SPECS:
154CM stainless-steel with Tungsten DLC coating, partially serrated: 3 3/4 inches (9.5 cm), .156 inches thick
-Handle: 6061-T6 anodized black aircraft aluminum: 4 7/8 inches (12.4 cm)
-Scales: Textured black G-10 overlays
-Lock: CrossFire with safety (patent pending)
-Weight: 5.7 oz.
Recently I was able to snag one of these knives which appear to be a semi-new model to the ZT line. As expected ZT does not let down and this thing feels great right out of the box. Tactical can be quite a broad term these days, but it is the first word that comes to mind when playing with this bad boy. Although using a similar spring system to the 0300 series, the 0650ST uses button manipulation so is considered an "automatic". The manual calls the automatic functionality system CrossFire Auto. When getting down to business the user just slides the button down to release the blade which will spring out and lock into place in quite an aggressive fashion. To unlock and fold the blade back up, the button is slid down again. For bonus safety the button can be slid to the side (left if looking at it). When in this position the button cannot be slid down, thus one cannot release the blade on purpose or accident. There is a little curve to the button path so it is very easy to slide to a side, down, then back to the side which performs the actions of: unlock the button, release the blade, and relock the button. Right hand users will manipulate the button with their thumb while lefties will typically use their index finger.
The grip offhand looked a little blocky to me, but feels solid in my hand. I am not in fear of accidentally pressing the button when getting my stab on, but can easily get to the button when I need to. The grip has a very rad texture to it which I think ZT refers to as G-10. Basically it feels like rubberized sandpaper giving a great grip while still being comfortable. As usual there are holes for lanyards and the clip can be mounted on either side. The clip offhand has a meaner grip than desired, but nothing some bending can't fix.
The business end blade is apparently called a drop point blade with a bonus serration area on the bottom back of the blade. This combo allows for good multipurpose usability. Up top the flat area has relief I'll guess to make a good thumb grip area for those with big hands. Personally my monkey sized hands cause my thumb to lay in the nice curved part at the end of the handle as seen in my pictures.
Overall the 0650ST is a sweet ride, it is made from heavy duty materials and everything functions great. I would call it a good medium sized blade; not too big and not too small while being fairly low weight for the material quality. If I had to dig down to find a con, I'd say the Crossfire system is a little bit over easy to get out of the safety mode. It can definitely be pushed into normal mode with common clothing and gear contact. That said, it would be hard to accidentally snag on something when unlocked to get enough grip to activate opening of the blade. I also can see that it is this way to make use of the full CrossFire system nice and smooth. For a more long term test I hope to see how sand and dust can affect the button area. Will keep you updated.
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