Assisted Opening Archives

I have a collection of good pocket knives including some I will not lose sleep over if I lose one. On the good scale that I would hate to lose are a few Zero Tolerance, Hinderer and US made Kershaws (they and ZT are both owned by KAI). At any rate, when I look back on this past year and think about what folding knife did I carry the most and the answer would be the ZT 0357BW.

You will find these in my pocket a lot – my ZT 0357BW and one of my Streamlight USB rechargeable 66608 Microstream LED flashlights.

The ZT0357 was a 2020 model year release from Zero Tolerance and became popular right away due to its ergonomics and the CPM20CV steel. In regards to that alloy, it was designed by Crucible Industries to have excellet edge retention, corrosion resistance and toughness. By the way, those first two terms are self explanatory but toughness refers to a steel’s ability to absorb energy and deform without breaking/rupturing. My experience is that the 0357 holds an edge amazingly well based on my cutting open tubs of plastic, tape, boxes, and wire insulation.

Here’s the other size of my my 0357BW. You can move the clip to either side if you want. Personally, I don’t use the pocket clips but a lot of guys do.

Specifications

This is a very pocket friendly knife in terms of size, weight and shape plus the blade is amazing. Here are the details for you:

Overall Length Open: 7.625″
Overall Length Closed: 4.4″
Weight: 4.3oz
Blade Length: 3.25″
Blade Thickness: 0.121″
Blade Style: Drop Point, no serrations
Blade Alloy: CPM20CV
Blade Hardness: 60-62
- Blade Grind: Flat
Blade Finish: Black Wash (they also make a plain version)
Handle Material: G10
Handle Color: Black
Handle Thickness: 0.47″
Action Type: “SpeedSafe” Assisted opening / flipper
Lock Type: Liner Lock
Country of Origin: Made in the USA – Tualatin, OR

The knife shapes your hand and has a very handy thumbrest on top to give you more leverage if you need it.

What you wind up with is a very eronomic knife with an amazing edge. Now I don’t try and use a knife for something it’s not like being a substitute for a big crowbar but I did use it real world and found it to be great – that’s why it kept winding up in my pocket.

It’s both thin and light without sacrificing strength when it comes to using the knife as a knife and not a crowbar – it’s not mean to be a crowbar!

Here’s a view from the top and you can see the thumbrest with serrations called “jimping” designed to keep your thumb from slipping.

I really like the SpeedSafe flipper mechanism that Kershaw and ZT use. It allows you to open the knife with one hand very easily but I have never had one open accidentally in my pocket. Years ago, I had a Gerber and that thing sprung open a few times in my pocket and I have no idea where it is now – the trash maybe.

I don’t know what the Blackwash process is but I can tell you it holds up remarkably well.

Now, I do have one not-so-happy moment to share. We were headed down to the Smokies this past fall and somewhere between Michigan and Tenessee the knife fell out of my pocket. It could have been when I used to to cut open a package of CR2023 batteries for my van’s tire pressure sensors or even some time when I was getting gas … I don’t know but I hope it found a new owner who realizes that he found an excellent knife.

So, what did I do? I actually bought another I liked it so much and it is still what lands in my pocket the most in terms of seeing actual real world use.

Conclusion

The ZT 0357 series are great knives. My blackwash knifes – the first one I lost and the new one are great. I can carry it without feeling like I have an anchor in my pocket and the blade length is great. If you are looking for a new folder, I’d highly recommend it – Like I said, I went so far as to buy a second when I lost the first – that’s how much I like mine.

I hope this helps you out!

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Last year, I bought one of the Kershaw Knockouts and really liked it. The fact it was one of their models that is made in the USA, the heft, the blade contour and how well it held an edge rapidly made it my EDC. Seriously, it’s a lot of knife without a lot of weight and I did a blog post about it – click here. I was reading on the web and came across a version of the Knockout with a damascus blade – I had to order it 🙂

Basically, the 1870OLDAM is just like the 1870OLBLK but with a damascus blade. The name, “knockout” has to do with the riveted blade lock they insert in the handle. This makes for a knife that is slim, very easy to open but locks solidly open.

Here are the stats:

Length when open: 8.875″
Length when closed: 4.625″
Blade: Damascus
Blade length: 3.25″
Blade thickness: 0.12″
Handle: Aluminum colored olive drab
Liner: Stainless steel
Handle thickness: 0.40
Weight 3.88 oz

I bought the 1870OLBLK – the one with a monolithic blade – in December 2018 and have used it a ton. I bought the 1870OLDAM in March 2020, and so far it is holding up well. I’ve used it but not to the extent I have the older one.

Click on one of the thumbnails below to see the full size photos: