Zero Tolerance 0801TI Knife Review

Zero Tolerance is a sub brand of Kai USA Ltd. For over 100 years now, Kai USA Ltd has been the leading producer of premium blades in Japan. Not only that, but they also are a major manufacturer and distributor of disposable razors, surgical tools, personal care products, and housewares. All in Japan. Kai is dedicated to innovation and quality products.

Zero Tolerance came about in 2006 when they saw a pale in the market for a Made in the USA line of knives that could take a hard beating. It was people like military and law enforcement and other professionals that needed this type of knife. Ever since the first knife was introduced to the market, they have been a big hit. The very first products were combat knives, but in the last decade, they have expanded their line to include a variety of general use and premium knives. They carry anything form the larger and heavier outdoor knives to the slimmer and lighter every day carry knives.

In the last decade, Zero Tolerance has built a reputation of being “overbuilt”. What does this even mean? It means that Zero Tolerance uses only premium materials like S30V or CTS 204P steel. For the handles, they use materials such as G 10 and carbon fiber. When they put these materials together, the operation is conspicuously smooth and the Zero Tolerance fit and finish is second to none.

Zero Tolerance knives are built in Tualatin, Oregon. They are proud to be an American company that uses only the most skilled workers to create an exceptional knife.

Zero Tolerance has recently introduced a brand new knife called the 0801TI Titanium. This knife fits into the regular Zero Tolerance reputation and will be an excellent addition to your knife collection.

 

The Blade:

The blade on 0801TI Titanium knife has been carved out of S35VN steel. This steel is produced by Crucible and Chris Reeve and was introduced to the market in 2009. Years before that, Crucible releases S30V steel. This first steel was designed specifically for use on knife blades. It gained the reputation of having the perfect balance between edge retention, hardness, and toughness. This steel also resisted rust effortlessly and was used for the high end premium pocket knives and expensive kitchen cutlery. The way that Crucible kept the hardness and toughness was by adding vanadium carbides into the steel. Even though this steel was phenomenal, it was hard to sharpen. So, Crucible and Chris Reeve designed to upgrade this original steel to meet the cries of their customers: the steel needed to be easier to sharpen. To do this, they used a much finer grain structure and added small quantities of niobium, which is where the N comes from in the S35VN. These two changes made the steel easier to sharpen while also improving toughness, but keeping the same hardness behind it. This steel also maintains its edge exceptionally while resisting rust effortlessly. If the first steel gained such a strong following, just imagine how fantastic S35VN steel is.

The blade is finished with a stonewash finish. To create this look, the steel is tumbled around with an abrasive material, normally small pebbles. Once the process is completed, the steel is smoothed over and polished. The resulting look is a textured, rugged, gray look. Some benefits of the stonewash finish is that the finish cuts down on reflections and glares. The biggest benefit to this finish is that it preserves the look of the blade overtime. Because the stones created a textured look, a stonewash finish helps to hide scratches and fingerprints that accumulate overtime. Having the scratches and fingerprints hidden significantly cuts down on maintenance time.

The steel has been cut into a drop point blade shape. This is one of the most versatile blade shapes that you can find on the market. The shape is created by having the unsharpened edge slowly curve until it hits the sharpened edge the point. This creates a lowered point which presents you with a handful of benefits. The lowered point gives you more control over your cuts and slices which allow you to do delicate details or precision slicing. Because of the added control, the drop point blade shape is very popular among hunters: they don’t have to worry about nicking any of the organs or damaging the meat of their game. Another one of the benefits that the lowered point offers is that the lowered point makes it a broader point. This gives you more strength to perform almost any task without having to worry about your point snapping. The tip strength makes this a popular shape on tactical or survival knives. One of the other reasons that it is such a versatile blade shape is because the blade sports a large belly. This belly allows you to slice with ease. One of the only real disadvantages to the drop point blade shape is its broad tip. Because it is so broad, you don’t have many piercing or stabbing capabilities.

 

The Handle:

The handle on this knife is made out of Titanium, just like the name states. There are so many benefits to having a titanium handle. For starters, titanium offers the best rust and corrosion resistance out of any metal. While this material is heavier than its brother aluminum, it is still considered a lightweight metal alloy and will not weigh down your knife. For the small amount of extra weight that you get with a titanium handle, you get much more strength. The added weight is completely worth it. But, because it is stronger, it is harder to machine, which means that it is more expensive to machine. One of the most unique characteristics about titanium is that it actually has a warm feel to it, so if you are using this knife in colder environments, the handle won’t bite into your hand like an aluminum handle would. One of the drawbacks to the titanium handle is that it is prone to scratches, especially when comparing it ot stainless steel.

