Zero Tolerance’s Futuristic LE 0427 — Blade Show 2016

Authors Knives S.H. Blannelberry
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Pictures do not fully capture the beauty of this knife.

Some knives just call out to you.  It’s not something you can control.  You walk by and they just whisper, Hey there, come check me out.  You know you want to.  Everybody’s doing it.

Such is my experience with Zero Tolerance’s Limited Edition 0427.  I couldn’t help but to stop by and, well, drool a bit.

The 0427 looks as though it was pulled straight out of Blade Runner (or insert your favorite Sci-Fi film).  From the unique blade curvature to the bronze-colored handles, the 0427 appears to be ahead of its time.

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What the ZT 0427 looks like in the hand.

Specs:

  • KVT ball-bearing opening system
  • Dual opening: flipper & manually using hole in the blade
  • Titanium lock, hardened steel lockbar insert
  • Single position clip (tip-up, right)
  • Steel: CTS XHP edge/CPM154 spine, two-tone satin grinds & PVD upper
  • Handle: Titanium with carbon fiber insert, bronze PVD coating
  • Blade Length: 4.2 in. (10.7 cm)
  • Closed Length: 5.3 in. (13.5 cm)
  • Overall Length: 9.5 in. (24.1 cm)
  • Made in USA
  • MSRP: $600

But the ZT 0427 is more than just new-age eye candy, it’s an engineering marvel.

Designed by renowned knife maker Dmitry Sinkevich and the Zero Tolerance team, the 0427 can be deployed using the flipper or the finger hole — with equal ease.  That’s correct.  It’s both a flipper and a traditional folder!

ZT and Sinkevich were able to pull this off by using the Tuned Detent System™ (TDS), which utilizes a ball bearing to strike the exact balance between the two deployment systems so that one can either open it manually (using the finger hole) or using the flipper.

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The ZT LE 0427.

The ZT LE 0427.

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Another hand shot.

Another hand shot.

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And if two deployment systems aren’t cool enough, the blade on the 0427 is comprised of two steels!   CTS XHP on the cutting edge and CPM154 on the spine.  The CTS XHP is a high-carbon, high-chromium stainless steel that takes a razor’s edge and holds it.  The blade finish is a two-toned satin finished off with black PVD on the upper.

To round out this impressive knife, the handle is machined titanium with burnished bronze PVD coating and carbon fiber inserts.  There is also a titanium lock with a backup lockbar insert for extra sturdiness (What is a lockbar and why does your knife need one?  Find out here).

This knife appears to have it all, and then some.  To get more info on this limited edition folder, check out the Zero Tolerance website.

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What are your thoughts? Do you like this futuristic looking knife?

What are your thoughts? Do you like this futuristic-looking knife?

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On the glass, above some other impressive ZT models.

On the glass, above some other impressive ZT models.  That bronze set against the carbon fiber is really cool.

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  • Nic February 15, 2019, 8:26 am

    Agreed with the other posters. That spine cutout is hideous to my eye. To be fair, the current design aesthetic really doesn’t do it for me. There have been a lot of really ugly knives that don’t seem to have any discernable purpose to their bizarre shapes that have come out over the last few years, but ZT has been pushing an inordinate number of them. No thank you!

  • Les Lannom January 25, 2018, 2:59 pm

    As a former knife maker, taught by Jody Samson, I question the reason for the cutout in the spine of the blade. Why remove so much material in pursuit of some ridiculous stylistic statement, that can only serve to weaken a fairly high hollow grind.

  • Ron June 16, 2016, 1:15 pm

    Sorry, I know beauty is in the hand of the beholder, but I think that’s one ugly knife…
    Looks like some Klingon battle weapon with that weird cutout on the back of the blade.

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