I just got a quantum e-mail notification that my new Zero Tolerance Hinderer ZT0551 is on the UPS truck and scheduled for delivery today.

I am looking forward to this folding knife, because without fear of contradiction I believe that this is the best folder that has ever been made--possibly superior to the new handmade Graham Knives folder. Possibly.

This is a serious collaboration between designer Rick Hinderer and Zero Tolerance. As many of you know, the ZT brand itself is also a collaboration between Kai (and most likely designer Ken Onion) and Mick Strider. Yikes, these guys are the cutlery brain-trust, sort of like having Albert Einstein do your algebra homework.

Made from top-shelf blade alloys, this has become a very sought-after folder. Many of my greedy blade-head friends have already attained one for the full-boat asking price, and I've never heard a single bad word, much less a disappointing review. (Shop carefully and I'm sure a lowballer can be found.)

With its pedigree of superior slicing power, and liberal use of titanium and other alloys, this might be the real-deal new age bikers' knife. Within a few hours I'll have mine for a quickie review. Then the waterstones come out--they are soaking now--and a devilish plot begins to make the ghosts of the samurai cry...

As promised, here's the first pic of my new knife. I wish you guys were here to actually hold it. A beast, to be sure, but the titanium makes it handle quite well. The frame lock is the thickest I've ever seen.

I'm pretty excited about tomorrow. I get to sleep a bit later, linger over a strong latte' and the morning paper, then a leisurely work-out and lunch at my favorite Japanese restaurant. That lunch entails this knife.

Several years ago I bought an expensive knife, and I had carried it in pristine condition for a few days without making a single cut. I went to have lunch with my wife, and we needed to cut a sandwich in half. I almost went to go look for a cheap knife. But--alas--I had this primo knife, and carefully I made the cut. When I set the knife down I found that I had gotten mayonnaise into every nook and cranny of the folder.

But rather than panic, I realized that pristine knife was now "mine." And since it was no longer 'new' I had the personal permission to use it as I saw fit.

To this day my wife and I refer to the christening of a new knife as "mayonnaising."

I especially love the dumplings at this Japanese restaurant. A tad large for a single bite, so I slice them into two or three pieces. My wife also has to cut something or another--this restaurant only supplies forks, large soup spoons and chop-sticks.

"In the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king." And at a table where I have the only knife, I am quite popular...

nice knife, maybe just a little overkill for slicing dumplings...

LOL. As far as for general consumer goods, most of the stuff I want to showcase in this forum are examples of "overkill." Additionally I have often mentioned other new knives, better front end components and progressive shocks. And honestly, you do not need a single one of these to function in our world.

However, the standard stock front end of a Dyna is a re-hash of the forks found on a Sportster. Most stock MoCo shocks are limp. And increasingly folding knives sold in America are Chinese clapped-out knock-offs. You have no idea how many times I open a folder and find it's made in China--and then have to cleanse a torrent of thick, black swarf off of my sharpening stones during its first repair and polishing.

Obviously, this is a bikers' forum, and this ZT0551 serves as a bikers' knife. I have said many times that a concerned rider should also put serious money into suspension components when he modifies his engine. But I also believe that a biker should have a durable jacket, decent boots, superior brakes and a nice quality jackknife. We discussed shingles recently--I wish I had read that post two years ago when my home was hit by lightning. I have limited knowledge of modern products, but there are many craftsmen here, and I'd like to also read their posts about items from their working world.

Say there, Mr. Tourist, you seem to be a marvelous craftsman, and undoubtedly a ruggedly handsome example of the American male.

I also like knives, but I seem to be having trouble with my computer. For example, my forum password doesn't work.