ZT Knives, all that or all hype?

I have a few and they never disappoint.
I like the variety.
Some of the newer models are real slicers in my experience.
best
mqqn
 
Didn’t have the light to include a couple of photos with my post above. One nice thing about ZTs in the past has been the customization options.

I’d love it if they made the 0640 without the thumbdisk, but with a wave aligned with the thumb ramp, or a ZT version of the CQC10.

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801, 0562, 0450/52, 0460/62 and some long discontinued 0200/300 series are great . ZT hasn't done anything I've been interested in for a while.
 
I don't think ZT knives suffer from hype. I think it's more that they once catered to a specific market segment and they did very well at that. If the features of those early models don't appeal to you, then it might seem like hype.
 
I dont think they are hyped up beyond what their offerings have been. Nobody is hyping them to be custom level. Very rarely someone may compare them to midtech level but its not enough to warrant a general consensus. Certain models are hyped over other models but for good reason. This says as much about a good product as it does a bad product. They have produced enough models that someone can generally find one that suits them. Just because a model has been discontinued doesnt mean all their knives are no longer relevant; you can still acquire most of them.
 
I've made some variation of this comment in previous threads about ZT, and will say it again here. At one point, Zero Tolerance was a major way to:

- Get an American made knife in premium materials
- Get your hands on a knife designed by guys who, at the time, it was nearly impossible to get your hands on their knives (Hinderer), or else the ZT model was better made, and of better materials (Emerson).
- Was a way to get your hands on better blade steels
- Was a way to get a cool flipper frame/liner lock run on bearings

Now, virtually all of these except the first one, are brought to you by Chinese companies like We and Reate, and really, the only difference on the first one is that they're from China and not the US. We/Reate effectively killed the limited runs ZT used to do, because ZT's idea of "limited run" dress-up included things like anno, carbon fiber in colors other than black, and so on....all things which are common on We/Reate models today.

I think this is why ZT went "upscale pocket jewelry" and pulled most of their assets from new model development.
 
Quiet said:
Now, virtually all of these except the first one, are brought to you by Chinese companies like We and Reate, and really, the only difference on the first one is that they're from China and not the US. We/Reate effectively killed the limited runs ZT used to do, because ZT's idea of "limited run" dress-up included things like anno, carbon fiber in colors other than black, and so on....all things which are common on We/Reate models today.

I think this is why ZT went "upscale pocket jewelry" and pulled most of their assets from new model development.
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I think that is certainly a valid point. ZT is in business to stay in business and to make money, not serve a few of us that like the confidence of the "tank in the pocket". My amigos that aren't in construction think that ZTs are too obtuse at the grind to make a good hunting knife (true), are great for camping/hiking (true) and too much to carry around as they are all office workers or in and out of offices all day long. Many years ago ZT wasn't glamorous or pretty, so in some cases none of my friends would even know about ZT unless it was from borrowing one of mine.

But agree that the market has changed and for the reasons you list. I read an op-ed piece some time back that was discussing why knife collecting had become so wildly popular and growing at a really brisk rate. Enough to generate hundreds of new knives from overseas that are feature filled, limited runs, and using designs from well respected American designers every single year.

So, I think some folks are scratching an itch they didn't know they had. They didn't grow up with knife in their pocket like a lot here did, so they like the newer, more "modern" designs and finishes anyway. They don't take their knives to work to use, they don't hike and camp much, and none of my friends hunt anymore so there is little need for the knives they buy to be able to take apart an animal at the end of a hunt.

There IS a need to be able to have something fun in their pocket, something a little wicked looking, and something you don't see down at the sporting goods store. New knives require little or no maintenance, but some have convinced themselves that a few hundred flicks in front of the TV and a few weekends out with the boys require a tear down, inspection and maintenance. It has become an affordable and enjoyable hobby, and nothing wrong with that. I love to tease my friends that pull out their Spyderco in S90V to cut a thread from a button or to open that armored FedEx box that I saw trying to get away. And they never tire of talking about all the choices, models and manufacturers out there today.

It's all in good fun, though. I enjoy mine for one reason and they enjoys theirs for another, probably both just as much. Some people just love to collect.
 
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I still own a few of the older models but have not even thought about any of their newer offerings
 
They are legit.
For a reasonable (ish) price range, you have a very well-made, made in USA knife. The older models were more practical, the band has been somewhat gentrified. The beefier the better!
 
This thread inspired me to dig out my 0566. It's a nice knife. Fires well, locks up tight, tougher than most pocket knives in that weight class/size.

But holding it next to my Mini Adamas...meh. BM really nailed the pocket tank genre with that one.

I think I'll go ahead and take the 0566 to work as a nice folder to keep on hand for boxes and stuff at the office, but it really doesn't speak to me. It is a hell for stout and while some find it dated, I really like S35VN as a user steel.
 
ZT came really close to making a lot of "Holy Grail" knives for me, but never quite hit the mark. So close.
Quality was never a question, I absolutely adored the milling on the 0200.
 
After the 0300-series, ZT became somewhat; over-stylized for my tastes. They drifted-away from their working, warblade roots; into an overly expensive accessory. Yet, I understand why company's, constantly seek to evolve their product-lines, in order to generate more sales. It just led to an evolutionary, dead-end for me.

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Steely_Gunz said:
This thread inspired me to dig out my 0566. It's a nice knife. Fires well, locks up tight, tougher than most pocket knives in that weight class/size.

But holding it next to my Mini Adamas...meh. BM really nailed the pocket tank genre with that one.

I think I'll go ahead and take the 0566 to work as a nice folder to keep on hand for boxes and stuff at the office, but it really doesn't speak to me. It is a hell for stout and while some find it dated, I really like S35VN as a user steel.
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Right?? I cannot believe that I didn't "rediscover" the Adamas line until a month or so ago. Now the design is one of my favorite knives. I've got one in every color variant, and love them all. Benchmade rereleasing this knife in Cruwear just put it over the top for me. A tremendous value, and are knives I'd rather have over literally anything ZT makes now (or for the past few years for that matter).

I will say that if I had to pick an overall favorite ZT ever (at one point I owned like ten or even more of 'em), it would be the ZT 0551 (with the 0562 being a close second). I have first run versions of both.
 
I have seen (NOT that I think this is something to be doing/testing, every slippie fails a spinewhack and I still like those) 10 ZTs consecutively fail a spine whack test.
I know not to trust the lock, or test it, but, I want the lock there for a reason. If the spring on my Douk-Douk can take more than your lock, we have a problem.

I know I should not judge flippers and liner locks because I associate all those with "Cheap" knives. Even though most of my cheap knives held up better than a Benchmade through non-knife-person use. I'd just feel so weird, going, "Look at this!" and flipping out one of these cop-knives. I prefer
 
ZT was what got me into knives. I've owned most of their older models and some of the new ones. I don't own any now though. I had one ZT liner lock that would fail with thumb pressure on the spine, and that was concerning, but that has been the only lemon I've had from ZT. The 0562 is a phenomenal EDC design. They really do their Hinderer designed knives well IMO.

I'm hopeful ZT will integrate some new locks and steels into their line. The 0500 MUDD was awesome. I'd like to see of that sort of thing. Maybe some Magnacut. I'm hopeful 2022 will bring some great offerings. If not, oh well, there are plenty of other nice knives out there.
 
Quiet said:
I've made some variation of this comment in previous threads about ZT, and will say it again here. At one point, Zero Tolerance was a major way to:

- Get an American made knife in premium materials
- Get your hands on a knife designed by guys who, at the time, it was nearly impossible to get your hands on their knives (Hinderer), or else the ZT model was better made, and of better materials (Emerson).
- Was a way to get your hands on better blade steels
- Was a way to get a cool flipper frame/liner lock run on bearings

Now, virtually all of these except the first one, are brought to you by Chinese companies like We and Reate, and really, the only difference on the first one is that they're from China and not the US. We/Reate effectively killed the limited runs ZT used to do, because ZT's idea of "limited run" dress-up included things like anno, carbon fiber in colors other than black, and so on....all things which are common on We/Reate models today.

I think this is why ZT went "upscale pocket jewelry" and pulled most of their assets from new model development.
Click to expand...

I have not seen any WE or Reate knives I wanted really, and the prices are insane, at least here in Canada.
Big, big money for knives that just don't grab my attention.

Hashishiin said:
I have seen (NOT that I think this is something to be doing/testing, every slippie fails a spinewhack and I still like those) 10 ZTs consecutively fail a spine whack test.
I know not to trust the lock, or test it, but, I want the lock there for a reason. If the spring on my Douk-Douk can take more than your lock, we have a problem.
Click to expand...
I don't waste my time with spine whacks, but I have done stupid and abusive things with my ZT knives, and I still have all my fingers.
And the locks still work, without any ill effects from what was done to them. :)

I put the "spine whack controversy" in the same category as the old tale of Benchmade Omega springs breaking all over the place...I'll believe it when I see it for myself. In real life.

Bunch of ZT knives that all have functioning, reliable locks, and quite a few Benchmade knives with AXIS locks, my oldest being from 2003, with not a single broken Omega spring.
 
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