Knife Review: Zero Tolerance 0562TS Flipper

The Zero Tolerance 0562TS Flipper Knife [Sprint Run]

Zero Tolerance says, “ZERO TOLERANCE FOR ANYTHING LESS THAN THE BEST

We will continue to build the kind of premium-quality, professional knives that our customers can depend on every single day.”

Zero Tolerance is a brand of Kai USA Ltd. The ZT brand first made its appearance in 2006 when they saw a place in the market for a Made-in-USA line of hard-use knives that would meet the needs of professionals in the military and law enforcement, as well as other first responders, such as firefighters and emergency medical personnel.

The initial products were combat knives, but since that time, the line has expanded to include a variety of general use and premium knives. From larger and heavier outdoor knives to slimmer and lighter everyday carrying knives that are built to ZT's high-performance standards, ZT knives always provide knife owners with top-of-the-line quality.

ZT says that they are “proudly overbuilt.” Zero Tolerance Knives are manufactured of premium materials such as S30V, S35VN, or CTS-204P blade steel and G10, titanium, and carbon-fiber handle scales. Operation is conspicuously smooth and ZT fit and finish is second to none. Their customers have described ZTs as a “real beast” and—proudly—"overbuilt." All ZTs are built in their Tualatin, Oregon USA manufacturing facility by our most skilled workers.

ZT is also a brand of Kai USA Ltd. Kai USA Ltd., the makers of Zero Tolerance Knives, is a member of the Kai Group. Kai is a major manufacturer and distributor of disposable razors, surgical tools, personal care products, and housewares in Japan.

Today we will be discussing the Zero Tolerance 0562TS Flipper Knife, which is a sprint run, so quantities are going to be limited.

The Designer:

Rick Hinderer is the man behind this fantastic knife. On his personal website, he gives a short bio that explains a little bit of who is. For starters, he began making knives in the 1980s, but instead of the typical tactical knives that we expect out of him, he was actually making art knives. However, with the art knives, he had to have a “meticulous attention to knife design and making” plus, he has experiences as a first responder, which made him the ideal candidate to begin making tactical knives.

The bio goes on to say, “With the combination of designing art knives, and his real-world experience as a first responder, this unusual perspective allows him to design hard use tactical folders that are not only aesthetically pleasing to the eye, but extremely comfortable in the hand. All of Rick’s products are engineered to go the distance when it counts the most whether it be when life is on the line, or you just need a good cutting tool!” And this philosophy translates into any collaboration he does, such as the collaboration with Zero Tolerance on this phenomenal Sprint Run.

The Blade:

The blade has been made out of CPM-20CV stainless steel. This steel is one of the highest end steels that you can get. It is made by Crucible Industries, which is known for making the highest-of-end steels for the ultimate knives, such as this Sprint Run by ZT.

This is technically Crucible’s version of M390, which is also a high-end steel. It is a PM tool steel, which means that it is a Powder Metallurgy steel. This also means that you are going to get incredibly high wear resistance, incredibly high corrosion resistance, and even high edge retention.

This steel does offer some of the best characteristics that you are going to want from a steel. However, it is going to increase the cost of the knife significantly.

The blade finish is one of the features that makes this Sprint Run as unique as it is. Instead of a typical finish that has the same appearance throughout the entirety of the blade, this one actually has a tiger stripe finish. This means that the blade alternates between black and darker grey down the length of the handle, creating a pattern very similar to that of a tiger.

This finish is going to make the blade unique, the star of the show. No one else is going to have a blade that is finished like this. And, the steel itself is so durable and ultra-premium, that you don’t have to worry about the finish adding anything extra to the blade. You don’t need a coating, because the steel is already doing the job.

The blade has been carved into a classic drop point blade shape, which is one of the most popular blade shapes on the market. It is both durable and versatile, which is why it has become such a loved shape.

The spine on this drop point, does angle from the handle to the point slowly, however, right before the half-way mark of the blade, it does dip slightly. This is unique and not typically found on drop points. However, it doesn’t affect the tip whatsoever, which is important. The tip is still lowered, meaning you can still perform fine detail work with it. This is especially important with a tactical knife, because if you are using it in the field, you never know what is going to come your way. That isn’t even the best part of the tip though. The tip is broad enough that it adds all of the strength that the drop point boasts. This allows you to take on the toughest of tasks without having to worry about the blade staying strong. Drop points are not known for snapping very often.

The last characteristic that has set the drop point apart from other blade shapes is the large belly. This offers plenty of surface area and a large enough curve that you can easily excel at slicing. Slicing is one of the most common functions of a blade; excelling at slicing is going to be a major advantage.

