Zero Tolerance 0350 Folding Pocket Knife; 3.25" S30V Stainless Steel Blade with Tungsten DLC Finish; Textured G-10 Handle Scales, SpeedSafe Assisted Opening, Liner Lock, Quad-Mount Clip; 6.2 OZ.

JKUnited States

EDC for 3 years Review

My first EDC knife was a Spyderco Native (6 years ago) followed quickly by a Spyderco Paramilitary II. After breaking the tip on the PMII by some light prying, but prying nonetheless (my fault) and not being extremely impressed with the overall strength of the knife and solidness of the lock up, I went in search of something beefier. Well, the knife gods aligned the planets and I stumbled upon the ZT 0350 around 3 years ago. It was EXACTLY what I was looking for. Great steel. Rock solid. Excellent lock-up. In a word: Beefy. Also, the 0350 is relatively inexpensive when compared to those, like Microtech for example, that blatantly copy ZT’s designs but with gaudy features while being WAY over-priced (don’t sue me). At any rate, I’ve daily carried the 0350 now for 3 years without issue. Plenty of hard use like prying, batoning, camping, cutting, box opening, etc. and the knife locks up just as tight as it did 3 years ago. The blade coating has held up impressively. I like the blade geometry, cuts extremely well and for being so beefy, I can cut with just as much precision than the PM2. The 0350 FAR exceeds the performance and build quality of the Paramilitary 2. It’s on a completely different level above that rather highly regarded Spyderco knife, and costs LESS in some cases than the PM2. I have since picked up a 0301 and just ordered a 0770, 0450cf and a 0562. These things are addictive! Pics attached of what the knife looks like after 3 years of use. EDIT: I forgot to touch on the weight. The PM2 is a light weight knife and the 0350 was noticeable at first but after a few days, I became used to the heft and size of the knife in my pocket. I also work in an office that fortunately is not business attire required and I don't wear tight pants or skinny jeans as I'm not a woman or hipster (for context I'm 6'2" 190lbs) and the 0350 really isn't that visible although I would prefer a deeper carry clip. I am cognizant about flipping the 0350 open in front of coworkers as its extreme tactical manliness could easily frighten those not used to seeing that type of knife but I carry the 0350 everyday in my office without issue. #blackknivesmatter

Tom H.United States

Better than I imagined

[To preface my "review", I've been a gun guy for over 20yrs. and am new to knives. While guns/knives are apples/oranges in many ways, similarities like materials, quality, attn to detail, fit & finish, function, et (many) al, remain; and are valid. If I don't know about something, I say so. I'll give my honest evaluation w/ the limited knowledge I've got on this topic.] After several lesser blades, I believe finally I've found a knife that's near-perfect for me. I won't speak for others, but perhaps we share the same requirements in a knife: I wanted a good-quality, American-made knife that's capable of utility/EDC tasks, some hard use if necessary, that doesn't require constant tuning and maintenance. I believe I've found all my requirements (and thensome) in the Zero Tolerance 0350. I was afraid that a 3.25" blade length may be too short for a folding knife - but it's plenty. The blade is deep, and the edge is extremely sharp from the factory. The blade is thick, even in its contoured spots. Fit and finish is outstanding. Genuinely beautiful to look at and touch/feel. The G10 has a "grippy" and tough quality. Flipper/thumb-stud blade deployment is butter-smooth, very fast, and comes out w/ authority. Lockup is tight and strong, w/o even remote blade movement in any direction. The edges throughout are finished perfectly. The detent that holds the blade securely closed when folded (I'm pretty new to knives, and can't recall nomenclature) does its job and holds the knife folded tightly until you say otherwise - which is pretty important when an extremely sharp tool is in your pocket, inches from the femoral artery and other very important body parts (ahem). I like the DLC finish. I'm familiar w/ DLC on pistol slides and/or other gun parts; I've got a gen 5 Glock 19 w/ DLC. It's tough, but certainly not immune to holster wear. I was surprised to see that knife makers have been using DLC for years before it became a "thing" for guns. I'm not sure how that would translate to knife use - I imagine enough time/work will wear the DLC on a knife blade. As a whole, I really, really love this knife.

OrlowUnited States

This is a tank- conveniently.

The military style look of this knife is not just a gimmick- this thing is built like a tank. The cheapest of Zero Tolerance knives is still nothing to laugh at. This is not for people who want something light, small, and inconspicuous. This is a work-horse. Otherwise, check out the Kershaw Leek. Ken Onion designed both, and he has done an excellent job here. Incredibly ergonomic handle with jimping everywhere you'd want it to be. You can choke up on the blade quite well due to the back curve, and actually do some pretty fine work with this. I don't know why people find recurve blades hard to sharpen. With a round ceramic rod, it's simple. Do not try to sharpen a recurve blade on a flat stone. That is agony. The recurve shape is great for outdoor work and carving things up. The blade is thick and strong and, oh- S30V!. I love this steel above any. That's just personal preference though. It holds an edge like it's life depends on it. The G10 is grippy without being sand-papery as on some scales. The fit and finish on mine could be a bit better- some places the steel liner will poke out under the G10 and the tip isn't perfectly aligned in the middle of the closed handle, but the grind is perfect and functional. Looks aren't everything. The stud is not a stud- it is a blade-stop. When flipping the blade open, the pin keeps the blade just that much more solid. There is 0 blade-play. The flipper design is fun, but when engaged, the slick of the liner lock is so dang LOUD. The flip action is slow, as the blade is so heavy, but I don't need a fast-engaging blade. I removed the tension spring and the knife works just well with a small flick of the wrist. I prefer completely manual- less things that can break. The liner lock engages 100% on the blade- rock-solid. It does not stick in the slightest when disengaging it. The clip is perfect and can be placed in any of four position, tip up left and right, or tip down left and right. This knife is carriable for everyone, but lefties will have trouble closing the lock- unless you've practiced.

US HondoUnited States

Zero Tolerance G10 Knife

So far, this is my favorite open assisted knife. This knife is bigger than it looks and heavy. It seems extremely well made and durable. The assist uses a thumb and index finger mechanism to extract the blade. To extract the blade, you can use your thumb exclusively or you can use your index finger exclusively. You can also extract the blade using your thumb and index finger at the same time. Using just your thumb to extract the blade takes quite a bit of effort (but doable). Using just the index finger is easier. Using your thumb and index finger at the same time is a breeze and is my recommended method of use. Once you get the blade moving, it extracts very quickly and reminds me of a good quality automatic. It is very fast and has a VERY powerful motion. If you are not holding the knife firm, the extraction force can jump the knife out of your hand. This is not a bad thing. You should never hold a knife with a limp hand anyway. The handle is excellent and provides a superb anti-slipping grip. If you use this knife for protection, you won't need to worry about your hand slipping over the blade with a thrust. The blade edge is sharp and the blade is quite wide. This will do some damage. Warning. This is NOT a TOY. It is a legitimate assisted tactical knife. Do not compare this to the highly commercialized and imported "tactical" knives (I won't mention any brands here - do your research). If you have no experience with assisted knives or automatics, this should not be your first. Get a good quality Ken Onion (or other USA made brand) that is a smaller knife with a reasonably fast blade ejector. If you have experience with various assisted knives and want a fast, well made, and large tactical knife for protection, you won't be disappointed in this one.