ZT0801BW BLEH....

jakemex

jakemex

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Oct 19, 2011
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I've had this knife a while now, a few years, to be exact. Stiff to flip at first, yeah, break in the detent and keep fingers off lock bar... blade ground off center, not sharp out of box... I sharpened it to my liking, I thought, but it's still just not my cup of tea. Tried it again recently after another resharpening, carried this brick for two weeks and it still performs marginally not even able to break down boxes satisfactorily. My Endura 4 and my Case CV slimline trapper leave it in the dust. I can't decide if it's the coating on the blade, the grind, blade thickness that I can't like.
 
ZT 0801 is thick BTE. If you are looking for a slicer to tackle cardboard boxes you got the wrong knife.
 
I was ripped for mentioning it when the 0801 was new, but that knife is one of the worst performing knives I've ever owned, when it comes to actually cutting stuff. That sucker just widens out way too quickly.

Sad too, I really liked that knife otherwise. Great action, great looks, just a bit heavy for my taste. If that model had a blade that was literally half as thick it would be 100% better as a knife for my purposes.
 
Are you sure it is a legit one?
I had a pair of 0801 (BLK and BW) and they had better action and better cutting performances than my 0562.

what you describe is very surprising for me as I had a completely different experience
 
Thanks for the comments. I’ve been around and around here long enough to know the reactions to negativity. Gotta kill things with kindness. Yup, it isn’t much for cutting ANYTHING. That’s why I carry my slimline trapper and use it for everything. (45 years of use)
 
It's the thickness and probably the coating. I had one with a phenomenal action and no coating... and hated it. It just didn't cut worth a damn.
 
Therom said:
Are you sure it is a legit one?
I had a pair of 0801 (BLK and BW) and they had better action and better cutting performances than my 0562.

what you describe is very surprising for me as I had a completely different experience
Click to expand...

That's likely true, but when you're used to a slimline trapper and an Endura 4 the 0562 blows too.
 
T.L.E. Sharp said:
That's likely true, but when you're used to a slimline trapper and an Endura 4 the 0562 blows too.
Click to expand...
Yes for sure
But on my experience most ZTs are not great slicers.
My 0350s were my better slicer, all the other ones that I had have been quite thick BTE
I can be a good thing for some kind of EDC but in general I prefer thinner geometry
 
I’m an unapologetic fan of my OG O801. For my hand it has the best ergos of any folding knife ever. The action on mine is superb. I wish it was lighter, though it carries well for its weight (IMO).

It’s also not what I would consider slicey. At all.
 
Just my 2 cents, but I've also been a fan of the 0801 since they were first released. I feel like that knife helped ZT really set the bar as far as production flippers go.

I've carried and used mine quite often at work, and it cuts everything I need to cut. Never had problems with my Elmax, either.
 
To open envelopes, cut threads, open plastic bags, but not carve wood, stab sandwiches, flip open and sorta drop closed $160-200+ is a little overkill. I bought one. Buyer's remorse is real. I have a titanium and Elmax partime paperweight and knife. A collector's item maybe better, a more BF correct name.
 
Whew! Should I worry about my Medford?

I can’t blame or complain about my ZTs being what they are, that’s why I bought them. They are not razors, never were and never intended to be. But, they are good knives.

As with everything else, it pays to use the right tool for the job, and if ZT doesn’t do it for you, there are plenty of other knives out there.

n2s
 
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