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Oh great, looks like a problem with the pivot as well as the blade.
Zero Tolerance Current/Upcoming/Discontinued Models
- Thread starter RamZar
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They said somewhere they have new people in design and marketing. I think it shows.
I love certain ZTs. The hinderer collabs. The sinkevich collabs. Even some anso collabs. But some of them are very questionable. I often wonder if some are even useful as a knife.
Oh well, I like the ZTs I have, and think they work just fine as knives. Don't know how many more I'll get, well just have to see. Maybe if they make an 0472...
sharp_edge
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blades&wrenches
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I’m just completely underwhelmed by the company as of late.
The only ZT I still own is a 0180 and it’s an absolute beast. They need to make a few more fixed blades. Or bring back the 0100.
The only ZT I still own is a 0180 and it’s an absolute beast. They need to make a few more fixed blades. Or bring back the 0100.
I personally am not convinced quality has slipped - it hasn't in my own personal experience. Not to say it hasn't in others' experience. The late-serial 0562TI, 0452WBW, 0393GLCF, multiple 0566s + more I've gotten recently are just as perfect ZT quality as they've ever been.
It's totally the new direction they're going, for me, that's the issue.
How do you do an almost 180 on what made you so successful? Why mess with a good thing if it was working, which from what I saw, was working. Maybe sales/growth are stagnant?
It seems the good that is still coming out of ZT is just riding the coattails on good designs/collabs from years ago.
Prove me wrong ZT.
Will we see new Hinderer collabs? Has Hinderer reigned in new collabs for himself mostly? Any ground-up new knives coming that aren't...weird?
It's totally the new direction they're going, for me, that's the issue.
How do you do an almost 180 on what made you so successful? Why mess with a good thing if it was working, which from what I saw, was working. Maybe sales/growth are stagnant?
It seems the good that is still coming out of ZT is just riding the coattails on good designs/collabs from years ago.
Prove me wrong ZT.
Will we see new Hinderer collabs? Has Hinderer reigned in new collabs for himself mostly? Any ground-up new knives coming that aren't...weird?
sharp_edge
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I am not sure how much collab is left between ZT and Hinderer. Might want to consider other knife designers/makers.
Also, the dominant use of framelock limits the variety that ZT can produce. Framelock knives cannot be too thin because the lockup would be too tricky to get right.
Also, the dominant use of framelock limits the variety that ZT can produce. Framelock knives cannot be too thin because the lockup would be too tricky to get right.
CS never seems to have a problem with people thinking their proof videos are ridiculous...see the thing is that Lynn’s sheer amount of testosterone makes him (and by extension his company) total immune from whatever girly men might think.At least CS still maintains it's manufactures forum here . Feel free to come over anytime to make fun !
Don't think CS knives have too many superfluous holes , either .
Watch those videos too much and you will want to powerlift, eat a 32oz ribeye and wear a polo shirt 2 sizes too small.
Those videos have helped CS sell boatloads of their products , just as intended .
It's advertising , designed to draw attention .
I doubt you take most other ads too seriously . I certainly don't .
Otherwise , I'd have to believe that consuming a specific beverage or using a special toiletry will result in my dating supermodels , gaining popularity with VIPs , untold riches , etc.
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Those videos have helped CS sell boatloads of their products , just as intended .
It's advertising , designed to draw attention .
I doubt you take most other ads too seriously . I certainly don't .
Otherwise , I'd have to believe that consuming a specific beverage or using a special toiletry will result in my dating supermodels , gaining popularity with VIPs , untold riches , etc.
Glad to see someone else "gets it". I always snicker when the whining starts about LT and his antics, how some here cannot "abide" his style of marketing, and how they find it so offensive they cannot purchase his products. Yet... they have watched the videos and make sure they comment every single time they come up so all will know how outraged and disgusted they are.
If that isn't effective marketing, I can't imagine what is. It keeps threads about Cold Steel going on much longer than guys that like CS products posting such. Someone types "Cold Steel" and the rush to the keyboards starts!
Personally, I am looking harder at the Cold Steel line with the current designs of ZT going in a direction I don't like. I like simple, hard working knives that are affordable enough for me to use on the job site. Special rose colored anodizing, peek-a-boo pivots, great new colors (some very summery!) for their scales, glow in the dark scales, and other decorations don't get it for me.
