ZT 0200 vs Spyderco Military

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knife_nut73

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Jun 25, 2006
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I have a question for those who own both. I had a military but because previous bad experience with liner locks i traded it off. Then I picked up a zt0200 after seeing many pics of the lock up and reviews of lock strength. I really liked the military better as far as carrying, and the blade size and ease of sharpening. So I'm wondering if their is a difference in lock strength between the 2 knives and if the lack of liners in the military would be an issue as well.
 
The MIlitary now has dual "nested" liners.
The lockup of both of these are excellent.(At least on all the MIlitary's,and zt 200's that I have handled.)
The flipper on the ZT-200 (in the open position) makes it almost impossible to have the blade close on your fingers.
The ZT-200 is a big heavy folder and pocket carry is not that easy or comfortable.A sheath would be the way for regular carry,in my opinion.
The MIlitary is very comfortable for pocket carry.
Both are very good as users.But I would give the edge(no pun intended:) to the MIlitary).
Get them both and have a wonderful time:D.
 
I am not really a fan of linerlocking knives, but I will say this. I do a lot of reading on these forums and I have not heard one negative thing about the quality of the linerlock on the Military, or the 0200. Spyderco and Kershaw seem to do a great job on these two blades.
 
I own more than one of both. The lock strength on each is superb. I would think the 0200 is the stronger knife "over all" but you trade that off in weight and overall bulk. I feel the lock strength, relative to the knife itself, is equal in both. I think the way the Military locks up is more secure than the 0200 and the lock on the Military is better engineered than the 0200, knife materials and build method aside. IMHO of course . . .

You seem to be focused on the lock strength but not the blade geometry and grind and the MFG's intended use and outcome of the blades. I suggest that the lock on the 0200 may be somewhat equal to the strength of the blade and pivot while the lock on the Military may be stronger than the blade. I tend to wonder if that makes the Military safer in a way. That the blade may fail before the lock fails if you found yourself using the knife harder than its intended purpose. And yes, I believe worrying about the lock on a folder in good repair and good condition means possibly using the knife harder than it should be used. Even a liner lock knife.


As an EDC, the Military for the win IMHO, by far. For everyday use, you won't find a better slicer and you won't find such a light and strong, yet full size package. I think the Military is one of the best production folders for its intended purpose, in the world, and a world class value at that.
 
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Reeek said:
I own more than one of both. The lock strength on each is superb. I would think the 0200 is the stronger knife "over all" but you trade that off in weight and overall bulk. I feel the lock strength, relative to the knife itself, is equal in both. I think the way the Military locks up is more secure than the 0200 and the lock on the Military is better engineered than the 0200, knife materials and build method aside. IMHO of course . . .

You seem to be focused on the lock strength but not the blade geometry and grind and the MFG's intended use and outcome of the blades. I suggest that the lock on the 0200 may be somewhat equal to the strength of the blade and pivot while the lock on the Military may be stronger than the blade. I tend to wonder if that makes the Military safer in a way. That the blade may fail before the lock fails if you found yourself using the knife harder than its intended purpose. And yes, I believe worrying about the lock on a folder in good repair and good condition means possibly using the knife harder than it should be used. Even a liner lock knife.


As an EDC, the Military for the win IMHO, by far. For everyday use, you won't find a better slicer and you won't find such a light and strong, yet full size package. I think the Military is one of the best production folders for its intended purpose, in the world, and a world class value at that.
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That was perfect :thumbup:



I don't have a 0200 but I do have a 0300, even comparing the 0300 you could come to the same conclusion. I actually like the lock-up on my S90V millie the best it feels like it has the best fit and a very solid feel. I think the weight of a knife also play's in to the perception of the knife's strength when the materials used will be the true deciding factor.
 
The Military is one of the best knives Spyderco makes. I prefer it to the Sebenza, SnG, any Emerson, and any Benchmade.
 
I like the ZT0200 personally...the ergonomics are incredible.

Every Military I've seen has a hole in the blade! ;)

In all seriousness, the 0200 is ALOT stronger in most every regard, but as mentioned above, it definitely fills the pocket.
 
Remember that total lock strength is rarely ever used. When was the last time you came close to applying 100 lbs of force to the back of a knife blade?

Reliability, on the other hand, is a huge issue (and usually what people refer to when they say a lock is "strong"). The 0200 may be able to take a few lbs of extra weight, but the liner lock on the Military is one of the best, and probably just as reliable as the 0200 (I would say more, but those ZT knives are made to very high standards).

