Zero Tolerance Knives (ZT Knives) is a knife brand of Kai USA, headquartered in Tualatin, Oregon, United States.[1] Both Zero Tolerance and Kai USA are members of the Kai Group, a global cutlery company.[1]
The first ZT knives were produced in 2006 alongside Kai USA's longstanding, Kershaw Knives brand.[2] The original line of ZT knives included collaborations between custom knifemakerKen Onion and Strider Knives.[3][4] Early products were combat knives, but Zero Tolerance later expanded its market to include more general use knives.[5] Currently, all ZT products are manufactured in Kai USA's Tualatin, Oregon facility.[1][5]
Over the course of the brand's history, eight individual Zero Tolerance knives have won awards at the annual Blade ShowinAtlanta, Georgia. The following models have received recognition:
Year
Model
Designer
Award
2006
Model 0500
Grant and Gavin Hawk
Most Innovative American Design of the Year Award[6]
[edit]The ZT 0566BW was designed by Rick Hinderer.
Zero Tolerance Knives manufactures USA-made folding knives and fixed blades.[1][3] The brand has worked with custom knife makers such as Les George, Jens Anso, Dmitry Sinkevich, Todd Rexford, Rick Hinderer, R.J. Martin, Tim Galyean, Grant and Gavin Hawk, Ken Onion, and Gus T. Cecchini.[1][3][12] ZT Knives has also collaborated with Emerson Knives.[1][3]
^Shackleford, Steve (November 2006). "The Rich Just Got Richer! BLADE Magazine's 2006 Knives of the Year® Reflect The Finest in Factory Cutlery". BLADE Magazine. Iola, Wisconsin. pp. 13–19.
