Knife people love to argue, and the oldest argument in the book is fixed blade versus folder. Fixed blades win on trust, because a solid piece of steel with no pivot can’t fold shut on your fingers. Folders win on pocket-friendliness, and both camps have been yelling about it on forums since dial-up. Zyac Design’s Z01S tries to end the fight by being a bit of both. It’s a Grade 5 titanium folding knife with a handle you can shorten while the blade is open, engaging an additional lock designed to keep it from folding. I’d call it a peace treaty, but knife forums would probably find a way to argue about that too.
Zyac has been chasing one particular ratio across several knives. The original Z01 and the later Z05 both used sliding parts to fit more blade into less handle, with the Z05 getting close to a 1:1 blade-to-handle ratio on a compact frame. The Z01S lets you adjust that ratio, offering a full-length grip one minute and a stubby one the next. It pairs that mechanism with Böhler M390 steel, a choice of drop point or tanto blade, and every screw and plate left proudly on display. It’s aimed at collectors who buy knives for their mechanisms, which, if you’ve read this far, probably includes you.
Designer: Zyac Design
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Two Handle Lengths and an Extra Lock
With the blade open, you press a release button, slide the rear section of the handle forward, and it locks into its shorter position. Press the button again to extend the handle back to full size, with no tools, loose parts, or screws to undo. The full-length mode gives you a conventional grip, the setting I’d reach for when breaking down a mountain of delivery boxes. The short mode brings your hand closer to the edge, changing the grip for controlled cuts. Zyac describes the two modes as different personalities. The blade stays identical, but the way you hold it changes.
A standard liner lock holds the blade open in either mode, while a second lock engages when you shorten the handle. According to Zyac, that interlock prevents the blade from folding while the handle is short, even if the liner lock is released. Closing the knife becomes a deliberate two-step move: extend the handle first, then release the liner. Zyac also says the release button can’t be pressed while the knife is closed, preventing the handle from sliding into the blade’s edge inside your pocket. It’s the sort of interlock you’d expect on a power tool, and I appreciate a knife designer considering what happens if a lock is accidentally released.
Hardware on the Outside, Glow in the Dark
Zyac calls its approach “deconstructed design,” leaving the screws, frame, plates, liner lock, and sliding structure exposed instead of tucking them behind smooth scales. Architecture fans will recognize the logic from Paris’s Centre Pompidou, the building that famously wears its pipes and ducts on the outside. On the Z01S, the exposed hardware lets you follow what moves when you press the button. Deployment offers plenty of options too, with a back flipper, a front flipper, and thumb studs that also allow a middle-finger flick. I like that Zyac skipped picking a favorite and left that debate to your fingers.
Each side of the handle carries three slots for tritium or photoluminescent tubes measuring roughly 0.06 x 0.24 inch (1.5 x 6mm), six in total. Tritium glows without charging, which can help you spot the knife in a dark tent or drawer, while the cheaper photoluminescent tubes recharge through exposure to light. Leave the slots empty and they still read as part of the handle’s industrial pattern. The Z01S ships without a pocket clip, relying on a lanyard hole and knife bead to keep its profile clean. An optional clip replaces the middle spine piece, integrating into the existing structure rather than attaching to the side.
Titanium, Zirconium, and M390 Steel
The standard Z01S handle is machined from Grade 5 titanium and stonewashed to help disguise scuffs. Grade 5 is titanium alloyed with aluminum and vanadium, making it stronger than pure titanium without adding much weight. The blade uses Böhler M390, a powder metallurgy steel containing chromium, vanadium, and molybdenum, chosen for its edge retention and corrosion resistance. You can pick a drop point, whose lowered tip and curved belly suit everyday slicing, or a tanto, with an angular, reinforced tip suited to piercing. I’d lean tanto here, since its geometry matches the knife’s machined, angular look.
Collectors get three premium editions beyond the standard titanium model: black zirconium with a gold titanium frame, full black zirconium, and a ZircuTi frame paired with a Damascus blade. ZircuTi is a layered titanium and zirconium laminate that gives each handle a distinct striped pattern. Kickstarter pledges for the Z01S start at $299, with blade shape selected in the post-campaign survey. Shipping is charged separately, while the pocket clip and tritium tubes are optional extras. My advice is to pick the metal you’ll enjoy staring at, because you’ll be sliding that handle back and forth far more often than you’ll be cutting anything.
Click Here to Buy Now: $379 $499 (24% off) Hurry! Only 5 of 50 left.