For reference, I bought an 0909, loved it so much I bought another immediately after that "just in case". LOVE that knife. All I could ever want in a work knife. I use it, clean sealants and tar off it with charcoal lighter fluid, use a brass brush on the scales to get off dried adhesives, and have used 800gr wet and dry sandpaper to sharpen it in emergencies. No matter what I do to it, it always cleans up nicely, I put an edge on it, a drop of oil on the pivot, and it is as good as new. To me, that is a ZT. I realize I am in the minority, though. The ZT 0909 was one of ZT's shortest production efforts due to lack of popularity. I remember reading here that folks thought it was too plain, that they didn't like the hex bolt on the pivot which enable field cleaning/disassembly with tools on hand, and they thought it was too plain. It just really hit my sweet spot though, and using it for work cemented its place in rotation.
About a year ago I got a CS Ultimate Hunter for about $100. To me, this is another fine example of work knife. No flash, no cute features (like see through pivots), no color coordinated scales, great Carpenter steel and their excellent TriAd lock. To me, it could be that CS has replaced (sadly...) ZT for a sturdy, no nonsense work knife.
Robert
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Yes. We are here. We can help.
Count me in. I’ll walk over.
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From where I stand, I don't see much potential in future collaborations between ZT and Hinderer. It used to be the ZT Hinderer was an incredible bargain compared to the market driven price-hype for RHKs. On top of the price, you could count on a ZT Hinderer have equal fit and finish and usually better action. A Hinderer ZT was a no-brainer compared to an inferior action in an after market RHK. Now, with RHKs readily available at list price with improving quality coupled with ZT prices rising, I don't see another ZT Hinderer as that compelling. I'd love a Half Track but would likely buy the RHK version rather than a ZT collab Half Track.
I'll book a flight from Dallas and bring kolaches.
Those videos have helped CS sell boatloads of their products , just as intended .
It's advertising , designed to draw attention .
I doubt you take most other ads too seriously . I certainly don't .
Otherwise , I'd have to believe that consuming a specific beverage or using a special toiletry will result in my dating supermodels , gaining popularity with VIPs , untold riches , etc.
The funny part is that one of their very best knives, the Lawman, is one of the least theatrical. If anything it needs to be a little more “tactical” and change to a thumb plate from the one thumb stud.
Interesting how ZT have largely ditched their “beast” “overbuilt” image with a lot of newer models, it’s amusing to buy a 0609 or 0450 in a huge box that says “a real beast” ...
tony281sc2
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^thats true, the 0609 and 0450 are Great knives but just EDCs, nothing crazy like a 0200 or 0300....
what I would LOVE to see (and probably buy several of) is a ZT version of the Kershaw Shield! Basically an overbuilt Shield, like a Hinderer Eklipse Tanto, but around $250-$280 instead of $450... and mass produced. I like the 0393 but it’s not a real Tanto.
If you’re reading this ZT, please build us a ZT-version Shield, slightly bigger, with that aggressive Tanto angle, titanium handles, a frame lock, bearings, any kind of premium steel....anybody agree????
what I would LOVE to see (and probably buy several of) is a ZT version of the Kershaw Shield! Basically an overbuilt Shield, like a Hinderer Eklipse Tanto, but around $250-$280 instead of $450... and mass produced. I like the 0393 but it’s not a real Tanto.
If you’re reading this ZT, please build us a ZT-version Shield, slightly bigger, with that aggressive Tanto angle, titanium handles, a frame lock, bearings, any kind of premium steel....anybody agree????
Comeuppance
Fixed Blade EDC Emisssary
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CS has largely stuck to its guns by producing high-quality, typically high-value knives for both working people and TACTICAL OPERATORS and everyone that falls in between. My Recon 1 would be right at home at a warehouse or in the STEELY GRIP OF A MERC. I recently picked up a Hold-Out II so I had a slim-yet-capable knife for work (I have to cut a lot of taut straps, which means the handle has to be slim to get close enough to get behind the strap) and it excels there... and would also be an excellent tool to defend yourself against a sudden ninja attack.
I mean, they have done collaborations with Steven Segal, easily the living embodiment of the kind of embarrassing pudgy tacticool self-delusion that their brand relied on heavily in the 90s.
That said, their dedication to quality and value has meant that I almost always have had a Cold Steel knife in my assortment, and it's generally the one I end up using the most.
That's not an unrelated rant, by the way, it's meant to establish a contrast to ZT. Their marketing and quality have changed so much over the last 5 years that they are hardly recognizable. They went from selling products that seem solely befit to military personnel with just-ok-for-the-price QC to offering primarily fancy EDC knives with knife-snob-levels of QC. Their prices have crept up as well, but honestly not as much as one might expect given the shift in focus. I remember the 0561 cost about $220 in 2014, and their recent releases still hover around that range; their success (and increased material availability of high-end alloys) has allowed their pricing to actually fight the tides of inflation.
ZT is no longer ZT, though. They're Kershaw Premium USA-Made Knives. Their new Rambo-esque folder (0223) is almost a parody of what they used to make, and the tiny 0022 is a pretty good representation of the kind of products they have released since roughly 2016.
