Knife Review: Zero Tolerance Sprint Run 0055BLK Flipper

The Zero Tolerance Sprint Run 0055BLK Flipper Knife

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 0055BLK, which is a Sprint Run that is available at BladeOps for the time being.

The Blade:

The blade on this Zero Tolerance was made out of CPM-20CV stainless steel. This is Crucible’s version of Bohler’s M390 stainless steel. This is a powder metallurgy tool steel. The benefit of a powder metallurgy steel is that you are going to get high levels of wear resistance, great edge retention, and it is also going to be highly corrosion resistant. Crucible says that it is “a Martensitic stainless steel with a high volume of vanadium carbides for exceptionally good wear resistance.” This means that not only is it going to have good wear resistance, but since it has a finer structure, it will be easier to get a fine edge on it.

When Crucible describes their CPM process, they say, “The CPM process results in a finer, more uniform carbide distribution imparting improved toughness and grindability to highly alloyed steels. The CPM process also alloys for the design of more highly alloyed grades which cannot be produced by conventional steelmaking.” This means that it is going to improve all of the already quality aspects of the 20CV steel. It is going to be easier to work with, easier to sharpen, easier to get a fine edge on it. While also keeping that edge for longer periods of time. The CPM process is just a way to elevate the already high-end steel.

The blade on this Zero Tolerance sprint run has been finished with a DLC black coating. This stands for diamond-like carbon coating and it is applied by either the PVD or CVD process in almost every case. There are a few reasons that people really flock to the DLC coating, a few reasons that make the higher cost worth it. The first major benefit is that it is pitch black. This means that it is not going to have any glares and reflections, plus, it will look sleeker than almost any other option that you have.

Another major benefit is that it is applied through either a PVD or CVD process, which means that it is applied in a vapor form. This works to give the smoothest, most even coating that you are going to find. The more even the coating, the smoother you are going to be able to cut with. The vapor process is also going to help the coating stay on for longer periods of time, because it clings in a way that painted on coatings do not.

Lastly, this coating is rock-hard. Seriously. It is one of the hardest coatings that you can come across. This means that it is not going to scratch off. Nearly every other coating’s biggest drawback is how easily the coating can scratch off. But with the DLC, that is a nonissue.

The biggest drawback to having your blade finished with a DLC is that it is one of the most expensive coatings out there. But when it comes to Zero Tolerance, they aren’t going to cut any corners, they are going to give you the best possible option.

The blade shape is a reverse tanto style blade. Tanto blades are designed to be able to pierce and pierce well, and even though this is a reverse tanto, it is still going to have the same capabilities. The spien of the knife extends straight out of the handle until nearly the tip, where it angles sharply downward. The belly is not much of a belly at all. Instead, there are two angles. At first, the belly extends out of the handle with a slight upward angle, but then the angle sharply inclines to meet the spine to create the tip.

The tanto blade shape is not going to make this Sprint Run much of a general utility knife, because there really is no belly, which is going to reduce your piercing capabilities.

The tip doe shave excess metal near it, which is why it can sustain repeated piercings that other knives would not be able to. The tip on this tanto is a little bit finer and sharper than you would typically see, which does mean that it is not going to be quite as sturdy as some. It will still definitely get the job done though; it will still excel at piercing.

All in all, the reverse tanto gives the blade a lot of angles that many knives typically don’t have. This makes it look edgier and more rugged than you would typically find with a pocketknife. Paired with the black blade and punchy handle, this knife is exceptional.

The Handle:

The handle on this Sprint Run is made out of premium titanium. Titanium is often compared to aluminum, because they do possess similar qualities. Between the two, titanium is definitely the higher end material. It is still considered a lightweight metal, which means that it is not going to weigh you down, but you will have the heft that you need. Titanium is the heavier material between aluminum and titanium, but with the extra weight, you get so much more strength out of it.

ZT says that they use this knife because, “Titanium is a lightweight, corrosion-resistant metal with high tensile strength. We use it as a handle material, a liner, a lockbar, or as part of a performance-enhancing coating.” This material is extremely corrosion resistant, but it does suffer from being prone to scratches. Also, because it is a stronger material, it is going to take more energy to work with this handle material, which does increase the overall cost of the knife. While titanium has plenty of benefits, it is a relatively expensive material.

The handle on the 0055 flipper knife definitely pushes the envelope when it comes to the visual appeal of their knives. They teamed up with custom knifemaker Gus T. Cecchini, of GTC knives, to give the Sprint Run a clean but dramatic look with lines across the entire body of the handle.

The handle is completely black, except for these light gray lines that form geometric shapes across the raised portion of the handle. The lines, as well as the different levels on the handle, will provide enough texture that you can still feel confident while using the titanium handle, even though titanium is not known for providing the best texture.

The handle is definitely made up of angles, rather than curves, which matches the aesthetic of the blade perfectly. The butt of the handle is pointed. There is a lanyard hole that should fit most lanyards.

The Pocket Clip:

The pocket clip on this knife is reversible but can only be attached for tip up carry. The clip is black, which finishes off the all-black knife. IT is kept in place by two black screws, which match the rest of the hardware on this knife. It is reversible for either left or right-handed carry, so the knife is ambidextrous.

The Mechanism:

This is a flipper knife that features Zero Tolerance’s SLT Spring-Loaded Tab as well as their KVT ball-bearing opening system.

ZT describes the SLT mechanism by saying, “The SLT (Spring-Loaded Tab) is an innovation of custom knifemaker Gus Cecchini. The flipper tab is concealed between the handle scales of the knife, held in place with a torsion spring. To open the knife, the user pulls back on the concealed tab, overcoming the resistance in the spring. The tab then contacts the blade and as the user continues pulling back on the now-open flipper, the blade’s detent is overcome and it moves out of the handle, ready for use.

“Working with Gus, the ZT engineering team added their own special sauce to the SLT, with a custom torsion spring and ball bearings that make SLT super smooth, super quick, and even more habit forming for your flipper finger.”

This means that the flipper is not going to ruin the look of the knife and it is not going to get caught on anything. It’s just a tiny tab at the front of the knife, while still giving you all of same benefits such as being fast, easy, smooth, and you can open it with just one hand.

Zero Tolerance describes their KVT ball-bearing opening system by saying, “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 thumb stud, the ball bearings rotate so that the blade glides out of the handle then locks into place, ready for use.” This means that this is actually a manual opening system, but it is going to make it feel as smooth as an automatic or spring assisted knife. The system is easy to use and ambidextrous friendly, because the flipper is ambidextrous. This system is going to make the knife feel smooth and make it super easy to use.

The Specs:

The blade on this Sprint Run measures in at 3.75 inches long, with a blade thickness of 0.156 inches. The handle measures in at 5 inches long. This means that when the blade has been deployed, the knife measures in at 8.75 inches. This Sprint Run weighs in at 5 ounces, The Zero Tolerance 0055 was proudly made in the United States of America.

Conclusion:

This limited Sprint Run flipper model features black anodized handle scales with custom machined pattern, a reverse tanto style blade in a DLC black finish and the reversible pocket clip is designed for tip up carry only.

The future-forward design of the ZT 0055 is now available as a Sprint Run! Zero Tolerance is known for pushing the envelope when it comes to the visual appeal of their knives and the new 0055 flipper knife is without a doubt no exception. After teaming up with custom knifemaker Gus T. Cecchini of GTC Knives, the 0055 boasts clean but dramatic lines across the entire body of the handle as well as boasting a multi-bevel grind.

The Sprint Run is currently available at BladeOps. However, since it is a Sprint Run, there are a limited number of these. Secure one of them now by clicking here.