Zero Tolerance 0357BW, ZT Original Design, 3.25 Inch Drop Point Blade, CPM 20CV Blade Steel with Blackwash Finish

Full disclosure: I'm a shameless Zero Tolerance fan. This knife is the 25th ZT in my collection--I just love their knives, and the only thing preventing me from owning even more is their price. ZTs aren't cheap, averaging over $200 each, with the more expensive ones topping $300. Consequently, I was very happy about a year ago to see they would be releasing this new model, the 0357, for <$150. The lower price doesn't mean this knife is any less well-made than the ones twice the price; the reason it costs less is due to it having a stainless steel frame and G10 scales instead of titanium and carbon fiber. But wisely, ZT went full premium on the blade steel: the CPM-20CV (and its doppelgangers CTS-204P and M390) is the best blade steel available for mass production currently on the market. Besides the ultra-premium steel, the 0357's blade greatly benefits from its unique shape. I'm not quite sure what to call it, but I suppose it's just a drop-point with an obtuse angle and a little curvature from the extra belly; I don't think it qualifies as a wharncliff because it has a sharp point. Whatever the classification, the slightly curved cutting edge and small swedge make it an outstanding slicer, and the tip is strong enough to be used for piercing and puncturing without too much worry it will snap off. Before I had it in-hand, I had two concerns abour the 0357's design: firstly, I wondered if the handle would be long enough to get a solid, four-finger grip on. I have somewhat large hands given my average height, and I prefer knives with plenty of handle. As you can see from the pics, the handle is indeed long enough for me to grip, with about 1/4" to spare. My other concern was the assisted opening of the blade--that's not a feature I usually like, but it's actually a necessary design feature on the this knife. Without it, the angle of the blade, shape of the handle, and small size of the flipper tab would make it hard to flip with enough leverage to reliably get the blade open. Not ideal, perhaps, but I like the overall design well enough to not be too bothered by the assisted opening, and the knife still can be easily closed with one hand. The alternative would have been a larger flipper tab, wider handle, and/or different blade shape, and none of those would have been a better solution than the assisted opening. I've never encountered a ZT I haven't loved, it's just been a matter of how much I love it. Any minor complaints I might have with a particular ZT design mean I rate it as just "really great" instead of "perfect", and how what I'd say about this knife. It's not perfect quite perfect--besides the assisted opening, I'd have liked just a slightly longer blade, another 1/8" on the choil, and an open-backed design with stand-offs instead of the G10 backspacer. But those are pretty nit-picky complaints about a knife that's overall outstanding: it's comfortable to use, flawlessly constructed, and barring any intentional abuse, will probably outlive its owner. For under $150, that's about as good as it gets.

This is my first ZT knife; based on what I understand, this price is a bargain for such a high-quality product. I only received the knife yesterday, so I can't comment yet on durability. But it terms of fit and finish, this knife has it; the blade locks in like a bank vault door, no wiggle or play. I understand the CPM 20CV steel is, literally, the best money can buy, for an EDC knife (that is, best for all-around use). I'd note that for a folder of this size, this knife is fairly heavy; it's more than twice the weight of a Benchmade Bugout, for instance, which nominally has the same size blade. So if you're someone who obsesses about weight-to-length ratio, this might not be for you. Personally, the Bugout feels flimsy to me; I like a little more heft in a knife. My only criticism is that while this came *fairly* sharp out of the box, it wasn't *razor*-sharp (as, for instance, my Hogue Deka was, out of the box). That's an area for improvement. Ah, one more thing; I saw some reviewers who didn't like the scales. I think the scales are excellent, optimized for non-slip handling. Yes, they're G-10, which is a kind of plastic; but this is a working knife, not a "pretty" one. It's a beautiful piece of industrial design, in my opinion.

Perfect edc

The knife is smaller the most of their knifes. It is a true pocket knife but yet still useful. It is not dainty by any means. The clip on the side is shorter then I care for, it just seem that it won’t secure it properly. But I haven’t lost it yet. It fits in the hand nicely. I can’t see using this knife for big jobs or long periods but it great for the little stuff. Stuff a pocket knife was meant for. The blade is spring assisted and is a nice function. The blade design has good cutting power and is really sharp. The handle is easily held on to with the non. slip grips. This is important because of the size of the knife combined with the sharp blade, someone could lose a finger really quickly. The lock out seems to tight with no blade wiggle. We will see how it wears. I like the knife for two basic reasons… 1. Its true pocket knife. Not a three pound anchor in your pocket. It’s designed to be a smaller knife but still fits in your hand and has a usefulness size to it. 2. It is a single hand operation to open it. It locks out every time with very minimal movement. All you have to do is start open the blade with the flipper on the back of the knife and finish’s every time, unless interrupted.

Zero tolerance builds a good knife but for the price I have to say I was disappointed. The liner lock was unable to travel under the blade due to poor grinding of the blade where the liner lock meets. Fortunately I was able to disassemble the knife and hone the lockup surface making the knife safe to use. It's a good blade but on a nearly 200 dollar pocket knife I expected no issues out of the box. Not to immediately have to address a safety and function issue

Smooth action, feels solid. It will come with s45vn steel, the 20cv blade is discontinued by Kai.

The title says it all. This is a tough, substantial pocket knife that holds its edge well. It is not too difficult to sharpen with my old soft Arkansas stone and an 8 inch diamond hone. It is heavy, which is good for real work. But I carry a lighter knife when wearing my dress clothes. The clip is mounted high for deep carry, but it did wear a hole in the pocket of a new pair of Levis in only a year. I love flippers and ZT makes some of the best.

Good looking knife. Great profile. Good grip. Stays out of the way when clipped in my pocket. Very sharp out of the box, but it could hold that edge a bit better. Still pretty good for the price.