Zero 2.0 is designed by famed Danish knife maker and designer Jens Anso who is known for designing knives for a number of major companies including Kershaw, Spyderco, Giant Mouse Viper Knives, MKM, and many more. Mr. Anso is passionate about designing knives that are highly functional and aesthetically pleasing, and the Zero 2.0 is no exception! The Zero 2.0 is brought to life by Fox Knives in Italy, a company well known for making quality knives trusted by outdoor and EDC enthusiasts as well as supplying equipment to NATO organizations. The Zero 2.0 incorporates some classic knife design elements, such as the rugged back lock system, with modern materials to produce an excellent knife that will serve well as a daily companion and ultralight outdoor knife.
Specs and Design Theory
The Zero 2.0 sports a 2.76-inch N690 stainless steel blade with a flat grind and an overall deployed length of 6.3 inches. The blade has a distinct leaf shaped blade with a large oval thumb hole for one-handed opening. The handle is slightly curved and made from textured FRN scales. The deep carry pocket clip is mounted for right-handed carry but is reversible and can be swapped with a Torx bit set. The body screws also use Torx fasteners, so it can be disassembled if necessary for cleaning and maintenance. The Zero 2.0 features a classic back lock system that is known for being strong and reliable. The Desert Warrior version features a coyote top shield coating on the blade and hardware that matches the coyote FRN handles. The overall weight of the Zero 2.0 is a mere 1.98 ounces.
The fit and finish of the Zero 2.0 was very good. The blade came perfectly centered, the grind was even and hair popping sharp. All coated parts looked good with no smudges or stray marks.
Handle and Clip
I don’t normally start with the handle, but as seen in the specs, this is an incredibly lightweight knife. Reading it is one thing, but when I removed it from the box, the first thing I noticed was how light it was. The weight savings mainly come from the use of FRN handle scales. FRN is an injection molded polymer that is both light and durable because injection molded handle scales can be made in any shape and texture without the need for extensive CNC machining after the fact. This helps keep the price down, which is why it is often found on budget oriented knives. Just because it is an inexpensive material doesn’t mean that it isn’t functional and durable. This has been proven in the Spyderco Delica that has faithfully served my wife for close to a decade now!
The Zero 2.0 handle scales have a signature Anso rock like texture that is comfortable and grippy. The handle itself has a slight curve, allowing me to have three fingers in the bottom grove with my pinky on the back most portion. I wear a large sized glove and found the handle to be comfortable to hold and experienced no hot spots during use. Like most folding knives, you can feel the clip in your hand, but the shape of the clip allowed it to comfortably weld into my palm. The clip itself carries deeply comfortably in your pocket, providing good retention without being very tight.
Blade and Steel
Another feature lending to the lightweight nature of the Zero 2.0 is the thin blade stock. The blade stock itself is .12 inches, and the thin flat grind removes a great deal of material, keeping weight down and making it an excellent slicer. The swedge on towards the tip gives the blade some character and provides a really fine tip for detail work and piercing tasks. The Top Shield coating seems reasonably durable, I assume it is some type of PVD coating, but I could not find any additional information on the coating.
The steel used in my version Zero 2.0 is N690. Later, models have switched to BECUT, which is very similar to N690. N690 is a budget oriented steel with great properties. It has excellent corrosion resistance with decent toughness and edge retention as well as being reasonably easy to sharpen. If you’ve never worked with N690, the performance is very similar to the Japanese VG-10 that has been around for quite a bit longer. While N690 won’t give the performance that you will find in super steels or the toughness found in many high carbons, it is quite good and is one of the factors in keeping the cost of the Zero 2.0 reasonable.
Lock System
The Zero 2.0 features a back lock system. Back locks are one of the older locking systems but remain in use today due to their reliability. Very few locking systems provide as secure of a lock up as you get with a back lock. This is the reason why they are widely used in outdoor folding knives by companies such as Buck Knives. The strength of the back lock does come with a few drawbacks, mainly being the lock position does not allow for one-handed closing. Beyond that, while the Zero 2.0 is easy to open one-handed, the spring pressure will not give you the same smooth opening that you will often find with other lock systems. For me, this is not a deal breaker. As I am primarily an outdoor user, I would prefer a strong lock up to avoid failure during use over a smooth opening and closing action.
In Use
With any tool, it is important to understand the intended use. The Zero 2.0 is a super slicey lightweight knife. This makes it great for everyday uses such as opening packages and breaking down boxes. In the outdoors, I used it to cut cordage and process plant material. I would also say Zero 2.0 would probably do a fine job handling assorted fishing related tasks, including cutting line and bait as well as cleaning fish. The back lock provides a strong lock up, and I was not hesitant to use it to cut into tougher plant materials during foraging activities. The small size of the blade also makes it a great assistant during wilderness medical situations where you may have to cut tape, gauze, or clothing. All that being said, the Zero 2.0 is not going to replace a robust fixed blade and would not be my go-to for processing wood or carving. I say this not from a place of criticism but from a place of knowing the knife was not designed to perform these tasks.
The highly corrosion resistant steel, combined with the Top Shield coating makes the Zero 2.0 ideal for working in wet and humid environments as well as when you really plan on working up a sweat during hikes and trail runs. I have had mine on me for a few weeks now and have no corrosion issue despite harvesting plants in and near the water, being out in the rain, or soaked with sweat on these oppressively hot days.
I’m far from an ultralight hiker, but the Zero 2.0 is a great option for folks who want to keep their weight down. It is so light that it is barely noticeable in the pocket and won’t be a burden on lightweight technical clothing. I’d highly recommend it to anyone who likes to keep a small yet functional knife while spending time outdoors, but doesn’t plan on doing much in the way of heavy bushcraft tasks. It is also a great addition to your kit if you already have a large fixed blade, while big knives can handle a lot of heavy work having something small and light is great for handling finer tasks and reducing fatigue.
Final Thoughts
The Fox Zero 2.0 is a fine little knife with a budget friendly price tag, At just $99.00, you get a functional design that is well built and looks great! The Zero 2.0 is ideal for everyday use, and its corrosion resistance, lightweight build, and strong back lock allow it to transition well into a number of outdoor uses.
