ZT 0200 "Baby" Just Arrived! Really!!!

[joejeweler]

I thought i'd post some pics of interest to show where the cutting was done,....and why. Here you can see the cut off pieces of the stainless steel liners and how they lined up originally. Note the cuts were made where they were because of the placement of the weight reducing holes already there.

........ the finished liners, with top half having scales attached because the pivit screw is really tight! It has to be carefully hammered out with a brass, nylon, or leather hammer over a supporting structure. I took it out once to do the cutdown..........

......... a close up view of the liner lock,.....note most all of the supporting steel behind the "spring" cut out was saved with the placement of my cut. I didn't want to weaken this area!

Here's the blade with the cut off section in approximate position of where it was cut from. This steel is HARD, and i used cutting discs made from corundum,.....same material as sapphire & ruby.

Voila,.....about an hour later and the blade was rough cut off. Frequent water dips kept it cool during cutting

Here's the "butt" side finished off area where the frame cuts were completed.

I have a size 10 ring finger,.....so i'm about a medium hand guy and this is how it now fits my hand for controlled cutting situations. I'm a "righty", but i was working the camera with that hand.....

You larger handed guys might have to make use of the cut out at the butt end.

Here's a tight grip with full finger wrap,.....for serious situations!

 

[houtex]

This just keeps looking better and better.

 

[glockman99]

Joe,

Thanks for the excellent photos! That is sure one SWEET "little" ZT 0200!!.:thumbup:.:thumbup:.

 

[offsetlover]

very nice and very informative. about how long did it take you joe?

first post as a Gold member!

 

[spiralarchitect]

very nice and very informative. about how long did it take you joe?

first post as a Goldmember!

Congrats. Do you feel that bounce in your step? I think I was as happy about my gold membership as I am when a new knife comes in the mail. Whoohoo! :thumbup:

 

[offsetlover]

Congrats. Do you feel that bounce in your step? I think I was as happy about my gold membership as I am when a new knife comes in the mail. Whoohoo! :thumbup:

oh yea! lol. not nearly as excited as glockman when he got his zt, but pretty close thanks to KD for all the help

 

[kneedeep]

Great job Joe, is there any difference in flipability?

very nice and very informative. about how long did it take you joe?

first post as a Goldmember!

That would be Gold Member, not Goldmember, unless you are referring to something else.

 

[offsetlover]

Great job Joe, is there any difference in flipability?





That would be Gold Member, not Goldmember, unless you are referring to something else.

LOL def not the other!

 

[joejeweler]

I figure i have about 3 hours in it,....as i've always been fussy even in my jewelry repair work. A few trips to Sears also to get the torx drivers,......i had to go to 2 stores as 1st store only had 1.

Here's how it compares to the original........

very nice and very informative. about how long did it take you joe?

first post as a Gold member!

 

[dialex]

Hi Joe, enjoy your new fine little knife. It is very good looking and the manufacturing is top notch. The butt with that recess for the pinkie reminds me of the Spyderco Meerkat or Navigator - both small knives but quite comfortable, even for larger hands.
You did an awsome job there, congratulations and thanks for sharing.

 

[glockman99]

I figure i have about 3 hours in it,....as i've always been fussy even in my jewelry repair work...

That's 3 hours very well spent! I sure hope that Kershaw/ZT takes notice and decides to make a few of these from the factory.

 

[joejeweler]

Hopefully a few more,..................................than a few!

As i mentioned earlier i'd be good for 50 pieces or so,.........and the shorter blade would open it up to those in areas requiring that length or shorter to be legal for hidden carry.:thumbup:

BTW,....with my dial up connection i spent more time than that uploading the large picture files to photobucket,.....then reduced them there for reasonable size on the forum. It takes me about 3 minutes per photo on uploads from my Nikon D200 camera,.....even on the reduced pixel setting! And i messed up a few times and had to re-do them.

I found out after doing the 1st batch that they were way too big. (Dann knows about those 1st photos with dialup! )

So i went into photobucket and edited and reduced the size,......but on the forum the pics still appeared at the original huge size. The only way to correct it was to upload a new batch of photos, and reduce the size 1st before putting them into my post. Then i removed the originals.

I'm not sure why but whatever size the forum originally gets them as is the size they remain at,.......

That's 3 hours very well spent! I sure hope that Kershaw/ZT takes notice and decides to make a few of these from the factory.

 

[joejeweler]

Not really,.....as my flipper still works great!

Great job Joe, is there any difference in flipability?





That would be Gold Member, not Goldmember, unless you are referring to something else.

 

[mmmotorcycle]

Notice this kershaw admins! This guys got talent and a helluva lot of people would buy one! I'd probably get two!

I hope you can get this plan off the ground joe!

 

[glockman99]

oh yea! lol. not nearly as excited as glockman when he got his zt, but pretty close ...

Naw...Not even CLOSE!...I still can hardly believe that I own a ZT 0200!, and I STILL haven't stopped playing with it...Even while at work..

Now, I just have to get one of those "Mini-ZT 0200" to carry on my "off-side", then I'll be totally set...That would be a great little knife to use while "sheeple" are close-by, but when ya still want a stout, tough folder.

 

[ryan9977]

man...i really wanna get one of these zt 0200's now....they look so cool....i hate the small recurve in the blade but i can fix that...i just sharpen it out.....is there such a thing as a zt 0200 without the black coating?.....ryan

 

[joejeweler]

They all have the black coating,.....and i'd think it's there to cut down on the reflectivity in situations where you need to remain un-noticed. These were intended for the military & police, among others,........and a shiny silver blade is easy to spot in strong sunlight.

But,.......no stopping you from removing the blade if you get one and removing the black coating and shining that puppy up!

BTW,......that recurve is quite usefull in tough cutting situations,........don't count it out until you've lived with it a bit if you get one.

man...i really wanna get one of these zt 0200's now....they look so cool....i hate the small recurve in the blade but i can fix that...i just sharpen it out.....is there such a thing as a zt 0200 without the black coating?.....ryan

 

[C Ben Susrool]

If Kershaw would make the exact same knife as Joe has, but in a Titanium frame,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,WOW :thumbup::thumbup:

 

[glockman99]

If Kershaw would make the exact same knife as Joe has, but in a Titanium frame,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,WOW :thumbup::thumbup:

I dunno...I really like the G-10 scales on the ZT 0200, as the grip isn't as slick as titanium would be, nor does it show scratches like Ti does.

 

[joejeweler]

Shortened up a bit like i have,.....it's already lost over an ounce of weight. Going to a titanium liner lock would give up some strength,......which is why the original beefy stainless steel liners & lock are so cool!

My request to use the original thickness and size liners, but just shorten up the blade and handle length,......is certainly "do-able" at the factory level most simply by using already available componants and simply altering them to suit a smaller blade length.

Possible KAI might have to discuss the issue with Ken Onion,......as the knife was a collaboration between the two. (and Stryder i think?). So for them to make a smaller version,......they may have to have a smaller frame and blade contructed from scratch,.........which would certainly increase tool up costs.

For what it's worth,......i'd like to see a 3 inch model of the ZT 0200 available in numbers,......so however they get there i'll leave up to them.

And i'll state it here on the record,......i'm not looking for ANY financial compensation for whatever changes i made in their knife!

Just "Get-er-Done"..................

BTW,.....as we have heard from a bunch of folks on this site,.......this is a super knife to start with,.........and a shorter option could well propel it to one of KAI's all time best sellers! This especially so in the civilian market.................

If Kershaw would make the exact same knife as Joe has, but in a Titanium frame,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,WOW :thumbup::thumbup: