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Zero Tolerance Knives Announced at the 2014 SHOT Show
- Thread starter RamZar
- Start date
Depends on how it's finished, typically it seems carbon fiber is being smooth finished and even gloss polished in some cases for aesthetics to best display the weave pattern. In that case I'll take textured G10 every time for a knife I'm going to actually use. Some have done what almost looks like a bead blast matte finish that looks nice but still offers some grip, the BM Rift forum knife is like that but it also has lots of ridges built into the slab shape for extra grip. The 0560CBCF is too smooth IMO, both on the Ti side and the CF side, it's slippery with wet or sweaty hands. Spyderco does a rough/peel ply texture with their carbon fiber as on the Manix 2 XL CF, but it looses all it's aesthetics, might as well be normal G10 and drop the price a bit.
For me most of my CF knives were about getting the "better" blade steel than the CF scale. A couple that are frequent users have even had the CF scales replaced with more functional/grippy standard G10 scales.
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- Jan 14, 2011
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Those Emersons are interesting...
- Joined
- May 13, 2012
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I'm all over that 0562cf. Love it; everything about it. Thanks, Ramzar for the heads up. As always, you are THE most prescient and preeminent purveyor of all things pertinent to ZT.
As a token of my appreciation, I have instructed my attorney to grant you first dibs on my ZT harem when I die.
As a token of my appreciation, I have instructed my attorney to grant you first dibs on my ZT harem when I die.
RamZar
Gold Member
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2013
- Messages
- 11,630
I'm all over that 0562cf. Love it; everything about it. Thanks, Ramzar for the heads up. As always, you are THE most prescient and preeminent purveyor of all things pertinent to ZT.
As a token of my appreciation, I have instructed my attorney to grant you first dibs on my ZT harem when I die.
There's a whole posse of ZT aficionados here on BF. I just try to condense the information.
Eagerly awaiting the arrival of 0888MAX! Where art thou o Mad Max.
Last edited:
- Joined
- May 13, 2012
- Messages
- 299
There's a whole posse of ZT aficionados here on BF. I just try to condense the information.
Eagerly awaiting the arrival of 0888MAX! Where art though o Mad Max.
I'm with you entirely on that point. I don't think I've ever more eagerly awaited a knife than I have the 0888MAX.
But, ZT keeps coming out with all these other gems worthy of the Crown Jewels, and...and...well... I'm always fricken broke, that's what!!!
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- Feb 20, 2007
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- 386
My take on all of the new ZT releases (and the Kershaws too).
In general, I'm glad to see ZT returning to their roots with more functional, less flashy, less expensive, more-likely-to-actually-be-available-for-everybody-to-purchase, Made-in-the-USA knives. I do miss the crazy, flashy stuff, and the 0454 and 0801CF are the top two ZT knives on my to-buy list.
As far as the higher end limited edition ZT knives go, I will have no interest in them if only 250 are made and they immediately become unobtainable at MSRP. I refuse to pay $1500-2000 in the after/secondary market for a $500 0888. ZT should make those knives available first, and directly, to the ZT hardcore collectors ... the same way Ferrari and Microtech do. I'm on the verge of selling my entire Kershaw and ZT collection (it's BIG!) because I can't even obtain the high end collectible models, and because I'm tired of waiting a year or longer for a knife that may NEVER appear. Kershaw dropping out of the forums was a bad move too - that interaction directly with Kai/Kershaw/ZT really kept me excited about their products and upcoming releases.
On to the knives ....
0562CF - Nice! Like the return to function over form, and the more utilitarian design.
0562 - see above
0620CF - Another nice utilitarian design. Love the Emerson collab. Everybody needs to own a wave.
0620 - see above
0180 - boring
0102 - Looks cool! But woah, is it a $400 hatchet?
Kershaw has some nice designs this year. I like the car theme blackwash series (Manifold, Lifter, Starter), and the rest of their blackwash efforts. The Strobe is a cool design! ... except for those ugly grips. The new Cryos are very cool, as is the Olive Knockout, the Siege, and the Emerson models.
