As you may have noticed here at The Loadout Room, we have been awash in knives of all shapes, sizes and price ranges. We have had knives featured from SOG, Cold Steel, Emerson, and Rat Worx, just to name a few. Today we will introduce you to the Zero Tolerance knife company‘s fixed blade line of knives.
Zero Tolerance is an American arm of the Kai-USA Ltd corporation of Japan. They are made in Tualatin, Oregon using high-quality materials and craftsmanship. Initially, the company marketed their knives to military, law enforcement personnel and first responders. As word grew about the quality of the knives, so too did the product line. Today they offer over 40 different styles of knives.
A fixed blade knife inevitably ends up being used as a real workhorse just by its design and nature. We generally end up chopping, skinning and prying things with them, oftentimes chipping the tip or bending the blade or shank entirely. Selecting a fixed blade can be as easy or as difficult as you want it to be. Weighing options like length, weight, material, and intended use should factor into the equation. When a company like Zero Tolerance makes knives, whose motto is “built like a tank,” that gets my attention pretty fast. Lets see what the Zero Tolerance 0180 fixed blade knife is all about.
Style of Knife: Fixed blade / utilitarian style knife
Blade Length: 4.2″
Overall Length: 9.2″
Type of Edge: Straight
Blade Material: Vanadis 4 Extra with Tungsten DLC coating
Handle Material: G10 textured panels
Weight: 8.7 ounces
MSRP: $275
Unique Features:
- 3/16″ thick full tang blade
- Tungsten non reflective protective coating
- Top of the blade is textured for better griping while prying/skinning
- Lifetime Warranty
- Vanadis 4 Extra blade build for superior performance in austere conditions
Application: Hunting , Camping, Emergency Preparedness
Pros:
- Lifetime Warranty
- High quality components
- Supplied with Sheath
- Heavy duty
- Full length tang
- G10 Panels
Cons: Cost
Overall Performance: The Zero Tolerance 0180 is, in fact, “built like a tank.” Put the knife in your hand and you can feel the quality and weight of the build. The attention to detail during production is amazing to me, right down to the six allen head bolts that hold the panels on. Zero Tolerance didn’t miss a thing on this model. They thought of use and ergonomics and mixed in top quality materials. The image below shows some of the features of the ZT0180, including the textured spine of the blade.
I will admit I am not a knife guru – to me knives are tools that I abuse freely and often break or lose. I’m hard on equipment, and knives are probably the thing I am hardest on. I have heard for years that when you have a top quality knife in your hand you can truly feel the difference. I thought that was all a myth until I opened up the Zero Tolerance 0180, but once you hold it in your hand for a little while you can tell that it’s a quality product.
My only other experiences with fixed bladed knives were old buck knives and one Lan Cay M9 bayonet. I don’t have much to go on in the way of fixed bladed knife experience, so I went to people who did – my friends, including one who is a professional hunting guide here in Alaska. Each time I showed the five men the knife and let them examine it to get their thoughts, I got the same response: “Ohhh man this is nice.” One person actually asked to borrow it for a sheep hunt this fall, to which I said, “No, but I’ll go with you instead.” (That will be another tale, I’m sure.)
In my opinion, one of the best features on the Zero Tolerance 0180 is the combination of how the handle allows your forefinger to fully dig into it while allowing your thumb to provide support along the textured spine of the knife during prying or heavy use. Don’t let the price tag on this knife scare you, it’s worth every penny if you want a knife that is, after all, “built like a tank.”
The Zero Tolerance 0180 can be found on Amazon.com.
