ZT 300 in your pocket

NjHart

NjHart

Joined
Jan 4, 2013
Messages
715
Howdy yall,

After some obsessive research, massive polling of both knife and non knife people, and deep soul searching (kidding, but barely), I think I've decided I want to purchase a zt300 series as my next knife. It beat out the 560, runner up but ultimately I like the looks less; the microtech select fire, gorgeous but the company seems to have too many skeletons; and a strider, I love them but the cost is too high for the benefit at the moment. I will truly be carrying it every day- whether I'm wearing jeans and working outside or a suit in a meeting, so it will be interesting given the size of the knife. I'm sort of curious though, does anyone have any photos of how the 300 sits in your pocket tip up or tip down? If its too obtrusive I may have to find or make some sort of deep carry pocket clip, but I'd really like to see pictures of how it sits if anyone has any! Also, I've always been a back pocket guy, but after a traumatic experience with my last nicer knife I may have to switch to front pocket. What pocket do those of yall who edc a 300 usually carry it in? Thanks so much for all yalls help.
 
I carry my big knives tip down in my right rear pocket. My ZT0300 is too big for some pants (not enough room between the pocket edge and the middle button for it to fit in) but other than that is carries really really well.

And the good thing about the size of the 0300 is you will ALWAYS know it is in your pocket.
 
Good choice man the 300 is a super beast of a knife. I just took mine apart for the first time and can tell you that its hardware is 3x beefer then anything else I've ever taken apart.

I carry mine a lot, work, casual, it might weigh down a suit though, I haven't tried it it would probably be fine in a suit if you clipped it to your belt IWB. I carry it like any other knife RF pocket tip up.

My camera batts are dead but I will take some pictures for you if nobody else does first.
 
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Thanks! I certainly try not to abuse my knives, but the though of being afraid to use one really bothers me. More than just rave reviews about the 300, the fact that no one seems to have anything bad to say about it in a community that everyone (and rightfully so) takes a critical eye to everything speaks volumes to me. Weight doesn't bother me, and in fact its a plus so I don't feel compelled to constantly check that my knife is still there.

Actually rather than starting a new post, maybe someone can help me here too. It just occurred to me that since it'll definitely be a user that I should consider buying a blem from blade forum's own Kerhawguy. I'm not really sure what this means in terms of replacement parts and the such though. Can I still get replacement torsion bars and the like if I buy a blem or is it something of a hassle? Sorry if this has been covered, but I'm pretty new to kershaw and totally new to ZT.
 
You cannot get replacement parts without buying them if you get a blem. I just got my 0350TS blem in the mail today, honestly I don't really know why it's a blem. I would honestly go for a 0350 over a 0300 after handling both, the 0350 just rides better and feels nicer in pocket.
 
The 350 seems very nice, and it may even be better per dollar and in the pocket, but I'm not sure I could get away from the 300 even if I wanted to. It is actually the knife that got me into reading about higher end knives (I'd always just sort of assumed benchmades and spydercos were the high end without much thought), and after reading, researching and debating a dozen different knives, I keep coming back to this one as what I really want. I don't mind buying the replacement bars if I have to (unless they are expensive or impossible to get) and I certainly don't mind installing them myself. I just want to make sure I can get the parts. I would really hate to get my current grail knife, feel great about the price, and snap the AO in a week from a freak accident and have a paperweight. Just thinking about it is rather depressing.
 
If the torsion bar fails on your 0300 blem call Kershaws customer service and they will send you a new one. If you send it into them for repair they won't fix it.
 
My mentality about blems is that if you going to be using it, you want it to have a full warranty right? So for and extra couple bucks your backed by one of the best.
 
I usually EDC it in my front pocket. In order: ZT 0301, Benchmade Adamas, ZT 0560

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I sold my 0301 (damn I wish it was a manual) but I loved its feel and its size. I prefer to carry flippers tip down but I carried the 0301 tip-up for most of the time in the front pocket. Sorry to say I don't have any of its pictures anymore. Stout blade. You can beat that thing to hell and it will smile and keep on going. Back pocket isn't bad either but if you carry a wallet then the 2 may fight over real estate.
 