The Handle:

The handle on this high-end pocket knife has one handle scale that is made out of G-10 and one that is titanium. Both are black.

The G-10 handle scale is the front one. G-10 is a material that is made out of fiberglass. The benefits of a G-10 handle scale is that it is going to be hard, tough, strong, and even very lightweight. It is important that the front handle scale is lightweight, because titanium is a heavy material, and this is a larger knife. If the front handle scale were not made out of G-10, the knife would likely be too heavy to justify using.

The back-handle scale is the one that is made out of titanium. Titanium is a lightweight metal alloy that is known or having the highest corrosion resistance of almost any other metal. This handle scale is going to add heft, strength, and durability to the knife. However, titanium is a more expensive material, which will raise the cost of the overall knife some.

The handle has three shallow finger grooves that get more elongated as it goes down the length of the belly. This is going to add an element of comfort to the handle, allowing you to have a solid grip as you perform with this knife.

The Pocket Clip:

The pocket clip that this knife does sport is a deep carry reversible pocket clip that has been designed for tip up carry only but is eligible for a left- or right-hand carry option.

This Sprint Run is designed as a tactical knife, so the deep carry aspect of it can be crucial. This way, you can go about your day without ever thinking about the knife until the moment you need it. This clip won’t let you down, because it is going to allow the ZT to sit low in your pocket. Low enough that it is going to be considerably concealed as well as completely safe and snug.

The reversible aspect of this is nearly just as important. This allows you to carry the knife in a way that is most comfortable to you. Again, this allows you to not think about the knife. Plus, you will be able to easily pull it out without fumbling, since you can carry it on your dominant side.

The clip is all black, which matches the back-handle scale perfectly. It is skeletonized as well, allowing you to see the black screw that holds it in place. This screw matches the rest of the hardware on this handle.

The Mechanism:

This is a flipper knife that has been equipped with the KVT ball bearing system as well as a flipper and a thumb stud.

The KVT opening system is a manual opening system that enables smooth, easy blade opening without the use of a spring or torsion bar to "assist" the blade out of the handle. Instead, the KVT system uses a series of ball bearings that surround the pivot point of certain Zero Tolerance folding knives. As a knife user pulls back on the flipper blade protrusion or pushes outward on the thumbstud, the ball bearings rotate so that the blade glides out of the handle then locks into place, ready for use. The overall highlights of this system are that it is a manual opening system, meaning this is a fully manual knife. It is also going to enable smooth and easy one-handed opening, even with the heavier blades, like you are going to find on this Sprint Run. This is accomplished without a spring or a torsion bar.

The 0562TS has been equipped with a thumb stud as well as a flipper. The benefits of it having a flipper is that even if you choose to use the thumb stud to open the knife, the flipper is going to act as an enhancement to the finger guard when the blade is opened. The thumb stud is the easier out of the two to use, but the flipper can be safer.

The Specs:

The blade on this ZT measures in at 3.5 inches long with a handle that measures in at 4.8 inches long. This creates an overall length of 8.3 inches long when the blade has been deployed. This is a slightly larger knife, with the standard size measuring in between 7 and 8 inches long. Of course, with the added length and part-titanium handle, you do get a bit heavier of a knife. The 0562TS weighs in at 5.5 ounces. Again, this is a lightly heavier knife. However, it is not over-the-top heavy, so you should be able to use it throughout the day. The extra weight is also going to add the perfect amount of heft o make this tactical knife better than nearly any other.

This ZT knife was made in the United States of America, ensuring that you can rely on the quality while also feeling proud to own it.

Conclusion:

The 0562 is another Rick Hinderer designed flipper series built with the exacting standards that all Zero Tolerance knives are made with--this time as a limited sprint run that is all-blacked out and sports a tiger striped blade. Each model features an ultra-premium stainless-steel blade that is deployed with an ambidextrous flipper function and the KVT ball-bearing manual opening system allows for quick fluid action even without the use of any springs. Additionally, a washer with caged ball bearings surrounds the pivot and makes opening the knife nearly frictionless and the flat-ground "slicer" grind provides a tough blade point and promotes slicing efficiency. Finally, each knife features a frame lock design in addition to including a steel lockbar insert for a superb lockup. This model features a black G-10 front handle scale, a titanium rear handle scale in a black finish, a drop point style blade in a tiger stripe pattern and the deep carry reversible pocket clip is designed for tip up carry only but is eligible for a left or right hand carry option.

This Sprint Run is currently in stock at BladeOps but will be going quickly. Click here to purchase yours now, before the stock runs out.