Though the ZT comes in at about 1.2oz heavier than the 6K, subjectively, I'm having a difficult time feeling that difference. Before looking up the weight, I suspected that the 6K might actually be heavier. And now looking at the numbers, I still have difficulty feeling that difference.
Ergonomics:
The ergonomics on the 0620CF are nice, but not great. On a scale from 1-10 with 10 being best and 5 being average-feeling, I'd give the ZT a 6.7. It may be a bit of a surprise to some that the 6K actually feels noticeably better in hand than the 0620CF. I'd rate it around 7.7. Considering that the handle on the 6K looks almost identical to the Commander model in the actual Emerson line up, it may not be that much of a surprise. The Commander model is one of the more popular designs by Emerson, so it may not be a great coincidence that a similar handle is comfortable in-hand.
The Scales:
The CF on the ZT feels a bit on the slick side. Other than the 9 grooves visible on the handle, there's no other texturing on the scale. The handle and jimping adds a bit of reassurance from the thought of the knife slipping in the hand during use, but it feels slicker than most of the other FRN and G-10 textured knives I've owned. The 6K has textured G-10, but it's far from aggressive. It's certainly much less aggressive than a standard Emerson knife. It feels about as textured as my 3-4 year-old Spyderco Paramilitary 2. G-10 wears down over time, so the Para 2's grippiness isn't as pronounced as it was from when I first bought it new, and the 6K's grippiness is about the same at the current state of the Para 2's G-10. I would expect that to smooth out over time. But as it stands, the 6K's scale has a grippier feel to it than the ZT's. The 6K's G-10 scale interestingly comes in thicker than the ZT's CF scale. The steel liner underneather both appear to possess the same thickness. The 6K is on the left in the photo.
The Thumb Disks:
The disks appear to have the same circumference. The knurling on the ZT's disk feels more aggressive than on the 6K. I'm not sure if it's the coating on the 6K's disk, the knurling, or both.
Lock Up, Related Stuff:
Both knives lock up solid with no play in any direction. The 6K locks up around 70%. Its frame lock is made of 410 stainless steel and appears to be bead blasted. The ZT's frame lock initially came in locked up at about 45%. A month later, it's at about 55%. The ZT has a stonewashed titanium frame lock with a steel insert that meets the tang. I've read that this is for better mating between the tang and the lock bar (steel-to-steel, as opposed to titanium-to-steel), a longer lasting lock up due to the similar hardness, and from a manufacturer's perspective, it would seem much more cost effective to replace a worn-down insert than the entire frame lock when repairing knives. That probably also means a quicker turn-around time for repairs for us users. The steel insert also acts at an over-travel stop when disengaging the lock, but because they machined the lock bar so nicely, the spacing between the lockbar and the handle (toward the spine-side of the knife when open) is very narrow, making the over-travel stop difficult to see. This allows the knife to keep a simpler look, and I consider this a positive. The lock-side slab for the ZT handle comes in much thicker than that on the 6K (See the scale comparison photo above). The ZT is on the top in the photo.
The spacing on the 6K between the lockbar and the handle (toward the spine-side) is very wide; much wider than most frame locks I've seen or owned. Many people look at Rick Hinderer's 'lockbar stabilizer' and just see an over-travel stop. An additional feature of the lockbar stabilizer is that it was designed to prevent moving the lockbar toward the handle (the spine-side) when gripping hard in the open position. You can read more about the lockbar stabilizer here. There's no over-travel stop on the 6K, but the SS handle makes it tougher to pull the lockbar out too far. With a gap between the handle and the lockbar being so wide on the 6K, this looks like something a lockbar stabilizer might be good for. However, keep in mind that the handle is made of steel, so it won't be as easy to bend as a titanium lockbar. I tried gripping it hard and have not seen or felt any movement in the lockbar.
The Blades:
Both knives come in a two-tone, brushed satin/ stonewashed finish. However, where those finishes are on each knife are reversed. The 6K is satin finished on the flats and stonewashed on the hollow grind closer to the edge. The ZT has a stonewash finish on the flats and a satin finish on the flat grind closer to the edge. The 6K is a saber-hollow drop point with an unsharpened swedge and the ZT is a saber-flat tanto. I'm normally not a fan of tantos, but the ZT (obviously) was an exception. I think it's mostly about the slightly longer edge toward the tip compared to many other Americanized tantos, along with the very subtle curve/belly on the tanto tip. It just looks cool as shit.
Opening:
The 6K came in very smooth in the sense that opening it feels like a very constant movement; no jerkiness if that makes any sense. It's kind of like it's moving through molasses, but in a very smooth way. But it's not flickable. I've tried waving it open and I've had to put in a bit more effort to ensure that it locks up because the blade doesn't gain much momentum due to the aforementioned molassesiness. The ZT doesn't have that issue and flicks open just fine.
Anyway, I'm talking way too much. Here are some pivot shots:
Clips:
Backspacers:
Lockbar cutouts, jimping:
Shot with the Kershaw Ruby:
The 6K is a great design. It feels like a very solid folder. At these prices, it's difficult to find comparable knives in the same genre that can compete value-wise. If I had a limited budget and went with the 6K as a primary EDC, I wouldn't feel like I was settling for some low-value budget Emerson. I've owned at least 5-6 production Emersons, and I think I like this just as much as I liked the actual Emerson models. It's hard to tell since I got this today and I had time to actually use the Emersons, but all signs point to this being a knife I would enjoy at the same level. The frame lock feels very solid. The ergos are great. I don't get very concerned with steels nowadays. I suspect the 8Cr14MoV would work just fine for at least 90-95% of us. That's certainly the case for me. The only reason I got the M390 0620 instead of the Elmax is because I think the satin finish is prettier.
The 0620CF is, well, just a great fucking design. It's like an XM-18 made sweet, sweet love to an Emerson blueprint on Zero Tolerance's production floor. This stabby lovechild has earned its child support. Hmm, I feel like the analogy breaks down somewhere, but I can't find it.
And now the call to action. Shut up, get both.
Cheers:thumbup:
