Zero Tolerance has showcased some of their new and upcoming 2015 knife releases at the recent SHOT show in Vegas.
As with their new knives for 2014, availability probably won’t be immediate. For instance, the 0562CF is stilled only available at dealers for preorder.
If you want a Zero Tolerance for right now, consider the 0801 Rexford or sleek 0770CF that we previously reviewed.
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If you’re not familiar with the brand, there are three things you should keep in mind about Zero Tolerance:
- ZT knives are made in the USA (I have yet to find an exception to this).
- ZT knives are built rock solid.
- ZT knives aren’t for everyone. Some are big, bulky, heavy, or aggressive on the hands.
Refresher: ZT Knives for 2013, ZT Knives for 2014
Zero Tolerance 0450 Flipper
The 0450 is a throwback to the original limited edition Zero Tolerance 0454, but ZT plans to make it much more readily available.
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It features a 3.25″ blade, which looks to make the 0450 appreciably more compact than many other ZT offerings.
Features include a titanium handle, titanium frame lock with hardened steel lockbar insert, and KVT ball bearing flipper opening system. There’s also a large and reversible pocket clip.
The 0450 looks to be an attempt at a gentleman’s folder, but is slightly too long. Still, if someone wanted to carry this as a more formal EDC knife, its sleek look, relatively compact size, and light weight work in its favor.
ZT0450 Technical Specs
- Blade: 3.25 in. (8.3 cm)
- Steel: S35VN
- Blade finish: stonewashed & satin
- Frame lock with hardened steel lockbar insert
- Reversible deep-carry pocket clip
- Handle: Titanium, stonewashed finish
- Closed length: 4.1 in. (10.4 cm)
- Overall length: 7.4 in. (18.8 cm)
- Weight: 2.9 oz. (82.2 g)
MSRP: $200
Buy Now(via BladeHQ)
Zero Tolerance 0452CF Carbon Fiber Flipper
The new ZT 0452CF is also a throwback to the 0454, and features a titanium handle and carbon fiber front scale and 5-spoke pivot hardware. It has a 4.1″ blade, which makes it a little longer than the 0450 mentioned above.
ZT0452CF Technical Specs
- Blade: 4.1 in. (10.4 cm)
- Steel: S35VN
- Blade finish: stonewashed & satin
- Frame lock with hardened steel lockbar insert
- Reversible deep-carry pocket clip
- Handle: Carbon fiber front, titanium back with stonewashed finish
- Closed length: 5.2 in. (13.2 cm)
- Overall length: 9.3 in. (23.6 cm)
- Weight: 4.6 oz. (130.4 g)
MSRP: $275
Buy Now(via BladeHQ)
Zero Tolerance 0900 Flipper
The ZT0900 was designed in collaboration with Les George, a custom knifemaker, and is said to be compact and powerful. Its blade is short, but wide, making this an especially good choice as a premium everyday EDC knife.
Additionally, as with most of the other manual flipper knives mentioned here, the 0900 is a manual opener with smooth KVT ball bearing pivot system.
My first thought was that this is one ugly blade, but its compact and more pocket-friendly size increased it appeal. My only hesitation is that the 0900 is a little weighty compared to other compact knives, such as the 0450 discussed above.
ZT0900 Technical Specs
- Blade: 2.7 in. (6.9 cm)
- Steel: S35VN
- Blade finish: stonewashed
- Frame lock with hardened steel lockbar insert
- Reversible pocket clip
- Handle: titanium with stonewashed finish
- Closed length: 3.9 in. (9.9 cm)
- Overall length: 6.6 in. (16.8 cm)
- Weight: 4.3 oz. (121.9 g)
MSRP: $240
Buy Now(via BladeHQ)
Zero Tolerance 0630 Emerson Opener with Thumb Disk
Another Emerson collaboration, the 0630 features Emerson’s signature “wave shaped feature” that allows the knife to be opened as it’s removed from a pocket. If you make use of this feature and catch the hook on a pocket seam, the knife will be fully deployed by the time it’s out of your pocket and in your hand. There’s also a thumb disk for opening the knife in a traditional manner.
ZT0630 Technical Specs
- Blade: 3.6 in. (9.1 cm)
- Steel: S35VN
- Blade finish: stonewashed & satin
- “Wave shaped opening feature”
- Thumb disk for manual opening
- Frame lock with hardened steel lockbar insert
- Reversible pocket clip
- Handle: G-10 front, titanium back with stonewashed finish
- Closed length: 4.9 in. (12.4 cm)
- Weight: 6.3 oz. (178.6 g)
MSRP: $250
Buy Now(via BladeHQ)
Zero Tolerance 0808 Flipper
The 0808 is another Rexford collaboration, similar to the 0801 we reviewed, but is smaller, lighter, and with a more slender shape.
Personally, I’m not a fan of the pointier blade, but I do like the smaller profile shape of the handle.
ZT0808 Technical Specs
- Blade: 3.25 in. (8.3 cm)
- Steel: S35VN
- Blade finish: stonewashed & satin
- Frame lock with hardened steel lockbar insert
- Reversible deep-carry pocket clip
- Handle: titanium with stonewashed finish
- Closed length: 4.3 in. (10.9 cm)
- Overall length: 7.6 in. (19.3 cm)
- Weight: 4.3 oz. (121.9 g)
MSRP: $250
Buy Now(via BladeHQ)
Zero Tolerance 0010BLK & 0010EB Tactical Pens
The new 0010 tactical pan will be available in black and “earth brown” finishes. It’s said to be a “covert self-defense tool,” and is machined from spiral-fluted 6061-T6 aircraft aluminum. There’s a built-in glassbreaker tip, and the pen comes with a Rite in the Rain ink cartridge for all-weather writing performance. It’s also compatible with Parker and Fisher Space Pen ink cartridges.