All said, if I'm able to actually buy an 0801CF and a 0454, then I might continue collecting Kai products. I've got the proper pre-orders and reserves in, but as we saw with the 0777 and 0888, that sometimes doesn't matter. Otherwise, if I can't even acquire the ZT and Kershaw knives I want, then I'll probably put my entire collection up for sale here soon.
fwiw, I also collect Microtech, Pro-Tech, Marfione customs, other customs and semi-customs, and I'm almost always able to get exactly what I want with those, and at a reasonable price too.
Note: Please don't take my negative comments about Kai as an attack. I'm simply describing what I don't like about their recent business activities. They might even lose me as a customer ... not that they'd care. I would, for example, have bought an 0777 0777M390, 0888, 0888MAX, etc, but apparently I'll just never be able to buy one at a reasonable price. I've consequently spent most of my Kai budget for the past year on Microtech and Pro-Tech, because I could easily get all of their new models.
In general, I'm glad to see ZT returning to their roots with more functional, less flashy, less expensive, more-likely-to-actually-be-available-for-everybody-to-purchase, Made-in-the-USA knives. I do miss the crazy, flashy stuff, and the 0454 and 0801CF are the top two ZT knives on my to-buy list.
As far as the higher end limited edition ZT knives go, I will have no interest in them if only 250 are made and they immediately become unobtainable at MSRP. I refuse to pay $1500-2000 in the after/secondary market for a $500 0888. ZT should make those knives available first, and directly, to the ZT hardcore collectors ... the same way Ferrari and Microtech do. I'm on the verge of selling my entire Kershaw and ZT collection (it's BIG!) because I can't even obtain the high end collectible models, and because I'm tired of waiting a year or longer for a knife that may NEVER appear. Kershaw dropping out of the forums was a bad move too - that interaction directly with Kai/Kershaw/ZT really kept me excited about their products and upcoming releases.
On to the knives ....
0562CF - Nice! Like the return to function over form, and the more utilitarian design.
0562 - see above
0620CF - Another nice utilitarian design. Love the Emerson collab. Everybody needs to own a wave.
0620 - see above
0180 - boring
0102 - Looks cool! But woah, is it a $400 hatchet?
Kershaw has some nice designs this year. I like the car theme blackwash series (Manifold, Lifter, Starter), and the rest of their blackwash efforts. The Strobe is a cool design! ... except for those ugly grips. The new Cryos are very cool, as is the Olive Knockout, the Siege, and the Emerson models.
All said, if I'm able to actually buy an 0801CF and a 0454, then I might continue collecting Kai products. I've got the proper pre-orders and reserves in, but as we saw with the 0777 and 0888, that sometimes doesn't matter. Otherwise, if I can't even acquire the ZT and Kershaw knives I want, then I'll probably put my entire collection up for sale here soon.
fwiw, I also collect Microtech, Pro-Tech, Marfione customs, other customs and semi-customs, and I'm almost always able to get exactly what I want with those, and at a reasonable price too.
Note: Please don't take my negative comments about Kai as an attack. I'm simply describing what I don't like about their recent business activities. They might even lose me as a customer ... not that they'd care. I would, for example, have bought an 0777 0777M390, 0888, 0888MAX, etc, but apparently I'll just never be able to buy one at a reasonable price. I've consequently spent most of my Kai budget for the past year on Microtech and Pro-Tech, because I could easily get all of their new models.
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- Mar 29, 2007
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- 3,219
The only Kershaw I'm excited for is that new s30v Aluminum handled USA made knife. I like some of the other new designs but Chinese steel doesn't do it for me. I too wish Kershaw had more US made knives in the mid range ($100 or near it) but that's business these days I guess.
I like the 0180. I work outside so having all metal on one side of a knife is a huge no go, so being all frame locks is fairly disappointing for me. I am however glad to see they're making "tactical" knives again. I was getting worried since a lot of their recent designs before now looked more at home in my girlfriend's purse than my own pocket.
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- Oct 22, 2013
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The 0562CF in particular is a pretty surprising knife to me since it's probably the closest we've gotten to a production XM-18 while having some actual improvements on the XM-18's design (IMO). Ball-bearing pivot, deep carry clip, M390 steel and carbon fiber scale? I know you can get CF scales for the XM-18 but it's not an insignificant extra expense. I'm sure the tolerances are probably tighter in a true Hinderer but ZT is not known for a being a slouch in that department either. In either case, it will almost assuredly flip better and keep an edge longer than an XM-18 in all but 20CV. Very cool.