Nothing inspires indignant howls of fury quite like the ZT 0223. Since its debut at Blade Show, even the merest whisper of this knife prompts the denizens of the internet to loudly (and sometimes rudely) shriek their opinion. Suffice to say, the internet hated it a lot. Why? It’s a good knife, made with excellent materials. They generally just don’t like the way it looks. The most popular refrain is, “It looks like a gas station knife!” This knife looks exactly like it’s supposed to look. Yes, that look is different than the rest of the ZT line up. Designer Tim Galyean wanted to make a quality folding knife that looks like a traditional combat knife. He succeeded.

The ZT 0223 features a 3.5” CPM 20CV clip point that is black DLC coated and bead blast finished. This gives it the non-reflective, tactical look of a traditional combat knife. There’s prominent jimping along the spine which also harkens back to the look of a combat knife. This manual flipper has the same fast and smooth action you expect6 from ZT thanks in part to the KVT ball bearing pivot.

The titanium frame has an open construction with a single bronze anodized tube spacer and desert tan G-10 handle scales formed to look somewhat like stacked leather handles. The G-10 also increases the durability and traction of the handles. Lockup on this framelock is outstanding and, as expected, it does have the hardened steel lockbar insert. It comes with an ambidextrous tip-up pocket clip. It’s 5” closed and weighs 4.7 ounces.

ZT 0223 Details

CPM 20CV, Black DLC Coated and Bead Blast Finished

3.5” Clip Point

0.156” Blade Thickness

Manual Flipper with KVT Ball Bearing Pivot

Titanium Frame, Black DLC Coated

G-10 Handle Scales

0.55” Handle Thickness

Framelock with Hardened Steel Lockbar Insert

Bronze Anodized Tube Spacer

Ambidextrous, Tip-Up Pocket Clip

4.7oz.

5” Closed

8.6” Overall

Made in the USA

The ZT 0223 is an outstanding knife with a look that is different from the rest of the Zero Tolerance line. This appeals to those with both the budget and the interest in a high-quality folder with a combative look. If you’re interested in this knife, click any link in the article or simply click the button below.

All images courtesy of Smoky Mountain Knife Works – smkw.com.