Zero Tolerance Logo is Terrible!

Zetetic Raider

Zetetic Raider

Joined
Jan 10, 2017
Messages
40
I love my ZTs. I got into knives last year and I own mostly ZTs and Spydercos so far. With that said, I dislike their logo. I feel that it cheapens their products considerably. I don't like the shape, the font or the crescent around it. I don't like the graphic design on their boxes and I hate the logo on the pocket clip. There is so much that can be done with the initials ZT that I really hope they improve this aspect in the future. It is ugly enough that I cannot call any knife from them as perfect, even if they are some of my favorite knives in every other way. I think the quality/design of their knives deserve much better!

What branding do you like/dislike and why?
 
I think the ZT logo is boring, but it's their trademark so don't expect any changes any time soon.

Hinderer's flaming horse is one of the most well thought out logos because it combines Hinderers firefighter roots and his love of horses. A close second is the Spyderco bug, which is simple yet effective.
 
I love the Shivworks logo. Which is an S and W combined to make a coiled striking snake. Example can be seen on the Spyderco P'kal. Did anyone notice Martin Slysz and Jens Anso's logos look almost exactly the same?
 
There was a thread asking about the best logos some time ago. And I still think BM butterfly, Spyderco spider, and Hinderer horse head are among the best. ZT logo is meh at the best.
 
I don't like it when manufacturers plaster their logo all over a knife. I know what it is ! I bought it!
 
I dislike any large or prominent logos on a knife. I can appreciate just about any appropriately sized and placed logo no matter how great or bland.
 
I've never really thought much the ZT logo, it's just sort of been there on my knives. There's nothing memorable or particularly cool about it, but it's not the worst thing out there. At least it doesn't include a skull or a flying phallus. :D
 
I don't mind the logo at all.
Sometimes I wish they'd chill with all the info printed on the other side of the blade, though.
A wall of text isn't necessary.
 
1 ZT logo is more than enough on a ZT knife, not 3.Guys know what brand of knife they're carrying!
 
Armadew said:
I don't like it when manufacturers plaster their logo all over a knife. I know what it is ! I bought it!
Click to expand...

Agreed 100%. I don't like it when logos take up a lot of the knife blade or are just crazy looking. ZT and Spyderco are actually some of my favorites as they show the manufacture but are gaudy. WE knives keeps it low key as well
 
I don't mind the ZT logo. I don't like the words Zero Tolerance engraved on the handle of my 801 though.
 
I think the logo itself is fine, if a bit, as a previous poster said, cartoonish.

The problem I have with ZT (and they are not alone) is that they slap the thing, about twice as large as it needs to be - and it isn't subtle or sophisticated or cute or anything remotely redeeming - prominently on the show side of the blade and bugger the aesthetics of a perfectly good looking knife. Case in point the soon-to-be-released 0460. Really, ZT, what are you thinking????

Yeah, CRKT does the same thing: I've got a perfectly good Drifter (great little knife, BTW) and it just ticks me off every time I look at it 'cause it's got this HUUUUGE (comparatively) "CRKT" plastered all over the blade, and an equally obnoxious DRIFTER adorning the pile side. Dude, I know what it is, OK, I bought it. And no one else cares. And if they do, they will ask me. And the dang things are slightly tilted, I am sure, which just ticks me off further.

I digress.

I'll give ZT credit, though: on the 0450s they put a more subdued logo on the scale, though it should have just been a simple ZT in a teensie-weensie box, and not the whole name spelled out - heck they might as well have put in "A Division of KAI, Inc., blah, blah, blah..." as well - and it would have been better. Oh, but they couldn't quit when they were ahead, though, and they went and put the dang logo on the clip! Yup, had to have it on there, somewhere. C'mon, do we really need the logo on the pocket clip? We know what knives we are carrying. Do you really think...and I mean YOU marketing department, that some guy is going to try to read the logo on the pocket clip of some other guy's knife while it's in his pocket, and that this is going to increase your brand exposure??? Crikey, I wear bifocals. You think that's going to end well? "Yah, don't mind me bro...I'm just leaning down by your junk here to read that logo on your pocket clip...."

No. You. Don't. It just looks fugly.

OK, too much coffee. Rant closed.

I do like the Spyderco logo. Love that little spider, actually. Just so long as it doesn't grow to Bird Eating Spider size and take over most of the blade real estate. Oh, and the DPX skull guy is pretty cool, but I think they just put that on their packaging. Would look pretty stupid on the blade, IMHO.
 
I think Benchmade has the nicest logo. ZT logo doesn't bug me so much but I wish it would be more subtle on their pocket clips
 
The logo I don't mind. I don't mind the logo on the blade either. What I do mind is all the stuff on the other side, the part #, the designer name, the serial#, the steel name... ZT could do with a card that has all that info on it. Id even be fine with the serial # somewhere on the inside of the frame, and the steel can go on the spine of the flipper tab.
 
Some of that information is super helpful when buying a used knife. Lots of people don't list the steel and with ZT they changed a lot of older models that used Elmax with S35V. If someone happened to throw out/lose the original packaging the buyer may not fully know what they're buying. At least this way it's right there for whoever to see.

That being said, like I where Spyderco lists the steel type. ZT does add a bunch of unnecessary text, but it's a knife. It's not going to affect how it's used in any way.
 
Bigbluefish said:
-released 0460. Really, ZT, what are you thinking????

C'mon, do we really need the logo on the pocket clip? We know what knives we are carrying. Do you really think...and I mean YOU marketing department, that some guy is going to try to read the logo on the pocket clip of some other guy's knife while it's in his pocket, and that this is going to increase your brand exposure??? Crikey, I wear bifocals. You think that's going to end well?
Click to expand...

Hilarious, Bluefish, if I'd been drinking I'd have squirted all over my keyboard.
 
The ZT logo is okay.

user_1185524939_00.jpg


However, I definietly agree that the branding of Zero Tolerance on the clip of the new 0460 is way too much. It takes away from the nice aesthetics of the folder. Compare one side of the open 0460 with the other below.

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460-2.png
 
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