ZT0801; A quiet success?

Clanton said:
I just picked up an 0801 this week and it is a great knife,but I also have a Domino.The Domino is is much better as an EDC,and cuts much better as for edge retention time will tell. Here is a pic to see them side by side.
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I have both and while I wish it were lighter, I prefer pretty much everything else about the 0801 to the Domino. That said, I still prefer the Southard to both of them for all the time carry, but at least with the 0801 I want to carry it. It's too damn heavy, though, so I pretty much only carry it when I'm wearing jeans or cargo shorts.

The Domino flips great and has a pretty scale, but it carries big for what you get and my overall feeling is very much . . . meh.
 
Kai Corp. said:
Have you tried Elmax for yourself?
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No. I'm not going to waste $200 to "try" a product that has performed poorly on filmed performance tests, especially when there are multiple comparable options in the same price range that have performed well [Southard and Domino come to mind]. I'm even less likely to purchase a product when the product rep can't seem to grasp the importance of the following advice:

Oakengroves said:
It's also been somewhat sad to see KAI's rep try to compensate for [ELMAX] on the forums by accusing people of flaming and offering boilerplate, conclusory assurances that the "problems been taken care of" [hint: try posting performance videos like Benchmade/Cold Steel or engaging the community with with helpful, detailed information like Sal from Spyderco].
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evilgreg said:
I have both and while I wish it were lighter, I prefer pretty much like everything else about the 0801 to the Domino. That said, I still prefer the Southard to both of them for all the time carry, but at least with the 0801 I want to carry it. It's too damn heavy, though, so I pretty much only carry it when I'm wearing jeans or cargo shorts.

The Domino flips great and has a pretty scale, but it carries big for what you get and my overall feeling is very much . . . meh.
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Pretty much my sentiments (added the missing bold word). Southard is just right except that I have to carry 3" folders most times so I end up with my MicroTech Mini Matrix. A Mini Southard and Mini 0801 would be great with blade lengths of exactly 3 inches.
 
Oakengroves said:
No. I'm not going to waste $200-$300 to "try" a product that has performed poorly on filmed performance tests, especially when there are multiple comparable options in the same price range that have performed well [Southard and Domino come to mind]. I'm even less likely to purchase a product when the product rep can't seem to grasp the importance of the following advice:
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Relax...it was a simple question. I'll also remind you the topic of this thread is the 0801 and NOT Kai Corps.
 
Scurvy092 said:
No... but but but I saw videos on youtube and even though I have no reference point against other steels, that's enough for me. Then I saw that guy do the video of Elmax vs S30v and the s30v held it's edge marginally better and even though the Elmax was easier to resharpen, we all know that outright edge retention is all that matters.

I would likely have not have complained if you used S30V as the blade but because you used a steel with similar performance and a different name, I'M NOT HAPPY!!!
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Or, as an educated consumer, I realize that $200 can be spent towards blades that have performed better on virtually every filmed or empirical cutting test.

I wish ELMAX had performed better. I like the 801's overall design, and hope to snag one in M390 if they're not all sold out.

If anyone is aware of new, or additional cutting tests that show KAI/ZT ELMAX performing in the same range of other steels around the $200 price point, please post them.
 
Well considering it performs close to s30v, I would think any of the varied s30v knives in that price range, including s35vn knives, would do just fine. Unfortunately there are too many to list. Heck, I can point you to several knives around $200 that still use 154cm.

If you are buying knives based purely on cardboard cutting tests you saw on YouTube, I don't think you qualify as an educated consumer.
 
Scurvy092 said:
I think the 801 got it's pop a few weeks ago. Tons of videos on YouTube, quite a few threads, lots of people picking it over the spyderco domino.
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I notice how you like to throw in unneeded Spyderco comments for added effect. Do you hate Spydercos? I understand that a lot of people have had negative things to say about Kai lately, don't have to compensate by throwing in jabs at another company. As witnessed by other comments here, there are people who prefer the Domino over the 801 and vice versa. Just felt like responding since I've seen you do this over and over again. You may hate the Spyderhole, and the wide blades... But Spyderco doesn't hate you ;)
 
I passed on the 801 because I am hoping to get the 801CF instead.

It seems to me that plenty 801's sold judging from the chatter on the boards, demand on the exchange (how fast they sell), and youtube reviews. I don't have numbers but that's what I think.

This Elmax talk should be settled once and for all at least to a certain degree. It's getting old. For your reference, JDavis stirred the pot about S35VN, cost Spyderco, and Crucible a lot of money according to Sal to research and they found that there was nothing wrong with the steel and he shouldn't be the be all end all in making your decision anyway. He's a rich kid with a camera, big whoop.
 
I have no issues with spyderco and have owned them in the past. They are a company that zt commonly gets compared to. The 801 and the domino are very similar knives and they get compared frequently.

They do get a free pass though on their restrictive warranty and for the prices of their Taiwan made knives. That's not knocking the Taiwan made knives or saying they aren't worth they price but the fact is they have to build them in Taiwan in order to be cost competitive with zt. Sal himself said that if they built the southard in golden it would have cost people $400.

I'm sorry that I like my titanium framelock flippers to be made in the usa and not have a voided warranty if I take it apart.
 