While titanium is a slippery metal, it can be texturized with different finishes. The finish on this handle is bead blasted, which helps to add texture and provide you with a secure grip. The bead blasted finish is created by blasting small ceramic or glass beads at the titanium at high pressure. This creates an even, matte, gray handle. Because it is matte, there is almost no glares or reflections on this handle. However, one of the drawbacks to this finish is that it does create micro abrasions in the surface of the titanium. This makes it more prone to rusting. In fact, bead blasted metals have been known to rust overnight when in a humid or wet environment. To prevent any rusting, you just have to be sure that you oil your handle and never let it remain wet. Also, store it in a dry environment.

At one end of the handle, there has been a lanyard hole drilled into it. There are so many benefits to having a lanyard tied onto your handle. For starters, you can add a little bit of personal style based off of which lanyard you choose to tie onto it. Another benefit is that it can add extra grip to the titanium handle: when you are using it, if you fold the lanyard onto the palm side of the handle, it helps to give you a little extra grip. One of the last great reasons to tie a lanyard onto your knife is that it provides you with a little extra sight, in case you drop it in a tight or dark area. Lastly, you can easily tie your knife to your belt or pack to keep it secure against loss.

 

The Pocket Clip:

The pocket clip is black to contrast against the gray handle. The black also matches the rest of the hardware on this knife. The pocket clip has you carry the knife tip up only, but can be reversed for either left or right hand carry. This helps to make the knife ambidextrous friendly. Another advantage of this pocket clip is that it is a deep carry clip, which helps to keep your knife safe and secure inside of your pocket.

 

The Mechanism:

This is a manual opening knife, which is a huge benefit because it does not have any of the strict laws surrounding them that an automatic knife would. This knife features the flipper manual opening mechanism. This is a shark’s fin shaped protrusion that extends out of the handle when the knife is closed. You push on this flipper and the pressure flips the blade out of the handle.

This knife also sports the KVT Ball Bearing Opening System. This system is designed to enable smooth and easy one handed opening, without the use of a spring or torsion bar. The system uses a series of ball bearings that surround the pivot point on this knife. When the user pulls back on the flipper, the ball bearings rotate so that the blade glides out of the handle then locks into place, ready for use. The blade is secure against closing, even when you are using this knife for heavy duty tasks.

This knife sports a frame lock.

 

The Specs:

This knife is made in the USA. The blade on it is 3.5 inches long with a blade thickness of 0.156 inches. When the knife is opened, it has an overall length of 8.2 inches long and measures in at 4.7 inches long when closed. The Zero Tolerance 0801TI Titanium knife weighs in at 5.6 ounces.

 

The Pros of the Zero Tolerance 0801TI Titanium Knife:

• The premium steel used on the blade gives you the perfect balance between hardness, toughness, and edge retention.
• The steel on the blade is easy to sharpen.
• The blade’s steel resists rust effortlessly.
• The stonewash finish hides scratches and fingerprints.
• The stonewash finish on the blade preserves the look of the blade overtime.
• The drop point blade shape is extremely versatile.
• The lowered point gives you more control and strength.
• The blade sports a large belly that makes slicing a breeze.
• Titanium is lightweight but still provides a large amount of strength.
• Titanium actually feels warm to the touch, so using this knife in a cold environment won’t be painful.
• Titanium is the most rust resistant metal out there.
• The titanium has been finished with a bead blast to add texture.
• The bead blasted finish cuts down on glares and reflections.
• There is a lanyard hole drilled into the handle.
• There are grooves cut into the edge of the handle to add extra texture.
• The pocket clip is reversible.
• The pocket clip is a deep carry pocket clip.
• Manual flipper opening mechanism.
• Sports a frame lock.
• Sports a KVT Ball Bearing Opening System.
• Made in the USA.

 

The Cons of the Zero tolerance 0801TI Titanium Knife:

• The drop point blade shape inhibits you from having stabbing or piercing capabilities.
• Titanium is prone to scratches.
• Titanium is expensive to machine.
• The Titanium handle has been finished by bead blasting it, which does make it more susceptible to rusting or corroding.
• The pocket clip can only be carried tip up.
• Because it is a manual knife, it will not open as quickly as an automatic knife would be able to.

 

Conclusion:

Zero Tolerance has been around for a little over a decade now. Since the first few combat knives to now, Zero Tolerance has gained the reputation of being proudly overbuilt. This means that they only use the highest quality materials and have a seamless manufacturing system. The final fit and finish is second to none. The 0801TI Titanium knife is just as fantastic as their others, you can pick one up here. They started with a premium steel and used high quality titanium for the handle. The versatile blade shape makes this knife the perfect option for your everyday carry knife. The details on this knife are all just bonuses.