Zero Tolerance ZT0220
Nick Clayton
The ZT0220 is a collaboration between Zero Tolerance Knives and designer Jens Anso. Anso is a legend of a designer in the knife world and has been around since 1988. This is the first collaboration piece between the two. (Product page)
The 0220 is unmistakably Anso with its organic shape. This is a contrast to knives like the ZT0804CF. The handles are flat titanium slabs that are beadblasted and are chamfered for comfort . The build is similar to knives like the ZT0801 with black hardware and solid Ti and the whole thing weighs a solid 6.2oz.
There are two pieces that are set apart: the orange backspacer and blue ZT medallion. The backspacer is a nice touch and has a built in lanyard hole (if lanyards are your thing).
The medallion, however, requires a certain taste that I don't share. I understand the need to break up the otherwise bland titanium with a pop of color but I would have preferred they stuck with orange to match the backspacer.
The flipper tab is well designed and reminds me of the flipper on the Les George designs. It works exceedingly well and the knife fires like a rocket. This is made possible by the venerable Kershaw Velocity Technology (KVT) that uses caged ball bearings to smooth out the action.
The blade shape is very much an Anso (as you should expect). The spine of the blade starts out straight enough but then drives towards the tip abruptly and is met by a gentle recurve. As a rule, I don't like recurve blades, I find them hard to sharpen, however, this recurve is gentle enough that I can see this not requiring quite the same acrobatics to achieve an even sharp edge as some. The blade is a middle-of-the-road 3.5" and completely sterile on the show side.
The steel is the venerable S35VN, an upgrade from S30V that performs well and is easy to maintain. I personally prefer higher vanadium steels but this will be a great steel for most users.
The pocket clip is similar to other deep carry clips in the ZT lineup and hides almost the entire knife deep down in the pocket. (if your most used pants don't look like this your not a real knife guy, sorry to break it to you)
The whole knife is larger than I was expecting. I don't know why but I was thinking this was a smaller knife. It fits well in the hand and it built exceptionally well. I am pleasantly surprised by the ZT0220. More organic than a lot of ZTs designs yet unmistakably ZT in it's contruction, the ZT0220 is sure to be a hit.