ZT or Kizer knives?

ZT is the tried and true option with great customer service. I've had quite a few and if you've never held a 0562 you are in for a treat. The 0801 is as good as everyone says, but a pocket brick in comparison (both are ZTs I will likely never sell, along with the 0452cf).

BUT, Kizer is absolutely killing it right now. Great designer collaborations with contoured titanium handles and ceramic ball bearings for under $200?!?!?! The number of ZTs I own keeps going down and the number of Kizers keep going up. Right now I own all of the Laconico knives, and the Ursa Minor is my favorite. Its flipping action and fit and finish might actually surpass any ZT I've ever had (all sub $300 ZTs). I realize this might just be flavor of the month talking, but contoured Ti handles are something that really makes me happy.
 
Good thread Xtain. The 0562 has been on my shopping list for a while now, but fixed blade purchases keep on jumping the queue :rolleyes:

So have you decided on Kizer or ZT yet?
 
I've collected maybe 15 Kizers and at least double the number of ZTs (excluding the assisted opening 0770s) and if I had to make just one general statement concerning both brands, it would have to be that recently made ZTs are by far the better flippers. I said "recently made" because the notorious 0560/0561 was well known for being a lazy flipper. After going a little overboard in the opposite direction with the early hard-to-flip 0452 Sinkevich models, all the ZTs I've received this year have been excellent, crisp flippers.

My two most recently acquired Kizers, a John Gray S.L.T. and a brown G-10 (Vanguard) Scot Matsuoka Kala (just gotta support those Hawaii knife makers), flip just the way I've come to expect a typical Kizer to flip: somewhat lazy. Neither is unuseable or in my opinion defective, it's simply that you need to use the "push button" (as opposed to "light switch") method in order to make them flip with any degree of snap or crispness. And no, I haven't noted that the economy Vanguard Kizers flip any worse than their all-titanium handled premium models.

For what it's worth, Kizers are great values in terms of construction and materials. Just don't expect the average Kizer to be as satisfying a flipper as your average newly made ZT (or much less, an Olamic Cutlery, WE Knife Company or Stedemon Knife Company flipper).
 
RealSteel isn't on par with ZT or Kizer - but for the prices I paid for mine, they are certainly excellent values!

AF said:
For Chinese companies Reate is my favorite. RealSteel has some value folders of good quality.
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rje58 said:
RealSteel isn't on par with ZT or Kizer - but for the prices I paid for mine, they are certainly excellent values!
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I think RealSteel compares favorably with the Kizer Vanguard line. I'm really interested in some of the new knives that RealSteel is giving peeks at on FaceBook for release in 2017...but it looks like the new releases will be more expensive too...
 
OP, you must take an amendment to that you asked about it on American forum and ZT is an American company.
 
ourgon said:
OP, you must take an amendment to that you asked about it on American forum and ZT is an American company.
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are you trying to say that Kizer are better? because the thread sofar has been pretty honest and valid. Kizer knives are not bad at all. but in comparing them to ZT, they are the lesser, thats the truth.
 
I have handled a few Kizers, and they are OK, but I very much prefer ZT. I have owned over 60, and currently still own 54.
 
ZT hands down. No contest. I'm a huge fan of Chinese knives. I own more Chinese than anything else. But kizer for me is on the lower end of the quality knives you can get. Reate I would say is more on ZT level. But every kizer I have owned or held left me wanting. ZT has let me down a few times in the past but admittedly that had more to do with my own unrealistic expectations and a bad attitude.
 
Is it just me or does the Kizer 404b2 look suspiciously Hindereresque.

Actually quite a few of their knives have this look. Did they get permission to use the Hinderer Lock Bar stabilizer? I see it on all kinds of knives these days and wonder how many got permission.
 
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I have a ZT 0450 that has developed some detent play when closed and returned a ZT 0095 that had so many issues i didnt want to order a replacement. My 0562 and 0801 on the other hand are just fine.

My three Kizers I own are pretty much perfect and the blacksmith series all come with ceramic bearings and a ceramic detant ball. ZT is just steel. One Kizer has a little bit of weak detent though, but that is an older model.

I think you cant go wrong with either brand
 
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Ad58 said:
I have a ZT 0450 that has developed some detent play when closed and returned a ZT 0095 that had so many issues i didnt want to order a replacement. My 0562 and 0801 on the other hand are just fine.

My three Kizers I own are pretty much perfect and the blacksmith series all come with ceramic bearings and a ceramic detant ball. ZT is just steel. One Kizer has a little bit of weak detent though, but that is an older model.

I think you cant go wrong with either brand
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Honestly for me aside from corrosion resistance i dont see the big deal with ceramic. I doubt i could find a single person who could tell a difference if you didnt point it out. Imho a well done steel bearing is better than a so so ceramic bearing.
 
Ad58 said:
I have a ZT 0450 that has developed some detent play when closed and returned a ZT 0095 that had so many issues i didnt want to order a replacement.
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Do you mean ZT 0095BW and what were all the issues?

What exactly do you mean by detent play on ZT 0450?

Just curious to know. Thanks.
 
I can echo first hand the ZT warranty, I recently was an idiot and loaned my knife to an even bigger idiot who destroyed my blade on my 0560 - a discontinued knife. I emailed ZT and they said they still had some blades, so long story short, for $30 I get a brand new blade.
 
RamZar said:
Do you mean ZT 0095BW and what were all the issues?

What exactly do you mean by detent play on ZT 0450?

Just curious to know. Thanks.
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Yes,
I meant the 0095BW. It couldn't be centered no matter what I did, the grind was terrible and by opening and closing it made a grinding sound even after dissembling and fully cleaning.

With detent play I mean the blade has in closed position some vertical play, just before you open it. That is an annoying feeling.
 
But like I said, I like both brands. I have 4 ZT's and 3 Kizers in my collection. The Kizer Ursa Minor has an astonishing good action.
 
Have owned quite a few ZT and Kizer models. Still have all of the ZTs and none of the Kizers. For me the value proposition is clear and I won't likely buy any more Kizers - especially since the original low Kizer price point seems to be disappearing. For me, ZTs are clearly superior in both quality and value. My favorite ZT models are the 0450 and 0562.
 
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