Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Pocket Clip, Blade Material, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness
Cons: None
A Fantastic Little Slicer!
I first bought this knife just because it had a blade core of ZDP-189 and having never "played" with this particular steel, I was interested in how it would perform. I was NOT disappointed! While I do not recommend sharpening this blade by yourself if you do not have much sharpening experience, those that know how to use good quality waterstones and diamond sharpeners should not have too much trouble doing so. Those of you whom do not sharpen your own blades can take advantage of Zero Tolerance's FREE Lifetime sharpening offer. For those of you whom are making their first purchase of a Zero Tolerance blade, here is how their Lifetime Sharpening offer works. You pay to send them your knife to their Tualatin, OR facility, they will sharpen you blade for you and THEY Pay to ship it back to you. Simple as that! When my knife arrived, I first took the time to sit down and give it a close inspection. As a retired machinist and master gunsmith, I am very favorably impressed with the materials used in the construction, fit, finish, and very close tolerances of this cutting tool! It is quite obvious to me that someone has a good understanding of the anatomy of the human hand, and the ergonomics involved in using a handheld cutting tool and taken the time to apply them to this knife! This knife is not some shoddy, cheap, blade you find in say, a Wal-Mart store! This is a well thought out, well made, tool that anyone whom knows anything about knife quality would be proud to own! This knife is well worth the price you pay to own one! It's even easier when you take advantage of the excellent personalized, professional, and courteous "one on one" service that Knife Center offers! Not to mention the lower than retail pricing that you usually find offered too. :-D The assisted opening mechanism on this Zero Tolerance blade is a pleasure to use! In fact, I spent most of a day opening it and closing it as often as I could, sometimes while watching a TV show. While not a test to destruction the mechanism did not get lighter or heavier but it did appear to become a bit more, shall we say, "Smoother". The lockup was very solid, the unlocking of the blade not difficult. All in all, the blade showed no signs of jumping out of "timing" and unlocking the blade as some knives I have tested in years past have done when doing light chopping. Of course, if you plan on doing anything more than very light chopping you would be much better using either a fixed blade, or better yet, a cutting tool, ax, machete, ect, or other tool made for that purpose. I have tried several "Assisted Opening" brands of knives in years past. Most have been a disappointment being either too light in their opening and thus not being reliable to open and lock the blade every time. Or, they have been so strong that, if you do not have a good grip on the knife, you risk the knife flying out of your hand, which is not a good thing! For those of you that may be saying "wimp" at this point, please know that I am over six feet in height and 250# in weigh and there is nothing about me that would make you think wimp! This Zero Tolerance knife feels great in the hand, the pocket clip fits in any one of four different carry positions and like the knife it's self, is well constructed and strong. The blade holds a remarkable edge once properly sharpened. Of course this is a personal choice and what is sharp for one person may, or may not, be sharp to another. However, having said this, the blade comes from the factory sharp enough to do serious work on cardboard boxes while holding its edge for quite some time! I am not easily impressed with most of the knives available today, especially the folding ones! I used to make knives back in the early 1980's and as a retired machinist and master gunsmith I see a lot of substandard knives on the market. In fact, let's be honest and call it JUNK, and a Waste of hard earned money! The old adage about "getting what you pay for" still holds true in today's 21st Century World. If you are looking for a very good quality knife, Good quality in the fit, finish, and materials along with great ergonomics that fit in a jeans pocket or suit pant pocket without being so heavy that it leans you over when you walk then give this knife some serious consideration. I think you will find you have made a good choice. I guess the best recommendation I can give is that I WILL be purchasing more Zero Tolerance Knives in the days and weeks ahead! I hope this review has helped someone with their choice of this knife, or in helping what to look for in a quality folding knife. Thank you for your time. Take Care, Best Wishes, Cordially, Coyote
(