I started to carry the 801 more since summer is ending and I'm in jeans more. It's grown on me more and more. I like the handle ergos a lot, flipper action is good, taken a nice edge and i like the blade shape. :thumbup:
 
Scurvy, Ive taken down my GB, Techno, Southard, Domino etc. with no issues and Im 100 percent positive that if there is a warranty issue, Spyderco will take care of it. They arent the industry leaders in warranty but its not as bad as some make it out to be. Had a Caly Ive taken apart that needed attention and they took care of it. Thats from experience, not hearsay.

What is US made is a little blurry. For example, The Southard is a collaboration, had to pay Brad an American royalties, using American steel. Now ZT while American made had foreign steel and KAI is a Japanese company. Im fine with both as they both deal with foreign and domestic, and I think preferring one over the other over it makes little sense when sure USA made, but part of the profits going to Japan so its the same thing.
 
The 0801 was not on my list of knives I was even interested in. Any photos of one that I saw on line left me thinking not for me.
That was untill I saw one in person at a knife show in July. I did not put it down. As soon as I saw it I had to have it.
Had I not known anything about the 0801 before handling, and opening it for the first time I would have thought it was assisted opening. (untill I did not have to compress a spring to close it).
I have read where many people don't like all metal handles. I did not have any opinion one way or the other before owning my 0801, and I have not found it to be slick at all.
As for being too heavy, I wear a 1 1/2" wide belt and I could haul a brick in my pocket and not notice it, so weather a knife is 4 oz's or 8, I can not tell the difference. Maybe having a knife clipped to my right front pocket since 1992, I have knida got used to the feel.
I keep trying to rotate my EDC, but they all only last a day before the 0801 jumps back in my pocket.
 
FCM415 said:
Scurvy, Ive taken down my GB, Techno, Southard, Domino etc. with no issues and Im 100 percent positive that if there is a warranty issue, Spyderco will take care of it. They arent the industry leaders in warranty but its not as bad as some make it out to be. Had a Caly Ive taken apart that needed attention and they took care of it. Thats from experience, not hearsay.

What is US made is a little blurry. For example, The Southard is a collaboration, had to pay Brad an American royalties, using American steel. Now ZT while American made had foreign steel and KAI is a Japanese company. Im fine with both as they both deal with foreign and domestic, and I think preferring one over the other over it makes little sense when sure USA made, but part of the profits going to Japan so its the same thing.
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I'm sure Spyderco has handled plenty of knives that have been disassembled before but they still reserve the right to deny a warranty claim if you did it. That doesn't exactly inspire confidence.

I'd be willing to bet if you counted up the number of employees from the knife company, the contractors, the suppliers and anyone else that has a hand in the knife construction, a USA made knife with foreign steel supports more USA jobs than a foreign made knife with USA steel.

Also, I'm pretty sure Rexford/Hinderer/RJ are getting paid just as well as Southard is for collaborating.

But now we're really just nitpicking.

My point was that Spyderco seems to get a pass on a lot of stuff where as KAI gets nailed to the wall in the echo chamber of bladeforums. Someone posted a video here of a PM2 with a sticky lock. I'm sure several people will tell him that Spyderco will take care of it and the PM2 is such a great knife. If the PM2 was made by KAI though, you can be sure that the same group of haters would come in and start bitching about a knife they had never handled and then you'd get people twice removes from it telling people not to buy the knife because they have issues with sticky locks.
 
There's a reason why Spydeco gets a pass maybe? Things don't happen by accident.

Maybe ZT's support group members like you shouldnt knock Spyderco at every turn an worry about ZT's issues. Separate things.
 
I've had my 801 for a month or so and it hasn't left my pocket really. It's the smoothest flipper I've handled. And I haven't had to sharpen it yet. But then again I didn't try to use it as a hammer then try and cut pergo flooring with it either :D
 
FCM415 said:
I passed on the 801 because I am hoping to get the 801CF instead.

It seems to me that plenty 801's sold judging from the chatter on the boards, demand on the exchange (how fast they sell), and youtube reviews. I don't have numbers but that's what I think.

This Elmax talk should be settled once and for all at least to a certain degree. It's getting old. For your reference, JDavis stirred the pot about S35VN, cost Spyderco, and Crucible a lot of money according to Sal to research and they found that there was nothing wrong with the steel and he shouldn't be the be all end all in making your decision anyway. He's a rich kid with a camera, big whoop.
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Thank you! Everyone always acts like he's the end all be all. Drives me nuts. He loves the attention he gets and making a controversial video will do that. I personally have no issues with Elmax and even if it doesn't hold and edge as well as s30 who cares it's still a good steel and the 801 is a bargain for $160-$200.
 
xICEMANx said:
Thank you! Everyone always acts like he's the end all be all. Drives me nuts. He loves the attention he gets and making a controversial video will do that. I personally have no issues with Elmax and even if it doesn't hold and edge as well as s30 who cares it's still a good steel and the 801 is a bargain for $160-$200.
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I agree...it's a definitely a bargain.
 
Morrow said:
I agree...it's a definitely a bargain.
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Me three on that. Feels pretty much perfect, as long as you don't mind the weight. I don't like heavy folders, yet I still keep carrying the 0801 when I get a chance. Some knives just feel great, and it's a bonus when they feel like they're a steal as well. :)
 
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