ZTs Carbon Fiber

whitty · Sep 1, 2014

I am sure this has been discussed but I did a quick search and did not find it talked about.

I have never been a huge fan of carbon fiber knives. Nothing against them but they just have not appealed to me. Then ZT up and came out with the ZT 0350 in Carbon Fiber and it is now the top of my list of wants. So while I have been able to hold one from inventory and check them when we ship them out, I have never personally used one of their Carbon Fiber knives. My question is for those of you who have, what do you think? How well does the Carbon Fiber hold up? Scratches? Slippery? Just like everyone else I have to budget before putting a knife in my pocket so I want to know what you guys think before pulling the trigger!

flarp · Sep 1, 2014

From my experience with the 0560CBCF and 0770CF, it holds up very well. The surface of the CF isn't as grippy as the textured G10, of course, but I haven't had trouble maintaining a stable grip on either of those knives while fairly sweaty. As for scratches on the surface, I'm sure there are some (I keep my keys in the same pocket). The patterning on the CF does a good job of hiding such marks though (not unlike a heavy stonewashed blade). I don't recall having dropped either knife from any appreciable height, but after knocking into various things over the course of regular usage, there aren't any chips or cracks that I can see on the scales.

nwmetalbug · Sep 1, 2014

I carry a CBCF most of the time and Im kinda hard on stuff at work and its holding up really well. I like the feel of it, yeah its not as grippy as G10 but it cleans up easier and for me is just fine.

Scurvy092 · Sep 1, 2014

The CF on my 0777 and 0560cbcf is fantastic. It's raw so it has some decent traction on it but the finish isn't rough. The cf on my 0600 is slightly more polished and smoother, same with my 0801cf.

So I think as long as it's a full scale, it will have some texture.

nwmetalbug · Sep 1, 2014

Good point my CFBlur and 0801CF is the polished type and is slick and probably prone to scratching although I dont carry them so cant say for sure

22-rimfire · Sep 2, 2014

I have not noticed any particular issues on my ZT 0770CF. Scratches? Not that I noticed. Slippery? Not that I noticed. Still looks pretty much like it did when I got the knife a few months ago and I carry it every day. It generally lives in a seperate pocket on my cargo pants; so no coins or keys rubbing against it.

whitty · Sep 2, 2014

22-rimfire said:
I have not noticed any particular issues on my ZT 0770CF. Scratches? Not that I noticed. Slippery? Not that I noticed. Still looks pretty much like it did when I got the knife a few months ago and I carry it every day. It generally lives in a seperate pocket on my cargo pants; so no coins or keys rubbing against it.

Thanks for the reply. That is actually a concern because I keep my keys in my front right pocket with my knife.

grownstar · Sep 2, 2014

I have heard that the CF on the 0350 is smoother than the 0770.

That being said, the ergos will keep your hand locked in regardless. Good luck, whitty!

whitty · Sep 2, 2014

22-rimfire said:
I have not noticed any particular issues on my ZT 0770CF. Scratches? Not that I noticed. Slippery? Not that I noticed. Still looks pretty much like it did when I got the knife a few months ago and I carry it every day. It generally lives in a seperate pocket on my cargo pants; so no coins or keys rubbing against it.

Thanks for the reply. That is actually a concern because I keep my keys in my front right pocket with my knife.

mtbaddict · Sep 2, 2014

Though not a ZT I do carry my benchmade 940-1 quite a bit, and have had the chance to handle quite a few of zts carbon fiber offerings and blind folded you probably wouldnt be able to tell which is which. Its held up really well, hasnt scratched, and looks just like the day I brought it home. Its ridden in the same pocket as keys, change, my light, other knives, and pretty much anything else I throw in there. Its decently grippy, though not like the g10 on my 350. Hope this is somewhat helpful, though not exactly what you asked for.

whitty · Sep 3, 2014

mtbaddict said:
Though not a ZT I do carry my benchmade 940-1 quite a bit, and have had the chance to handle quite a few of zts carbon fiber offerings and blind folded you probably wouldnt be able to tell which is which. Its held up really well, hasnt scratched, and looks just like the day I brought it home. Its ridden in the same pocket as keys, change, my light, other knives, and pretty much anything else I throw in there. Its decently grippy, though not like the g10 on my 350. Hope this is somewhat helpful, though not exactly what you asked for.

Very helpful! I will move forward soon and let you know how it holds up. I am very rough on a knife and this one seems almost too pretty to be rough with. I guess I will find out. Thanks for the reply!