This is a short and sweet review on the Zero Tolerance ZT0561. I’m going to start this post with a couple things. This is neither a custom knife nor an average knife. It is not a knife with an average price. It is not a knife make a average materials. This is a knife built for hard use.

The Zero Tollarance ZT0561 has a blade made of Elmax steel, This steel, for me, is very difficult to sharpen, requiring a diamond hone and quite a bit of time with the sharpening system.

That said, once the edge is established, the blade will hold it for a long time. If you have questions about Elmax steel, there is additional information located here – http://www.alphaknifesupply.com/zdata-bladesteelS-Elmax.htm This is good stuff.

The knife also has a titanium locking mechanism and G-10 scale. Since the Elmax is so much harder than the titanium, the design includes a steel insert where the blade and the locking mechanism comes together. I’ve dealt with and used a lot of blades in the past, but this one is the best for me. Once the blade is locked, you would swear it is a fixed blade. I have used this blade for batoning, feathersticks, whittling and cutting open boxes from Amazon orders. Doesn’t matter what you throw at it; this blade holds up very well. At the pivot point, the blade is secured via ball bearings, making the blade glide out with minimal effort. Watch the video and and you can hear and see the ease on which the blade is deployed.

The way I came to own this knife is a bit out of the ordinary. My beautiful fiance and wonderful mother went in together to get this for me for my birthday. This is not the most expensive knife on the market. It is, however, more costly than the average blade. It will set you back a little bit when it comes to your kit fund.

Everything is where it needs to be on this knife. The balance is wonderful, the feel in the hand is on time, and the 3D milled G10 and titanium scales give you a very secure purchase when gripping the knife. It comes stock with a deep carry pocket clip. I prefer to carry my blade down but there are 4 different clip mounting options. If you prefer to carry your knife in your left pocket, all you need to do is remove and re-install two screws. I have been carrying this knife for about two months now and can see how it could get me out of a sticky situation if need be. I’ve used it to cut everything from 550 cord to fire wood and even pine needles, for pine needle tea. It has yet to disappoint.

There are a couple things this knife will not do. I can’t really fault it because it is not designed to complete these tasks.

First, since the blade is stainless, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to get a spark from flint or a ferrocerium rod. This is a general purpose, daily carry blade. This blade does a lot of things well but it is not a survival or bushcraft knife. If I’m in need of a bushcraft knife, I’ll pick my Morakniv Bushcraft or better yet my Helle Eggen.

Either blade would suit the needs of a bushcrafter a bit better than the ZT-0561. If I had one knife in a survival situation, the ZT would just not be big enough to do the job. For this, I would pick my ESEE 5. Better yet, I would take the Wander Tactical Megalodon. If you haven’t checked them out yet, look at https://www.facebook.com/wandertactical?fref=ts. I’ll be getting mine soon.

These Knives are Beast!

When your knife first arrives, it will be tight. It took mine approximately one week to break in. The tolerances on this blade are so tight; a break in period should be expected. Don’t try to adjust it. Just play with it and use it for a bit. I have been and will continue to carry mine every day. Overall, this is the best knife I have found, in a medium to high price range that will complete every task I ask of it. This knife gets the Average Beau’s Seal of Approval.

Whatever you do, remember, Stay Alert, Feel Alive.