Tactical Pen Technical Specs
- Non-retracting tip
- O-ring sealed snap cap
- Glassbreaker tip
- Rite in the Rain ink cartridge
- Closed length: 5.3 in. (13.5 cm)
- Weight: 1.3 oz. (36.9 g)
Price: $125
Buy Now(Black Pen via BladeHQ)
Buy Now(Brown pen via BladeHQ)
Zero Tolerance 0010TI Titanium Tactical Pen
The Zero Tolerance 0010TI is similar to the 0010BLK and 0010EB tactical pens, but is machined from titanium instead of aluminum. If you’re thinking that this will make the TI version lighter, think again – it’s actually a fraction of an ounce heavier.
The 0010TI is shaped differently than the aluminum versions, and looks a little less pocket-friendly to me.
Titanium Tactical Pen Technical Specs
- Non-retracting tip
- O-ring sealed snap cap
- Glassbreaker tip
- Rite in the Rain ink cartridge
- Closed length: 5.3 in. (13.5 cm)
- Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g)
Price: $225
Buy Now(via BladeHQ)
NCD
Jason Bourne in his first movie did a lot of damage with just a Bic pen, I don’t think I will buy the tactical pen. Ya, I know……. only in the movies. LOL
Stuart
I have a tactical pen – not one of these but something a lot cheaper – and it’s much more durable than most other pens. I didn’t bother with the pointed attachments or anything like that. Sometimes I don’t have a pen, other times I have a fountain pen.
Les Garten
They say the Pen is mightier than the Sword
I heard that in France recently…
😉
JMG
Sweet looking blades. Are any of their upcoming designs going to have a tip down carry option? I noticed that all of these show tip up only configurations. I gave up on the tip up carry option when one of my automatics opened up in my pocket resulting in a bit of a nasty cut on my thumb.
Stuart
I don’t think so – they look to only have right/left positioning. There would have to be additional holes for tip down carry, and I don’t see them here. Plus, holes for tip down clips might interfere with normal operation of the knives.
JMG
Many of their older models have the option of either tip up or down. I am a bit curious as to why they would limit these to the tip up configuration.
pete
Indeed, I only carry tip down. I don’t have anything against carrying tip up it’s just that I have always carried tip down and when I deploy the knife I don’t want to have to retrain on how to deploy my knife.
jason. W
Maybe I’m just poor, but spending that much on a knife is absurd to me.
JMG
I generally consider a knife in this price range to be a lifetime investment. Like any tool available on the market today, the manufacturer will balance the final product’s suggested price against the amount of effort required to produce it under design constraints and material/labor costs. I would personally expect these knives to withstand a higher level of use than I would a sub $100 choice.
If you have the time, I would suggest you visit your local knife shop that carries tactical blades and ask them about the differences in low cost offerings and these particular units shown here.
Jerry
I agree, they are speedy, more than I would spend on a folder. However, I had the pleasure to be at a gun/knife show where a vendor let me handle one. I don’t know where I ever held a stronger feeling folding knife. He said that ZT is designed for people who’s lives may depend on their knife holding up to extreme use, have ‘zero tolerance’ for their knife to fail, and are willing to pay for it.
With my luck, if I would save a few bucks and get one, I’d wind up losing it.
Max
I agree. Spending more than about $30 is hard for me.
I did go for a Syperco Tenacious and have really enjoyed that one. I think it was about $40 (Christmas present). For something that will get used and therefore have wear/damage and potential to be lost/stolen I have a hard time spending a lot more than that.
Of course, I did get a Fenix PD35 that was around $70, but that is a really cool flashlight with a lot of features. Super bright. And a flashlight does not get worn down form sharpening.
My tactical pen was less that $15 and looks more pen than tactical, but is still very strong. I have not tried glass breaking yet but hope to.
Nathan
sorry who buys this stuff. the knives are nice and I’ve considered one before.
but the pens. really? glass breaker tip on a pen – I want to see it used, actually used and show if the guy breaks his finger or the pen flies away.
would have been better with some LED light or something. hell even a laser pointer wouldn’t have been bad. but again – office EDC, vs some I don’t know EMT. and an EMT’s going to have a real glass breaker.
RS
Any good knives for lefty’s?
pete
They all deploy from the center of the knife, either back or front so there isn’t a thumb stud on only one side of the knife limiting which side your thumb must be on to deploy the knife. Also the pocket clip can be moved to the other side of the knife so you can reposition the way the knife stores in your pocket and is to be deployed.
If your looking for something quality with thumb studs look at Kershaw knives which are a great knife and you can find some models at walmart.
Les Garten
The 450, 452, and 808 look very interesting.
I wonder if there is a mistake in the weights listed? They have the CF 452 1.7oz heavier than the 450? That seems like a lot!
jesse
If I bought a knife at those prices, I wouldn’t want to use it, lest it got lost or damaged.
Tab
A lot of money for a knife,I agree. But I now have 2 of them, for over a year. They are worth the money without a doubt. If you like quality and durability I highly recommend ZT. Just a country boy giving his opinion.
Mike Styles
Zero Tolerance knives are made in the USA, but owned by a Japanese Parent Company. Kai, I believe.
Will
If you think these are high priced check out Chris Reaves knife try starting at 350