If you need a tough knife, you can hardly go wrong with a Zero Tolerance pocket knife. These no-nonsense knives and tools are built for one thing: performance.

Don’t be fooled by some of the fancy designs and eye-catching profiles that ZT knives sport. They’re about function, and user experience speaks volumes in praise of the brand.

But don’t take our word for it. Here are 5 things you should know about ZT that proves their quality - and you can fact-check us on them

Zero Tolerance Pocket Knives Use Super Steels

Much of what comes down to quality in a knife has to do with the chemistry and treatment of the steel that constitutes the blade.

In the knife industry, there is such a term as “super steel.” This is often defined as a steel that offers the holy trinity of steel traits: edge retention, toughness, and corrosion resistance.

Old-timers will tell you that you can only pick two out of three and that no steel can offer it all. But modern super steels do just that.

Some steels considered super steel are CPM-20CV, CPM-S30V, and SPM-S35VN, all of which are used to create ZT Knives that hold an edge, and which are corrosion-resistant and extremely tough.

These super steels often contain high levels of chromium which make the steel extremely corrosion-resistant, as well as vanadium and niobium, which are both very strong and which form large, tough carbides in the alloy matrix that correspond to superior edge retention.

In a word, a Zero Tolerance pocket knife will hold an edge, take a beating, roll with rough environments, and come up asking for more.

ZT Uses Performance Scale Materials

Quality in a Zero Tolerance pocket knife may begin with the blade (depending on how you look at it) but it doesn’t end there. They use high-quality durable materials with a wide range of performance finishes in their scales, opening mechanisms, locks, pivots, and hardware.

Zero Tolerance knives feature titanium, steel, G10, and carbon fiber scales, all of which are extremely durable and corrosion-resistant if not corrosion-proof. Materials like G10 are impervious to moisture absorption and materials like carbon fiber (or CF) are both extremely light and remarkably strong.

Just like in their blade steels, you won’t find any corners cut when it comes to making a knife with quality handle scale materials. In fact, Zero Tolerance knives are among the best in the industry, hands down.

ZT Knives Are Often Finished, Coated or Treated for Additional Durability

Zero Tolerance is not content simply to use high-quality, durable materials in the construction of its knives. Often, ZT knives feature special coatings that improve their resistance to wear or corrosion.

Some ZT knives feature only a satin, two-tone, stonewash, or working finish, which are no-nonsense, no-frills finishes that are designed to last a long time (and which, in the case of stonewash, are designed to conceal scratches and wear marks).

But others are specifically intended to fight corrosion and wear. Consider ZT’s PVD, or physical vapor deposition coating, which deposits a layer of dissolved particulate material on the steel and bonds it to the blade. Blades with a PVD coating are both more wear and corrosion-resistant than those without.

Some Zero Tolerance knives also feature other highly specialized coatings, such as Tungsten DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) and Blackwash finishes which also fight wear and corrosion. Select ZT knives with aluminum components are sometimes anodized, which adds color to the surface of the aluminum and protects it from corrosion, scratches, and other forms of wear.

ZT Knives Were Originally Created for Law Enforcement and Today Are Designed by Industry Elites

When you carry a Zero Tolerance pocket knife, you’re carrying a tool that is the progeny of gear designed for official duty. Zero Tolerance knives were originally designed to support the military, law enforcement, and others in the line of official duty, such as first responders, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel.

There’s just one small problem (depending on how you look at it). Zero Tolerance couldn’t confine its popularity to those who encountered them under the guise of “semi” official issue.

Zero Tolerance (owned by KAI USA) developed such a strong fanbase that they had to expand operations to meet demand, and now Zero Tolerance pocket knives are among the most highly-respected knives in the industry, equally ideal for both EDC and official duty.

If that wasn’t good enough, when you carry a Zero Tolerance pocket knife, you’re likely carrying a knife designed by an industry guru such as Dmitry Sinkevich, Rick Hinderer, or Todd Rexford, among others.

The Devil Is in the Details

In addition to super steels, high-quality finishes, and durable handle scale materials, ZT knives also boast a series of lock mechanisms and actions that are durable, practical, and most importantly, enjoyable to use.

Most ZT knives are made with super-strong liner locks, inset liner locks, frame locks, and sub-frame locks which are both easy to engage and disengage with one hand and which are remarkably strong and straightforward to use - exactly what you need in a tool of this caliber designed for everyday use.

But Zero Tolerance knives are also made with action mechanisms that are silky smooth and a joy to use. ZT makes folding knives with assisted-opening mechanisms, but plenty of them are made with KVT ball bearings or phosphor-bronze washers, both of which are strong, corrosion-resistant, and exceptionally smooth, and they get even smoother with use.

What’s a Good Choice in a Zero Tolerance Pocket Knife?

If you’re looking for a new folding knife for everyday carry, you really could make a much worse choice than a Zero Tolerance knife.

Some of the most popular models on our website are the:

• ZT 0562
• ZT 0470
• ZT 0452
• ZT 0640
• ZT 0450
• ZT 0393
• ZT 0460
• ZT 0462
• ZT 0609

But that’s just a sample of some of the top sellers on our website. You need to find what appeals to you. Check out our collection of Zero Tolerance knives and take a look - and if you have any questions, get in touch with us at WhiteMountainKnives@gmail.com.