ZT 0566 a good blade?

M

Mrbladedude

Joined
Aug 2, 2010
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756
Looking to buy my first ZT knife.

I don't want it too heavy like the 0300 etc but not too light either.

Is this knife high quality?
How is the Elmax?
Is it assisted?

I have been carrying a Spyderco Sage 1 for 3 years now. How does the 0566 compare to it?

Thanks
 
IT is assisted. The Elmax on it is top notch and it holds an edge really well. For the price you really can not beat what you get. We have sold a lot of them and had no complaints. Weight is about 5.3 OZ so almost 3 ounces lighter than the 0300. We don't sell the sage but I have seen a number of them. It is a little bit longer total length, maybe a quarter inch and the cutting edge is a little more. They are a little comparable but the ZT is definitely a little heftier and slightly longer, also weighs about 1.8 ounces more I believe!
 
Been carrying my 0566Cf the last couple weeks. Didnt think I was going to like it but its actually great weight I like a knife with some mass. Usually carry a 0560 or a Lion Steel SR1 Ti
 
The 0566 is very high quality and backed by a great customer support team and lifetime warranty with a blade replacement option for a flat fee. The Elmax is excellent as well. I've only had to do a couple of touch-ups on my Sharpmaker for it (was still fairly sharp, but the tinkerer in me couldn't leave well enough alone). Haven't had any rolling, chipping, or corrosion issues either. It is assisted, but I've read accounts of some people de-assisting theirs. Mine does have a detent hole, although I haven't had any motivation to de-assist mine (yet?).

It is a bit heavier than the Sage 3, but it's certainly not cumbersome or excessive. It has a rather good hefty and balanced feel. It has quite a bit more blade on it than the Sage models (by about 3/4"). It is a bit longer than the Sages, but its footprint in pocket is actually a bit smaller than the Sage3. The 0566 is also surprisingly thin - just a small fraction of a millimeter thicker than the Sage (see pics below).

You do get significantly more blade with the 0566 than the Sage models. I don't have a Sage 1, but the specs on the Sage 2 appear to be a match. Here are some pics for comparison of a 0566, Sage2, and Sage3.

ZT0566_Sage2_Sage3_open_800x535.jpg


ZT0566_Sage2_Sage3_closed_800x502.jpg


ZT0566_Sage2_Sage3_length_800x575.jpg


ZT0566_Sage2_thickness2_800x441.jpg


ZT0566_Sage3_thickness_800x394.jpg
 
Flarp I love the photos with the graph paper! That is an awesome way to show size and width!
 
Getting a new knife is always exciting. The zt 566 gets great reviews. Make sure you want an assisted opener. The Sage 1 may be harder to beat than you realize. As time goes by, I appreciate light strong knives more and more.
 
whp said:
Getting a new knife is always exciting. The zt 566 gets great reviews. Make sure you want an assisted opener. The Sage 1 may be harder to beat than you realize. As time goes by, I appreciate light strong knives more and more.
Click to expand...

If you take the SpeedSafe out, it makes a very nice manual folder. Very smooth.

Both are solid knives.
 
I had a 0566 but found it just wasn't for me. First the size and weight were off. Not enough blade length for how heavy it was. When I first got it the damn thing was a bear to open. After taking it apart, lubing, polishing, and removing the speed safe, it made for a very nice manual flipper. The size weight thing I could never get over though. My 0550 & 0560 got way more pocket time so I sold the 0566.
 
The 566 is amazing. I got mine a while ago and deassisted it right away. The action is smooth and I haven't had any issues with the knife. No complaints with the steel or any other part of the knife.
 
I de-assisted mine and like it a lot. It really is excellent as a manual flipper, it has a nice detent and really fires out hard.

I wish it was 4.3 ounces instead of 5.3 ounces. It feels heavier than my 561 just because of how dense it is.
 
Mrbladedude said:
Why do you guys de assist your knives?
Click to expand...

I don't do it to all my assisted folders. Some are just poorly executed. An Example would be the CRKT Hissatsu folder. The thing was near impossible to open with the torsion bar in. After it was removed, it was perfect. For me, the 0566 was the same way and I was not willing to wait for it to break in.
 
craytab said:
I don't do it to all my assisted folders. Some are just poorly executed. An Example would be the CRKT Hissatsu folder. The thing was near impossible to open with the torsion bar in. After it was removed, it was perfect. For me, the 0566 was the same way and I was not willing to wait for it to break in.
Click to expand...

I took the torsion bar out of mine when I got it and promptly put it back in. I prefer it assisted.
 
I also de-assisted mine shortly after I got it. After polishing the pivot area and washers and lubing it up, that thing flips like a dream. Easier to deploy and MUCH easier to close without the torsion bar.
 
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