I don't really mind it, to be honest; their earlier folders were unwieldy bricks and they have changed their product line to match the current market demands. The 0550 made sense in 2014, but it would seem almost ludicrous now that the "overbuilt" trend has settled down. Also, like Spyderco and Benchmade, they occasionally make knives that are bewildering in design - but I think it's more noticeable with ZT because their product line is significantly smaller than their competitors.
I mean, they have done collaborations with Steven Segal, easily the living embodiment of the kind of embarrassing pudgy tacticool self-delusion that their brand relied on heavily in the 90s.
That said, their dedication to quality and value has meant that I almost always have had a Cold Steel knife in my assortment, and it's generally the one I end up using the most.
That's not an unrelated rant, by the way, it's meant to establish a contrast to ZT. Their marketing and quality have changed so much over the last 5 years that they are hardly recognizable. They went from selling products that seem solely befit to military personnel with just-ok-for-the-price QC to offering primarily fancy EDC knives with knife-snob-levels of QC. Their prices have crept up as well, but honestly not as much as one might expect given the shift in focus. I remember the 0561 cost about $220 in 2014, and their recent releases still hover around that range; their success (and increased material availability of high-end alloys) has allowed their pricing to actually fight the tides of inflation.
ZT is no longer ZT, though. They're Kershaw Premium USA-Made Knives. Their new Rambo-esque folder (0223) is almost a parody of what they used to make, and the tiny 0022 is a pretty good representation of the kind of products they have released since roughly 2016.
I don't really mind it, to be honest; their earlier folders were unwieldy bricks and they have changed their product line to match the current market demands. The 0550 made sense in 2014, but it would seem almost ludicrous now that the "overbuilt" trend has settled down. Also, like Spyderco and Benchmade, they occasionally make knives that are bewildering in design - but I think it's more noticeable with ZT because their product line is significantly smaller than their competitors.
sharp_edge
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I am with you. I also like to add that IMO ZT has never replaced or been on top of CS when it comes to hard use folding knives. Might be a bit extreme but I will never regard any framelock folders as true hard use knives, does not matter whether its ZT, Hinderer, or whichever brands.
I overall agree !
Specific frame locks and even some liner locks are exceptionally robust . But as a general rule , the Tri-ad lock is the gold standard for "hard use " .
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Sadly, I think the golden age of KAI (ZT 0777,0454,0888,0999--kershaw Tilt, Kershaw Junkyard Dog, etc) is long over now and probably won't come back unless the company figures out who they are and gets some better leadership and/or PR people.
Someone, somewhere in KAI for whatever reason is making a lot of bad decisions.
Folks in this thread have mentioned how Cold Steel has stuck to their guns and continued to double down on what made them successful in the first place. They've also evolved. Cold Steel offers excellent budget stuff, but also has higher end products with great steel, and they're /all/ blades I would trust with my life...or my apples. CS stuff is all functional. Know who else has has done something similar? Spyderco. Not all of their products are the ergonomic marvels they're known for, and they aren't all a win, but they still experiment, and just like CS, they're a staple of the EDC industry for obvious reason.
Meanwhile, we have KAI who is screwing the pooch. In my opinion, Benchmade has as well. Even if we ignore the political controversy they got embroiled in recently, wtf is up with their product lineup and "new" knives lately? Where is the innovation? We can even look at their new Gold Class knives to see how lazy and uninspired the company seems to have become. For a 500-700 premium collector knife, I expect the freaking colors to match on the fancy bits.
Sheesh.
/endrant
/giving my money to CS and Spyderco and custom makers atm
Someone, somewhere in KAI for whatever reason is making a lot of bad decisions.
Folks in this thread have mentioned how Cold Steel has stuck to their guns and continued to double down on what made them successful in the first place. They've also evolved. Cold Steel offers excellent budget stuff, but also has higher end products with great steel, and they're /all/ blades I would trust with my life...or my apples. CS stuff is all functional. Know who else has has done something similar? Spyderco. Not all of their products are the ergonomic marvels they're known for, and they aren't all a win, but they still experiment, and just like CS, they're a staple of the EDC industry for obvious reason.
Meanwhile, we have KAI who is screwing the pooch. In my opinion, Benchmade has as well. Even if we ignore the political controversy they got embroiled in recently, wtf is up with their product lineup and "new" knives lately? Where is the innovation? We can even look at their new Gold Class knives to see how lazy and uninspired the company seems to have become. For a 500-700 premium collector knife, I expect the freaking colors to match on the fancy bits.
Sheesh.
/endrant
/giving my money to CS and Spyderco and custom makers atm