As the Smallest Knife in the Line, the Zero Tolerance 0022 is Growing on Me
Every knife in my collection earns its place with a combination of genuine functionality and unique design. When the Zero Tolerance 0022 showed up, its miniscule size made me see its uniqueness right away. But functionality? I was skeptical. After carrying for a couple of months, there’s no chance I’m giving this one up!
Pros
- Highly concealable
- Incredibly lightweight
- Outstanding edge retention
- Excellent corrosion resistance
- Excellent hardness and toughness
- Highly useful clip point blade design
- Made in the USA
Cons
- Tougher steel to sharpen
- Size takes some time to get used to
Recommendation
It takes a little time to make the shift from carrying a standard length knife to one as small as the Zero Tolerance 0022. Once you do, you’ll find a blade that’s incredibly versatile around for day-to-day tasks around your home and office. It does its best work as a gentleman’s pocket knife that’s among the most concealable you can hope for.
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Size Matters
I normally start my knife reviews with a focus on the materials, and we’ll get there shortly. However, the size of this knife is what’s going to make or break your decision to buy one.
Closed, it’s 3″ long and the blade adds another 1.75″. With the blade deployed, it’s smaller than many folding knives are closed. It’s no surprise that it’s lightweight at this size. You’re looking at just 1.7 ounces, making this one of the easiest knives to carry and conceal when you don’t want to advertise you’re carrying one.
Another upside is that it’s an option in states that have blade length restrictions.
There’s no doubt the Zero Tolerance 0022 takes some getting used to with its size. I never really hated it, but I didn’t think I’d learn to enjoy it. 2 months later, it’s in an elite few knives that I prefer to carry.
Deployment
It’s a matter of learning how to make the shift from a medium or full-size handle. When you deploy the blade, the butt of the knife sits much higher against your palm. The natural move is into the fat part of your palm instead of resting to the side of it. In fact, as I was learning how best to open the blade, I gave myself a small cut in that area.
Ideally, shift the handle against your thumb. That gives you plenty of clearance from your skin and great traction for your forefinger to accelerate the flipper.
Because of the blade’s size, it doesn’t have as much mass as most blades. ZT includes a bearing to assist the opening and that gives it enough momentum to snap securely in place with the frame lock.
Blade Design
It’s tempting to look at the size and think it’s the big story. However, there’s much more that makes the Zero Tolerance 0022 special. The blade is formed from CPM 20CV steel—a blend we’re seeing more often from ZT.
This is a tough, hard steel that has outstanding edge retention and excellent corrosion resistance. The trade-off is that it’s a tough steel to sharpen. If you’re not super-confident in your sharpening abilities, take advantage of ZT’s sharpening service.
Designer Tim Galyean makes the perfect choice in blade shape. 1.75″ isn’t a lot to work with and Tim gets the most out of it with a clip point that offers excellent piercing characteristics and a full-length belly that’s great for slicing. There’s almost nothing I run into on a day-to-day basis that it’s a bad choice for.
It’s not a replacement for larger blades in every environment, though. There are still others that I prefer for my outdoor adventures. But it’s amazing just how many times a day I pull the 0022 without wishing for something else.
Handle Design
The Zero Tolerance 0022 has a somewhat unusual combination of titanium and carbon fiber for the handle. We’re used to a carbon fiber overlay, but this model uses full carbon fiber for the front side and titanium for the rear.
In addition to reducing the overall weight, it also gives dual personalities depending on which side you’re looking at. The carbon looks sleek and modern with a blue pivot ring that pulls off a very handsome look.
The opposite side is very utilitarian with its frame lock and native clip position. You can flip the clip to the opposite side for left-hand carry at the cost of breaking up the carbon fiber’s look. Both clip positions are tip-up carry.
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Price
Zero Tolerance lists the 0022 at $250 and we’re seeing prices closer to $200 and even lower on Amazon . That’s on par with what we expect considering the materials ZT uses in the build and the fact that it’s a Made in the USA knife.
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The Bottom Line
It takes a little time to make the shift from carrying a standard length knife to one as small as the Zero Tolerance 0022. Once you do, you’ll find a blade that’s incredibly versatile around for day-to-day tasks around your home and office. It does its best work as a gentleman’s pocket knife that’s among the most concealable you can hope for.
Zero Tolerance 0022 Specifications
- Blade Steel: CPM 20CV
- Handle Material: Carbon fiber front, titanium rear
- Locking: Frame lock
- Opening: KVT bearing
- Blade Length: 1.8″
- Closed Length: 3″
- Open Length: 4.75″
- Weight: 1.7 oz
- Price: [amazon_link asins=’B07NSG2WHW’ template=’PriceLink’ store=’opereviews-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’3d920275-468b-4c23-95a0-90922ae5fb4c’]
