ZT 0350 vs 0561

Blayglock

Blayglock

Joined
May 24, 2014
Messages
80
New guy here. Wife wants to get me a nice knife for Fathers Day. I know nothing about knives, I generally carry an inexpensive Kershaw for daily cutting task and oilfield work.

My general requirements would be:

Ambidextrous: Opening & Carry
3-4" Quality Blade
G10 Handle/Grip (Not sure of the correct term here sorry). Needs to be very grippy.

I think that the two knives listed meet my criteria, but which would you suggest?

I do not know how the differences in steel will affect usability over the long term. I understand that the 0561 has some kind of bearing system, but do not know if that would be a detriment in that case of the knife getting really dirty or dusty.

I am also open to other suggestions in this price range.

Thanks!
 
Anything Zt would do nicely but if you're looking for very aggressive/grippy g10 you may want to check out Emerson knives. If you have a local shop near you it would be best to go hold a few to get a good feel.
 
Welcome to Blade Forums Blayglock. I have several versions of both knifes & edc both. They are great knives in their own categories, but they are different knives. The 0350 is spring assisted & the 0561 is is detent caught flipper. The 0350 is like a mini 0300 & you can get it with many different steels. The 0561 is like a smaller Rick hinderer XM-24 & comes in Elmax & the CBCF version with s110v steel. You are going to have a tough choice. Do you have knives in the 0561 size? I've seen a lot of people buy them without handling them & then sell them one the exchange because they think its a little to big for their preference. I would suggest finding a local knife pusher... err ... dealer & fondling them to see what you think you would like to carry.
 
It really depends on what you intend to use the knife for. Heavy-duty use I would choose the 350, not that the 561 is weak. Also the 350 has G10 on both sides, so it would be more grippy than the 561. The cost of the 561 is about twice that of the 350, so I would choose the 350 for a "beater" as being cheaper to replace. Another knife to consider would be the 566, same style as the 561 but a little smaller and much cheaper, about the same cost as the 350. The 566 is also spring assisted, but that can be easily removed if preferred. If you get the bug like the rest of us, you'll probably end up with all of them!
 
I sincerely appreciate the warm welcome and the info.

The Kershaw Blur is the knife I regularly carry and use. It seems to be 0.5" smaller closed than the 0561 which is about the same length and my electronic leash...er iPhone. I haven't handled one but think I can deal with that.

Locally these will be tough to find and I intended on buying one through a forum sponsor.
 
Kershawguy.com... Great prices, free shipping, he also Carries Blems in some ZT models.

I have several zt's I carry but the 350 is my go to for the heavy work days..


.
 
The G10 is very grippy on the 350. It's a great knife and the only draw back is the curved blade can be harder to sharpen.
 
slg98 said:
Kershawguy.com... Great prices, free shipping, he also Carries Blems in some ZT models.

I have several zt's I carry but the 350 is my go to for the heavy work days..


.
Click to expand...

This is where I would also point you. One of the best sellers of Kershaw and ZT out there. My recommendation would be the 0350. There are a handful of versions offered and it would give you the option to de-assist should you want. Although the 056x would be easier to clean out due to the open pillar construction. The elmax on the 056x's is a wonderful steel that is easily touched up or sharpened and retains the edge through use. The S30V is a good all arounder too for what you are asking. My end statement is you can't go wrong with either and if it were up to me I'd go with the 0550 because I like it ergonomically and look wise over the other two!
 
The 0350 is like a bigger, beefier Blur. Those two are actually about the same length, but the 0350 is wider and thicker. The 0560 is a much larger knife.

Here are some old side-by-sides I took of the Blur and 0350, if you want to get an idea as to the size difference:
Kershaw_Blur_ZT0350_800x492.jpg

Blur_ZT0350_side-by-side_800x454.jpg

Blur_ZT0350_stacked_closed_800x496.jpg

Blur_ZT0350_stacked_open_800x362.jpg

Blur_ZT0350_thickness_800x357.jpg


Here's one with a 0350 and 0560 to give you an idea of the size difference:
ZT200_301_350_560_550_800x584.jpg
 
I carried a blur for years, then I started carrying my zt 0566 or my zt 0801 now nothing else seems to get pocket time. Both are such amazing knives. Which ever knife you choose you can't go wrong
 
So I went to Kershawguy and he was having a sale. I got a ZT 0350, a ZT 0556 (thanks Busted_Knuckle), and a Kershaw Blur Limited Ed Tanto.





 
I would recommend the 560 over 350. 350 is just too wide and bulky to carry. You'll really feel it in your pocket. 560 is big, but it's mostly just in length. I prefer Elmax over S30V. Recurve blade is more difficult to sharpen.

Maybe take a look at the 0801 and the 550.

0801 is my favorite ZT, but since it has full Ti handles it isn't grippy. However, the great ergos on it eliminate the need for grippy handle.

If you look in the direction of Benchmade, the 810 is another great option.

If you look in the direction of Spyderco, Military, paramilitary, manix 2, Gayle Bradley, Southard, and Tuff will all be great choices.
 
Blayglock said:
So I went to Kershawguy and he was having a sale. I got a ZT 0350, a ZT 0556 (thanks Busted_Knuckle), and a Kershaw Blur Limited Ed Tanto.
Click to expand...

:thumbup: great choices.

I was going to say... Its been over 10 posts and nobody suggested getting both yet :rolleyes: You made the right decision anyways and got 3 :D You'll do well here
 
I've had both of those ZT models and many more. They are all designed and built for heavy-duty; they do that very well. But, IMO, some have pretty fat grips and several are too heavy (for me) to carry for my very CASUAL EDC needs. It depends on what you want a knife for. I'm glad you have those fine folders.
 
After owning both.

350 is a brick.
560 is IMHO too big as a EDC.

I would recomend a 566 over both of them.
 
Blayglock said:
So I went to Kershawguy and he was having a sale. I got a ZT 0350, a ZT 0556 (thanks Busted_Knuckle), and a Kershaw Blur Limited Ed Tanto.
Click to expand...

I like how you roll.
Ask about one knife, and end up buying three! :D
 
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