Z-CUT KNIVES review

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N. Brian Huegel
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Z-CUT KNIVES review

#1

Post by N. Brian Huegel »

Thin is in!

The new Z-Cut kitchen knife series from Spyderco is unique in several ways. They come in four colors: red, yellow, black, and green. Three edges: PlainEdge, SpyderEdge, and fully serrated. Two blade shapes: pointed and blunt. And most importantly are flat ground from very thin stock. At 0.030” on the spine, they are 40% thinner than the average ‘thin’ paring/utility knife. The reduced resistance found in these blade’s profound thinness allows the edge to glide through whatever it is called upon in the kitchen, making cutting effortless and appearance supreme.

Z-CUT5 (004).jpg

Over a month ago, I received three of the four Z-Cut designs from Frank Dailey at Spyderco and since then have put them to work. I have been using a large kitchen knife made from Carpenter CTS BD1N for over three years, so I had a good idea of what to expect. In my opinion, BD1N may be the best overall steel for kitchen and butcher knives. It takes and holds a beautiful edge, does not tarnish or rust easily―even in the dishwasher, and preforms very well in the rough and tough world of most kitchens where the average user is not a steel fanatic or one who hand sharpens to 10° per side on an 8000 grit waterstone. Most users do cringe worthy things to their kitchen knives and based upon my 43+ years of experience selling and professionally sharpening knives in our cutlery store, the average kitchen knife is used and abused far more than most EDC folders. In testing the Z-Cuts, I did all the seemingly unthinkable torture tests that we always council against like cutting on hard, edge destroying surfaces (granite, Corian, glass, and stainless steel), washing in the abrasive and corrosive dishwasher, and cutting into bones and fruit pits. In addition, I sliced and diced pounds of fruits and vegetables during the preparation of meals. I also boned a leg of lamb and multiple pounds of chicken thighs, trimmed steaks, chunked chicken tenders for Pad Thai, and sliced numerous rolls, bagels, baguettes, and sandwiches. After much use and abuse, when their razor edges began to fade, a minimal touch-up, just light strokes @15° on the fine rods of the Sharpmaker was all that was necessary to bring their edges back to shaving sharpness.

Z-CUT1 (003).jpg


The ‘Z’ shaped offset design gives you the ability to hold the handle above the cutting board for knuckle clearance while providing a comfortable grip. The offset also allows your first finger to choke-up on the handle which turns this EKU (Everyday Kitchen Utility) into a paring knife for peeling and trimming fruits and vegetables. I also used the round tip models for spreading mayonnaise, butter, mustard, and cream cheese. These knives allow you to finish cutting a pizza and then breakdown the box all with the same knife.

Z-CUT3 (003).jpg


Beyond basic food prep, the Z-Cuts make great informal steak knives for slicing grilled rib eyes, prime rib, pork chops, etc., like scalpels. I can also envision their use for slicing raw fish for sushi and sashimi, and then precisely slicing those sushi rolls into perfect sections. Z-Cuts will also make an excellent bar knife for cutting all those cocktail garnishes.

Z-CUT4 (003).jpg

While the versatile Z-Cuts are capable of most everyday kitchen tasks, I don’t see them replacing special purpose knives like those designed specifically for boning, filleting, large loaf bread slicing, or roast meat carving. They will, however, easily become a kitchen favorite―that “Go-to” knife that rarely leaves the cutting board. If anything, Spyderco’s Z-Cuts may be the new ‘Ginsu’ knife that actually live up to the promise of superior multi-purpose performance and lasting quality that the originals never achieved.
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Danvp
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Re: Z-CUT KNIVES review

#2

Post by Danvp »

Very good review. I will certainly try every version. I believe they will be very versatile. The blunt tip for spreading, the pointy one for piercing, the serrations for bread and the plain for all other stuff.
I am looking forward to these.

All of a sudden i have an appetite for lime and lemons...now where is my Z-cut...
N. Brian Huegel
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Re: Z-CUT KNIVES review

#3

Post by N. Brian Huegel »

I was making a Citrus (Lime, Lemon, Orange, and Grapefruit) Ceviche on Sunday for my wife's birthday when my daughter snapped the photos.

brian
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Re: Z-CUT KNIVES review

#4

Post by bearfacedkiller »

The reveal says that they are 0.5" or 1.3mm which makes no sense. I assumed that was a typo and that they meant 0.05"/1.3mm. I have a petty in R2 that is 1.3mm and it is a nice slicer.

Are these really .03"? That is well under 1mm?