I like to carry the 0200 every once in a while, but the Military takes the majority of my pocket time.
 
In my opinion 0200 is the best folder in ZT's catalogue: as strong as a folder can be, and great ergonomics too. But it is no match for THE best folder in its price range, namely the Spyderco Military. It is much much more solid than it appears, extremely light, razor sharp out of the box and it can be sharpen easily. Besides that all ZT's I had (0200's and 0300's) all had some minor (0200) to major (0301) blade play issues and the detent of the blade is weak, meaning that the knife can flip out in your pocket. So Military all the way for me.
 
J_Curd said:
I like the ZT0200 personally...the ergonomics are incredible.

Every Military I've seen has a hole in the blade! ;)

In all seriousness, the 0200 is ALOT stronger in most every regard, but as mentioned above, it definitely fills the pocket.
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Another vote for the 0200. :thumbup:

And what's up with tip down only for the military? This wouldn't be a practical EDC knife for me, since I wouldn't even carry it that much :thumbdn:
 
eburon said:
In my opinion 0200 is the best folder in ZT's catalogue: as strong as a folder can be, and great ergonomics too. But it is no match for THE best folder in its price range, namely the Spyderco Military. It is much much more solid than it appears, extremely light, razor sharp out of the box and it can be sharpen easily. Besides that all ZT's I had (0200's and 0300's) all had some minor (0200) to major (0301) blade play issues and the detent of the blade is weak, meaning that the knife can flip out in your pocket. So Military all the way for me.
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My 0300 is a bank vault to put it mildly, perhaps you should contact Kershaw, and they'd fix you up to what it's supposed to feel like.
 
I like both. I wish, I had my Bg42 milie back. You never had to sharpen it. Just ordered a ZT300. Still would like to have another military.
 
Initially I had fairly strong opinions on which of these knives I prefer, but a year ago I had not really given both knives enough use to reinforce my speculations. As one might imagine, I was not entirely right in my original posting.
IMhO, both knives are as strong as anyone should need in most utility tasks. They are different enough that they almost aren't directly comparable IMO. The Military is lightweight, slim, and a great slicer. The ZT 0200 is a meaty, tough all around knife. They have different feel but are both made to the highest quality. The locks are both excellent and work well.
The Millie may get an edge in pocket carry and slicing. The ZT 0200 I give the edge in toughness and a more durable blade grind. You shouldn't pry with either knife, but I would trust the ZT more if I were forced to do non-knife tasks.
As with any two knifes of equal quality, you have to hold them in your hand to really know which one is better to you.
 
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Sword of Morning said:
I would take a Military over the 0200 as a general purpose field knife. I've own/owned both. The Military is lighter, but IMO as strong as you could want it to be. The Military's lock is more well designed with the radiused tang, greater tension and easier access to release. It also has more handle, which makes it better for me with gloves on. All other strengths have been mentioned such as the better slicing blade and easier pocket carry.
The ZT are quality knives, but they don't really give you any practical advantages. If you just want a knife with a lot of heft and the ZT styling, then it's a good choice for you. People seem to focus too much on the perceived strength advantage of a ZT knife. You're still limited by a lock that I don't consider stronger than the Military's. You're also limited by a 154cm (or S30V on 0300) blade that can become damaged when abused.
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However the same holds true for the millie w/ S30V, BG-42, S90V, etc.
 
Never handled the Spyderco Military, although they look top notch. ZT 200 was a gift for a family member in law enforcement, and is the envy of the office. I don't think you can go wrong either way.
 
The whole ZT line is a beast. The 200 has a thick liner, and one of the better liner locks seen today, but I would still take the Military over it.

Ergos, design, execution of the lock, blade shape and style, weight, all of these factors come into play.

I think that the ZT200 might have a small edge over shear strength of the knife, but I think you'd be hard pressed to break either lock.
 
I have both and love both. Don't worry about the steel: Spyderco's S30V is great and has never chipped on me, ZT 154CM is heat treated very well and I think I like it more than S30V. The ZT 0200 is a great knife, fun because it is so heavy duty, but the Military makes a better user because it does carry better and you don't need a knife as heavy duty as the ZT line for every day task. The Military does not have a recurve blade (easier to sharpen) and can be had with no blade coating.

Both knives have amazing liner locks, very trust worth and they both wear forever.
 
The 154CM in the ZT line is one of the best steels I have found yet.

I've been hounding Kai to do more 154CM at every opportunity. Their heat treat process on that steel surpasses Benchmade which is, imho, incredible.
 
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