Thanks for the picture! That actually doesn't look nearly as obtrusive as I guessed it would. I guess compared to the JYD I'm currently carrying there is no such thing as obtrusive. Generally I like the idea of having the full protection of a warranty, but with the superb durability of a 300, the ability to fix the torsion bars myself, and my enjoyment of sharpening I don't really mind the slight risk given the pretty massive price difference. If I end up really loving the 300, its entirely possible and pretty likely I'll order a second before any other knives as a just in case option.



Also, I've always carried my keys and pen front left; phone, mini light, and headphones front right; wallet back right; and knife back left, but I really think I want to add my knife to the front left to minimize the risk of it falling out (my benchmade traumatized me). I live in rural Texas so no one even flinches at fixed blades, but the less blatant the better in case I have to travel. Oh and I'm lefthanded if the pockets seem backwards.
 
If you don't mind me asking, what was the traumatic experience? I always worry about a sharp one opening up while I'm sitting on it and I shift all my weight. Hope thats not what happened to you.
 
whateatsrabbits said:
If you don't mind me asking, what was the traumatic experience? I always worry about a sharp one opening up while I'm sitting on it and I shift all my weight. Hope thats not what happened to you.
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I don't mind at all. I carried the exact same knife for 10 years every single day- a first generation gerber applegate folder, and when I graduated college I gave it to a friend of mine who was really fond of it. I carried a few cheapish knives and traditional folders around for the next couple of years till I finally decided I was tired of dull knives with too much play and terrible locks. I went to bass pro and bought the most expensive knife (more expensive than the applegate was when I bought it) I'd ever purchased- a benchmade bone collector. It was great, and it reminded me of just how much I used to love knives. And then, despite having NEVER had a knife fall out of my pocket accidentally ever before, I lost it. I had the benchmade for 4 days, and lost it. Now even with the inexpensive JYD I'm carrying I compulsively check roughly 900 times per day to make sure it's still there. I feel more confident with it in my front pocket instead of back (where I lost the benchmade), but the JYD clip is massive and its too high profile for front pocket. Certainly not as bad as a major wound, and at least it wasn't like I lost a hinderer, but losing your one nice knife when you first get back into them is a pretty miserable experience.
 
Losing your knife can be traumatic.

The 0301 was my first ZT. I liked it so much I got a blem as a second. I had no trouble carrying it in my front pocket in most of my pants. In some that have smaller pockets it can be tough to get my hand in around it though. Now I mainly carry a 0350TSST. I've been really tempted to modify the blade of my blem to add serrations & maybe even do a little to the back edge.
 
I'm thinking of buying a ZT 300 blem for a kid who is in the Marines. Can't afford the non-blem, although I could get the non-blem ZT 200. Not the same, though.
 
freewheeling said:
I'm thinking of buying a ZT 300 blem for a kid who is in the Marines. Can't afford the non-blem, although I could get the non-blem ZT 200. Not the same, though.
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I'm sort of in the same boat in terms of expenses. I could save up for a bit longer and buy them non blem if it meant that much to me, but $250+ is quite a lot to spend on a knife right now- especially when an almost identical one can be had much cheaper. Between the 2 I would obviously choose the 300. It's durability is legendary and the framelock is quite beastly. The 200 is no slouch, but with a 300 and a few spare torsion bars I'd feel fairly safe. Even in a worse case scenario, your AO just become a flipper/thumb stud opener till you can get it fixed.
 
NjHart said:
I'm sort of in the same boat in terms of expenses. I could save up for a bit longer and buy them non blem if it meant that much to me, but $250+ is quite a lot to spend on a knife right now- especially when an almost identical one can be had much cheaper. Between the 2 I would obviously choose the 300. It's durability is legendary and the framelock is quite beastly. The 200 is no slouch, but with a 300 and a few spare torsion bars I'd feel fairly safe. Even in a worse case scenario, your AO just become a flipper/thumb stud opener till you can get it fixed.
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Send Dave (kershawguy) an email with your interest in a 0300. I'm sure he'll give you a good deal on one without going for a blem (although he has those too).
 
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