I am all over two of these!
-Darby
sal wrote:Knife afi's are pretty far out, steel junky's more so, but "edge junky's" are just nuts. :p
SpyderEdgeForever wrote: Also, do you think a kangaroo would eat a bowl of spagetti with sauce if someone offered it to them?
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Re: Z-CUT KNIVES review

#5

Post by Sharp Guy »

Thanks for this Brian. I'm in for a couple of these too. My girl loves her Spyderco kitchen knives and I'm sure she'll be thrilled with these as well.
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Re: Z-CUT KNIVES review

#6

Post by RazorSharp86 »

Can’t wait. I’m going to buy at least half a dozen (a few as gifts).
Love my Spyderco kitchen knives!
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JonLeBlanc
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Re: Z-CUT KNIVES review

#7

Post by JonLeBlanc »

Looks like I got my Father's Day gift lined up lol
My collection so far: 52100 Military (2); 52100 PM2 (2); 52100 Para3; Stretch2 V-Toku; KnifeWorks M4 PM2; BentoBox M390 PM2; BentoBox S90V Military; Police4 K390; S110V PM2; SS Delica AUS-6; Wayne Goddard Sprint VG-10
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zhyla
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Re: Z-CUT KNIVES review

#8

Post by zhyla »

bearfacedkiller wrote:
Wed May 15, 2019 3:19 pm
The reveal says that they are 0.5" or 1.3mm which makes no sense.
Reveal 2 says 0.05"/1.3mm. Which is a sensible thickness for a thin paring knife.
bearfacedkiller wrote:
Wed May 15, 2019 3:19 pm
Are these really .03"?
I have a hard time believing Spyderco is shipping a knife that thin, especially to kitchen users.
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Re: Z-CUT KNIVES review

#9

Post by Marulaghost »

Are they already available?
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sal
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Re: Z-CUT KNIVES review

#10

Post by sal »

They are not shipping yet. Still working on packaging. They are made in Golden.

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Re: Z-CUT KNIVES review

#11

Post by wrdwrght »

I’m in for a few. US$20 per?
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Re: Z-CUT KNIVES review

#12

Post by Marulaghost »

sal wrote:
Wed May 15, 2019 7:49 pm
They are not shipping yet. Still working on packaging. They are made in Golden.

sal
Ok. That's fair. Is it ok to ask where they'll be available upon release? Would we be able to get them from the usual dealers or will they be directly from the factory outlet?
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sal
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Re: Z-CUT KNIVES review

#13

Post by sal »

They will be available through general distribution.

sal
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Re: Z-CUT KNIVES review

#14

Post by The Deacon »

They sound great, Brian, thanks for an excellent review. Can't wait for them to hit the shelves.
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Re: Z-CUT KNIVES review

#15

Post by curlyhairedboy »

Looking forward to emptying my knife block and making room for these!
EDC Rotation: PITS, Damasteel Urban, Shaman, Ikuchi, Amalgam, CruCarta Shaman, Sage 5 LW, Serrated Caribbean Sheepsfoot CQI, XHP Shaman, M4/Micarta Shaman, 15v Shaman
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Re: Z-CUT KNIVES review

#16

Post by bearfacedkiller »

zhyla wrote:
Wed May 15, 2019 5:19 pm
bearfacedkiller wrote:
Wed May 15, 2019 3:19 pm
The reveal says that they are 0.5" or 1.3mm which makes no sense.
Reveal 2 says 0.05"/1.3mm. Which is a sensible thickness for a thin paring knife.
bearfacedkiller wrote:
Wed May 15, 2019 3:19 pm
Are these really .03"?
I have a hard time believing Spyderco is shipping a knife that thin, especially to kitchen users.
Hmmm... Just checked again and the blunt models say 0.05” while the pointed models say 0.5”. I never even looked at the blunt models. Anyway, obviously a typo. :)
-Darby
sal wrote:Knife afi's are pretty far out, steel junky's more so, but "edge junky's" are just nuts. :p
SpyderEdgeForever wrote: Also, do you think a kangaroo would eat a bowl of spagetti with sauce if someone offered it to them?
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Re: Z-CUT KNIVES review

#17

Post by ABX2011 »

I'm in for a pointy tip. Not sure if I'll go with serrated or plain.
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Re: Z-CUT KNIVES review

#18

Post by Cscottsss »

I'm in for a few as well, hopefully we see these soon.
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Re: Z-CUT KNIVES review

#19

Post by Doc Dan »

I am looking forward to these. It seems they fix several issues I had with the previous knives.
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JD Spydo
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Re: Z-CUT KNIVES review

#20

Post by JD Spydo »

Oh these look great!! I might just be retiring my K-04 & K-05 models when these are finally released. I love the ergonomics of the handles. I just hope that they have similar serration patterns as the older kitchen models had.

I would love to see what a fillet knife would look like in this style.
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