Zero Tolerance showed off thee new knives at the 2013 SHOT Show – models 0566, 0770, and 0801. I put together a brief preview of the new knives with just enough details for you to determine which one(s) to start saving your pennies for. Some specs are available via early sales pages, and full details should be available when the knives hit the market later this year.
In case you’re unfamiliar with Zero Tolerance, they’re a sister company of Kershaw and produce hard-use knives. These knives are usually aimed at demanding users, such as law enforcement and military personnel, but they’re great for outdoor use, shop use, and everyday use.
It’s worth noting that these knives are made in the USA.
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I purchased three Zero Tolerance knives in the past five months: model 0350 from Amazon ($120), 0550 from Blade HQ ($165), and a 0560 also from Blade HQ ($260). I’ve been using them a lot (reviews are coming soon), and can see why some people are almost fanatical about the brand. Truth be told I’m not perfectly pleased with the knives, but this is a matter of personal preference that doesn’t reflect the knives’ designs or build quality.
The 0777 and 0888 were announced in 2012, but since they will be first coming out in mid-2013 I figured they were worth discussing as well.
I will try to get my hands on loaners for review, but if not I should still be able to budget for one or two of the new models. If you’re looking for a new knife before then, check out our recent pocket knife reviews – Maybe one of those recommended models will strike your fancy.
ZT 0566 (Rick Hinderer Design)
The ZT 0566 is an assisted-opening flipper folding knife that is smaller and more affordable than the popular ZT 0560 design. Its 3.25-inch blade is made from Elmax steel, and SHOT Show 2013 photos suggest a stonewash finish.
Stainless steel is used for the frame lock and handle instead of titanium, presumably to allow for a lower price point. The 0566 will sport a textured G-10 handle scale and movable deep-carry pocket clip.
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MSRP is $180, so street price should be slightly lower.
Specs (via BladeHQ)
Video preview via BladeHQ/KnifeHQ:
ZT 0770
The new ZT 0770 flipper folding knife features a 3.25-inch Elmax blade and aluminum (6061-T6) handle with stainless steel liner lock. Like the 0566 the 0770 is also an assisted-opener. Although some might just think of the 0770 as a smaller, cheaper, and plain-looking everyday version of the 0770, it actually looks quite appealing to me.
MSRP will be $180.
Specs via BladeHQ
Video preview via BladeHQ/KnifeHQ:
ZT 0801 (Todd Rexford Design)
The upcoming 0801 sports a 3.5-inch stonewashed Elmax steel blade and beautifully sculpted titanium frame-lock handle. Technically it features a machined handle, but sculpting just seems more befitting given the knife’s elegance.
Unlike the 0566 and 0770 knives – which are slightly smaller by the way – the 0801 is a manual-opener. The flipper mechanism is built around Zero Tolerance’s KVT (Kershaw velocity technology) bearing system for super-smooth one-handed blade deployment.
Specs via BladeHQ
Video preview via BladeHQ/KnifeHQ:
What the heck is Elmax?
Elmax is a powdered stainless steel that offers high wear resistance and great corrosion resistance. Here’s the supplier site and data sheet (PDF) if you’re interested in the technical details.
In a nutshell, knife blades made with Elmax have crazy-good edge retention and stay a lot sharper for a lot longer than those made with less premium steels, at least in my experience. It’s not the end-all blade material, but it’s good stuff.
ZT 0777
The ZT 0777 has a 3.75-inch composite blade that’s half damascus steel (top), half Vanax 35 (working edge). (Apparently Vanax 35 is a super-premium steel with exceptional corrosion resistance. This is the first I’ve heard of it and will need to read up before I know what to think about it.) A knife like this wouldn’t be complete without its machined carbon fiber handle with titanium lock and pocket clip.
Over at Blade HQ the price of the 0777 is really steep ($480 via BladeHQ), but high demand and limited preorder supplies make it a hard find. With all this in mind, it makes sense that Zero Tolerance would produce a smaller and less expensive model that’s designed from more conventional materials. While I’m sure the 0777 performs as good as it looks, the 0770 seems far more practical.
ZT 0888
The 0888 folder features a 3.75-inch composite knife blade made from S110V and 14C28N steel, and the 0888Max’s blade is made from Maxamet. Both knives’ blades deploy via a manual flipper.
With specialty steels, titanium handles, and a limited production run, expect for the 0888 to be priced way into collectors’ price range. Zero Tolerance posted a list of dealers, some of which might be accepting pre-orders.
Here’s the product listing via Blade HQ for reference. There are also some excellent photos of the prototype on flickr, by gbkneedeep.
Maikeru
I’m going to hazard a guess that Vanax is probably some kind of vanadium steel—most vanadium steel knives that I’ve used have very good edge retention.
Stuart
It’s not that simple. Vanax is a proprietary high-performance steel formed via powder metallurgy. From the data sheet, it’s a Cr-Mo-V-N alloy, noted for exceptionally good corrosion resistance.
Compared to Elmax, Vanax might give up slight edge retention in favor of the added corrosion resistance, but it’s hard to tell just from the data sheets.
Michael Zelick
Greetings from Vancouver B.C. Canada,ironic that as I read your review which is quite informative I might add,I just bought the ZT 0566 it’s quite a big surplus store that I purchased it at.My first Zero Tolerance looking forward to it,I paid 180$
Kind Regards:-)