ZT 0302 really worth the money?

M

mantzao

Joined
Jun 16, 2011
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1,522
Hi guys,

I saw a thread on General stating that the 0302 is highly sought after nowadays and people are asking lots of money for it!
I know the knife's discontinued but so is the 0300 and 0301 that can be bought on online retailers for a bit under 300$.
Does the brown G-10 color influence the demand that much?
Due to the fact that people around here are ZT specialists i decided to ask:)

Thanks
 
The 0302 cuts just the same as the 0300. Given the prices, apparently the color does affect the prices. The price
seems to be fairly inelastic, in that even at higher prices the demand doesn't diminish significantly. It seems that if you
really want an 0302 that a green handled 0301 for a lot of people just doesn't cut it.


A lot of it is that people will wait until something is discontinued to buy and then have to scramble. There is a lot of
"I like that, but I can get that later" and then a mad rush. Even in long discontinued models. A few months ago there were
a huge number of Blurs out there sitting on shelves that were discontinued back in 2006-2008 and a number of us knew
about them but were just "meh. I'll grab that later" and then other people started buying them, and then the stock got smaller,
and then it started a mad rush as everyone tried to scramble and get one of the knives they still knew were sitting out there.
Between November of last year and April or May of this year there were dozens of Blurs that sat for years on shelves that were
suddenly in high demand and people were brutal in jacking up prices if they happened to get more than one. Things have settled
down a bit now and I think everyone has kind of made up with each other [EVERYONE probably still thinks I'm a jerk] and on the
slightly more common knives like the orange Blurs the prices have gone back to normal as all of the hardcore collectors that didn't
want to miss out and drove prices up now have one so the demand has disappeared significantly even if the supply is still pretty limited.
It's been an interesting experiment in economics that is seen on a smaller scale in a number of other designs. Since there aren't as many
variations it has happened to quite the extent. But the same thing was seen in the Skyline models, particularly with the Snap-On red,
and with a sudden spike in demand for the 0360SKD. It hasn't happened yet with the 0700 but I expect that once that market has started
to dry up that there will suddenly be a huge demand for it even though there doesn't seem to be very much at all right now.

I for one know I'd pay a heck of a premium for a blue Breakout just to have that last color! I would guess there are a number of people out
there that have an 0300,0301 and 0303 and want the 0302 as well so drove the price up. The TAD and other very limited 030x models are
kind of in a league of their own.
 
Most things that are in short supply are also in high demand. The limited availability always drives the prices up. Basic economics there in effect, happens with everything, fuel, food, knives, guns, etc.
 
Here is what's left of my 0302. Ya I paid too much for mine, but I still decided to stir up the color.
IMAG0595.jpg
 
The ZT 0300 series has become more popular (the brown with the tiger stripe blade even more so ZT 0302). Perhaps because it was shown as being the knife that Gibbs carries the most in NCIS?

vlcsnap-2011-05-22-20h57m00s64.png
 
sticktodrum said:
The 0300 series is being discontinued?
Click to expand...
I have not heard anything about the 0300 or the 0301 being discontinued. Doesn't anyone make any aftermarket scales for the 0300 series knives, if so a 303 with coyote brown scale becomes a 302, just saying, a lot cheaper then $400 for a 302.
 
kershawguy said:
I have not heard anything about the 0300 or the 0301 being discontinued. Doesn't anyone make any aftermarket scales for the 0300 series knives, if so a 303 with coyote brown scale becomes a 302, just saying, a lot cheaper then $400 for a 302.
Click to expand...

From what I have found, no one is making them anymore. My hunt to find an orange one is still on. :(
 
solidorange said:
From what I have found, no one is making them anymore. My hunt to find an orange one is still on. :(
Click to expand...

I'm really surprised Dan hasn't hooked you up. No market for them? Sounds like there might be, at least within the forums. Interesting.
 
jimw451 said:
I'm really surprised Dan hasn't hooked you up. No market for them? Sounds like there might be, at least within the forums. Interesting.
Click to expand...

He doesn't deal with speedsafe knives unless you are willing to run without the torsion bar. This seems to be the case for most of the custom guys. I would consider it if the 030Xs had a stand alone detent like the 0350s, but they do not. The only options for de-assisting are a super tight pivot, a free swinging blade, or drilling a detent hole yourself. :grumpy:
 
solidorange said:
He doesn't deal with speedsafe knives unless you are willing to run without the torsion bar. This seems to be the case for most of the custom guys. I would consider it if the 030Xs had a stand alone detent like the 0350s, but they do not. The only options for de-assisting are a super tight pivot, a free swinging blade, or drilling a detent hole yourself. :grumpy:
Click to expand...

You could dremel out the torsion bar recess yourself.
 
I am pretty sure that there was going to be another run of the 0302. But cant recall the source.

I was asking Dan about a scale for the 0300 series too, I want a glow one!
 
solidorange said:
He doesn't deal with speedsafe knives unless you are willing to run without the torsion bar. This seems to be the case for most of the custom guys. I would consider it if the 030Xs had a stand alone detent like the 0350s, but they do not. The only options for de-assisting are a super tight pivot, a free swinging blade, or drilling a detent hole yourself. :grumpy:
Click to expand...

Ahh the detent issue. Now I remember. Thanks for the reminder, I forgot. I did buy a router style attachment for my dremel tool and plan to cut out the recess in an orange scale from Dan. I need to revisit that project. Maybe this weekend.
 
BobSig said:
I am pretty sure that there was going to be another run of the 0302. But cant recall the source.
Click to expand...
Thomas said a distributor ordered some and then it was confirmed on the Facebook page.
No timeline and I'm sure plans can and do change.
 
2 shot said:
You could dremel out the torsion bar recess yourself.
Click to expand...

This always seems to come up in the SpeedSafe scale discussion, but I am just not comfortable doing it. If the guys with the talent to make a scale can't handle it, I am certainly not qualified to make an attempt. Plus, it would really suck to ruin a brand new scale. :eek:
 
Thanks for the info so far guys:)
So, from what i can understand, the coolness factor is the only thing that makes it be more sought after! Ok:D
The trend seems to be of, at least, 400$ for a 302!
True that you can have a custom scale made but for that, i believe, you would have to pay also 100$ minimum due to that torsion bar complication. Is it not?
 
Not the coolness factor, it's no longer being made factor. The 0300, 0301, and 0303 are just as cool.
 
solidorange said:
This always seems to come up in the SpeedSafe scale discussion, but I am just not comfortable doing it. If the guys with the talent to make a scale can't handle it, I am certainly not qualified to make an attempt. Plus, it would really suck to ruin a brand new scale. :eek:
Click to expand...

It is not likely they can't handle it. More likely is it is too time consuming making the price excessive.

I agree that ruining a new scale would suck.
 
RevDevil said:
Not the coolness factor, it's no longer being made factor. The 0300, 0301, and 0303 are just as cool.
Click to expand...

by coolness factor i meant the fact that the scale colour is the only thing that makes it more sought after.
I know it is discontinued, as said in the OP:)
 
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