Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Blade Material, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness
Cons: None
Winner
Zero Tolerance Hinderer 0566 Assisted Flipper Knife 3.25" S35VN Stonewash Blade, Black G10 with Stainless Steel Back Handle I own several other ZTs including two Hinderer designs so I hesitated adding this one. However, the Christmas sale was too good to pass up and I am very happy I got one. Of course it meets the qualities I have come to expect from a ZT knife. It is properly built, some would say overbuilt, the action is crisp and smooth, and overall it just oozes quality. It is similar in size and shape to a Kershaw Cryo II, the larger of the two Cryos, but is obviously kicked up by several notches. The G10/Steel handle of the 0566 is sufficiently grippy, the blade steel came sharp and so far appears to stay sharp, the A/O is quick and smooth, and there is enough G10 to make it easier to close with one hand as well. Those full metal handled, TI or Blackwash Cryos can be a little slippery. Official descriptions of this knife should be more explicit about the "thumb studs". While the Cryos have thumb studs that also meet the front of the handle, be warned, this is an assisted FLIPPER. While the studs on the 0556 blade appear to be thumb studs for opening the knife, they are not. The studs on this knife are "blade stops" meant to prevent over-travel and will meet the front of the handle when it is open and are all part of the knife being overbuilt. The paper that comes in the box with the knife does indeed indicate this may be the case for your knife. I can pinch them out one-handed with with my thumb on one and forefinger on the other, but flipping it as it was designed to be opened is much easier. While you may be able to force the stops out somehow to deploy the blade from a forward grip, attempting to so from a reverse grip will be completely impracticable due to the difficulty. So, flip it. It fills my hand well and is big enough for most of my bigger jobs, but the height of this knife is significantly less tall than most other Hinderer ZTs making it more pocket friendly. I like being able to reach past it to retrieve other items in my pocket. At over 5 ounces though, it is a hefty knife that I appreciate in my hand and am more mindful of when it is in my pocket. Unlike an Osborne 940-1, a ZT 0450CF or the ZT 0022 that I can barely notice, the extra weight does require a sturdier pair of pants that stay up and may de-pants those running around in looser-fitting pants or shorts. The deep carry clip is pretty good. At first I thought the clip might have been better with recessed screws, but since the screws are on either side of the clip instead of directly under it I would like to think that the little crimp they make in the pocket hem going over the screws and under the clip helps keep it snugged down. The frame lock is also a strong one with an over travel stop. While it is not a knife well suited for long sessions of fidgeting, the confidence gained in the lockup makes it well worth it.
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