Zero Tolerance
Last checked: Oct 23, 2026
The full answer: Is Zero Tolerance Made in USA?Verification Summary
American Score
Manufacturing Location
Tualatin, OR
Headquarters
Tualatin, OR
Founded
2006
Products Verified
15 products
Evidence Breakdown
Factory Location Specificity
Specific factory city identified
Website Claim
The brand's website says it makes its products in the USA
Manufacturing History
Established record of US manufacturing
Known Overseas Production
No imported lines on record
Verification Notes
All knives manufactured in Tualatin, OR since 2006. Premium brand by KAI USA. Every knife is USA-made with high-end steel and materials.
Brand evidence is re-checked on a rolling cycle
Quick Picks
Manufacturing Profile
Zero Tolerance manufactures at its factory in Tualatin, OR. Founded in 2006, 20 years ago. The 15 Zero Tolerance listings here sit in tools & hardware.
Verification tier
94% average
High: strong brand evidence, usually with product-level origin statements
Factory evidence
Specific city
Tualatin, OR
Catalog breadth
15 products
1 category
How we verified Zero Tolerance
Most recent check: Oct 23, 2026
From the brand's website
We re-read ztknives.com on Oct 11, 2026 and did not find an explicit statement about where its products are made. This page relies on the other evidence below.Store listings
We read the live store listing for 15 of the 15 Zero Tolerance products on this page (most recently Oct 23, 2026). 12 of them state US origin on the listing itself:
- “Made in the USA” on Zero Tolerance 0308 Folding Knife CPM 20CV
- “Made in USA” on Zero Tolerance Hinderer 3.5-Inch Knife
- “Made in USA” on Zero Tolerance 0640 Emerson CF Pocketknife
Ongoing monitoring
We scan news for factory closures, offshoring and ownership changes. Last scan Sep 21, 2026: no change found.
These checks are run by our software on a schedule: brand websites are re-read about every three weeks, store listings weekly, and news is scanned monthly. Every flag is checked against its original source before anything on this page changes. How the American Score works.
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Zero Tolerance was founded in 2006 and makes the products listed here in Tualatin, OR. The site lists 15 verified American-made Zero Tolerance products.
One Oregon plant, two knife brands
Zero Tolerance is a brand of Kai USA Ltd., part of Japan's Kai Group. Kai USA also makes Kershaw knives, and both brands come out of the same factory in Tualatin, Oregon. The company says it builds more than a million ZT and Kershaw knives a year there and employs over 300 people.
ZT says every Zero Tolerance knife is built in that Tualatin facility. Models such as the 0350, 0562 Hinderer, 0308, 0393, 0044, 0640 Emerson and the 0006 fixed blade come from that plant. Parts are cut and machined there, then the knives are assembled and inspected before shipping.
The steel can come from abroad
ZT product pages, including the 0350, 0562 and 0006, list the country of origin as "Designed & Manufactured in the USA with American and Global Materials." Raw blade steel is named as one of the imported materials.
So the knife is made in Oregon, but the steel in a given model may not be American. If US-sourced steel matters to you, check the materials note on the specific model's page. Knives sold under the ZT name by unauthorized sellers have turned up as counterfeits made overseas, so buy from an authorized dealer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Zero Tolerance made in the USA?
Yes, for the 15 products listed here. Zero Tolerance manufactures in Tualatin, OR. Zero Tolerance folding and fixed-blade knives are built by Kai USA at its plant in Tualatin, Oregon. Some blade steel is imported.
Where is Zero Tolerance manufactured?
Zero Tolerance is headquartered in Tualatin, OR. Manufacturing takes place in Tualatin, OR.
What Zero Tolerance products can I buy?
The site lists 15 Zero Tolerance products in Tools & Hardware. Each one links to a store that sells it.
When was Zero Tolerance founded?
Zero Tolerance was founded in 2006. Zero Tolerance folding and fixed-blade knives are built by Kai USA at its plant in Tualatin, Oregon. Some blade steel is imported.
Where can I buy Zero Tolerance products?
Every Zero Tolerance product listed here links to a store that sells it, either a large online retailer or the brand's own shop.