ZT 0561 or Southard or ?

I have both and love both the ZT is overbuilt and i feel will handle anything I throw at it when I walk out the door and know I've got a hard day ahead of me. Now that being said I think you made the right choice my Southard hasn't left my pocket in a month the CTS-204p hasn't been stropped or sharpened once and will still shave paper. The Southard is so much more an EDC blade then the ZT and if I were you I'd try to see if Dave has any blems they're cheap and still very nice.
 
Scurvy092 said:
I understand the spydie hole can still be used but I just think it's functionality is greatly reduced when you add the flipper. It's not as bad as a spydie hole on fixed blade knives but still.

I'm very interested to see the new flipper from Eric. I would love to see a flipper version of the PM2. I think it would be really easy to turn the choil area into a flipper.

I also seem to remember reading something about the differences between 204p and M390. IIRC, 204p is made using 2nd gen PM while m390 is made using 3rd gen tech.
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Well, it is a Spyderco thing to put a Spyderhole in their knives so Im not surprised they put one in the Southard as a secondary option for deployment. I see pointless thumbstuds that dont even work at all in other flippers. Even the other newcomer brand to flippers also comes with a stud. the same can be said about those knives. As far as a Spydiehole on fixedblade knives, it is a trademark, you dont think they put it there for any sort of functionality do you? Of course you didnt, you just dont like how it looks I assume.

The lockstop is a little weird, functional for its purpose and adds a touch of originality from a custom knifemaker. It doesnt bother me as much as it did looking at Proto pics pre release. Gotten used to it and it corresponds to the brown G10 side. Its too bad it doesnt have the tip up option for you, and its prob because of that innovative lockstop. I'll be selfish here and say the less predrilled holes the better since I prefer tip up though.

It is unclear how the American 2nd gen process 204p actually compares to Bohler's 3rd gen.They still use differing processes beyond PM. 204p uses a finer grain also. Regardless, I think it is a fine steel for the Southard and would be shocked if anyone has issues with it as compared to M390. The full verdict isnt out on Elmax either.

Bro, who has claimed that the Southard is "leagues ahead" of the 560? It just came out so that may be the reason why you see more people excited about it. Not bad for Spyderco's first flipper. Like you said it would be a $400 knife had it been made in Golden. Now that is value, with American steel to boot. Before long, 560 limiteds will be out and Im sure the excitement will sway back for some. Count me in for the cbcf!
 
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I also thought the Southard was butt-ugly before I got it, being so utilitarian and...brown.

I've grown used to it and looking at it now it kinda reminds me of the Centofante 3 which I loved.
 
I can't believe you wouldn't have gone with the new BM 300SN. It's got to be one of the most versatile blade released in a long time.
 
Admitted spyderco fanboy and carrier of mostly sub 3.5" blades

I feel like the better value is honestly the ZT560; more material(bigger), american made(doesn't really matter greatly to me), 3 D machining(this is where the spyderco looses points)

I carry the spyderco more because thats what i like more personally


If the southard would come with a sculpted g10 scale I think it would even out the value more for me, but the flat G10 doesn't really justify the price IMHO

But i do love it
 
I was about to pull the trigger on the southard but realized its appearance just doesn't appeal to me. The 560 on the other hand is a beautiful knife.
 
I've carried my Southard exclusively for about a month, since I got her. She's a relaly nice carry and as always expected, the F&F and overall care in in MFG and assembly from Taichung is spot on.
The ZT's are superb but as many here have proclaimed, it's a good bet you'll prefer the SBS for EDC by a good margin. I do. Good choice.
 
Almost all of my knives are Spyderco. To be precise, only 3 out of 80+ are not Spyderco. I never was attracted to Southard, so I just pass it. Not my cup of tea. When I saw 561 at great price I bought it just out of curiosity to see what flipper is. I absolutely love it. Perfectly build knife, little bit on heavy side, but I wear jeans, carry usually 3 knives and my primary EDC is Persian, which is 5.38 oz, so I like little heavy - feels good in the hand. So 561 is a keeper. Also, made in US, means a lot for me.
 
I like my 560 a lot. But I ve carried my southard as much already as I ve carried my 560 which I ve had much longer. in fact i find I carry my 551 more than my 560 now. Both zt s are rugged but the 551 just feels better to me. Go figure. The southard ranks with the pm2 as my favorite spydercos to carry.
 
Depends on how long you want to wait. The 560 can be found now where the next release of the Southard is..... well, who knows when.
 
Even though I voted Southard, thought I'd mention that the 0560 slices extremely well for a beefy knife. Freaked me out at first haha. Also, my thoughts were from a perspective of EDC in the pocket. As far as deployed, they both feel like an extension of the hand :thumbup:
 
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Reeek said:
I've carried my Southard exclusively for about a month, since I got her. She's a relaly nice carry and as always expected, the F&F and overall care in in MFG and assembly from Taichung is spot on.
The ZT's are superb but as many here have proclaimed, it's a good bet you'll prefer the SBS for EDC by a good margin. I do. Good choice.
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Seeing as you have an 0561 as your avatar thats saying a lot. lol
 
The Southard arrived on New Year's eve so I've had a few days to hold, handle and use it. This being my first flipper I can't compare it to anything else, it flicks open with ease and locks with solid sounding click. Superb finish on the blade and the ti, the texture of the G10 is rough. Extremely sharp. I have large hands and the Southard fits and grips comfortably. Jimping on top is apparently for decorative purposes, very smooth. It's a fantastic knife over all but not perfect. Other posters mentioned that the end of the pocket clip is a tad too pointy/sharp, I agree. Easily fixed and the finish on the clip doesn't bother me a bit. One other thing I noticed is that the tip of the blade "bites" with the slightest finger or thumb pressure on the tip end of the knife when going from bottom to top. It feels like your finger is catching on a sharp burr. I don't know if this is a flaw or not. Not a show stopper, I'm very satisfied with this knife and plan on keeping it. Thanks again for all the opinions. Here's a pic, unfortunately I can't touch Jill's mad camera skills.

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I was at Grand Prairie Knives today and I finally got to compare a Southard and a 561. The Southard is really nice, I mean really nice, but that 561 is something special! If I spend big money on a knife this year, it will be a ZT 561 for sure!
 
I just purchased a Southard, I own a ZT 560 & I love it. Hopefully the Southard will meet my expectations. Cant see why it wouldnt. Spyderco is an awesome company, if the Southard's build quality is similar to that of the PM2 then I will be more than satisfied. Love the PM2!!
 
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