0561 opening issue

Cursum Perficio

Cursum Perficio

Joined
Oct 27, 2012
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Got me a ZT 0561. Nice! :)
But... I cant open it with my right hand thumb using the thumbstud.

The flipper works mint, right hand or left, smooth and easy to use right from getting it out of the box a few weeks ago.
I can open it in a normal manner with my left hand using the lock bar side thumbstud, no prob.
But with my right hand, I put serious pressure on my thumb, 'til it hurts like, and it just wont budge more than maybe 1/2mm. I just can't open it using the thumbstud with my right hand (I'm a righty). No, I'm not pushing on the lock bar with my fingers. It seems to be the pressure of the lock bar by itself on the blade.
If I use my left hand thumbnail to pull the lock bar away from the blade, then it opens just fine.

This knife is really nice, blade centering is spot on. It's so easy and smooth to flip, the detent seems just right to match the flipper action.

But I'm a righty and a thumbstud user and it's bugging me that this awesome folder has this issue.
Tried loosening the lock bar over-travel stop, made no difference.

Any thoughts or suggestions?
 
It would seem that it is the downward pressure from your thumb pressing the blade into the already tensioned lockbar, and therefore detent. Technically, the thumb studs are primarily intended to be the stop pin, so it seems that they only easily work as thumb studs on models with a weak detent.

It may help if you just keep cycling it open and closed for a while, with the flipper, to help break in the detent. Also, it may take a bit different technique to open with that thumbstud - rather than a slower opening motion that required the slight downward pressure, try flicking the side of the thumbstud almost parallel to the handle with the fingernail or tip of your thumb. This keeps all of the force lateral to the motion of the blade, as opposed to down into the detent.

I hope something I said may be of help to you.

Best,
Thomas
 
tchapman414 said:
It would seem that it is the downward pressure from your thumb pressing the blade into the already tensioned lockbar, and therefore detent. Technically, the thumb studs are primarily intended to be the stop pin, so it seems that they only easily work as thumb studs on models with a weak detent.

It may help if you just keep cycling it open and closed for a while, with the flipper, to help break in the detent. Also, it may take a bit different technique to open with that thumbstud - rather than a slower opening motion that required the slight downward pressure, try flicking the side of the thumbstud almost parallel to the handle with the fingernail or tip of your thumb. This keeps all of the force lateral to the motion of the blade, as opposed to down into the detent.

I hope something I said may be of help to you.

Best,
Thomas
Click to expand...

Thanks Thomas. I have been trying to get the thumb pressure pushing straight out, without any toward the lock bar, but it just doesn't help.
Will keep carrying and flipping to see if wear in occurs.
 
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It's not designed to use the studs. If you ask ZT, those are stop pins not thumb studs. Make sure you have your lock side fingers completely off the lockbar and try that. Any pressure on the lockbar is going to make the detent very stiff. But doing that makes it awkward to push on the studs so it takes a little practice.
 
I have the same problem with my ZT0350. I gave up and used the flipper, because after a years use it just doesn't get better. Yes, I believe :cool:, that the thumb stud is primarily a blade stop.
 
Thanks for replies.
Ok, I get the stud is actually a stop, albeit a stop that works just fine as a thumbstud with my left hand.
Guess I will just have to use it as a flipper. No great hardship there of course.

Although I did get the 0561 rather than wait for the 0562 because the latter looks to have stop pins that are no use for thumbstuds at all, and I do prefer/am used to thumbstuds or holes for opening. Ah well.
 
Noddy13 said:
Thanks for replies.
Ok, I get the stud is actually a stop, albeit a stop that works just fine as a thumbstud with my left hand.
Guess I will just have to use it as a flipper. No great hardship there of course.

Although I did get the 0561 rather than wait for the 0562 because the latter looks to have stop pins that are no use for thumbstuds at all, and I do prefer/am used to thumbstuds or holes for opening. Ah well.
Click to expand...

If it works fine left handed then it is DEFINITELY from you touching the lock bar when trying to open right handed. Keep your pointer off the frame completely, rest your middle finger on the over travel stop and curl your ring and pinky fingers under. Make sure you aren't trying to dig in with your thumb and just pushing almost straight up.

I have had a 0560, 0561 and 0560cbcf and never had any issues using the 'thumb studs' after keeping my fingers off the lockbar.
 
You have probably already tried this, but on my 0550 (after reading suggestions here on the forum) I could not open the knife at first pushing the thumb stud straight (vertical) out from the handle. I saw suggestions that you should actually push up (more horizontal to the handle) for best results. I found this to be accurate. I have opened and closed it so much now (and with a little Frog Lube) that I have no real problems in any direction. I did also have to make sure I was not putting any pressure on the lockbar when opening. Knife flys open now. Good luck.
 
I've never been able to open my 0561 via thumbstuds with either hand. Mine has an exceptionally strong detent though. I recommend just getting used to the flipper, as once it's broken in it flips like nobody's business. Flipping is a much more fun way to open any knife that allows it, IMO. Try the "trigger" or "push-button" methods of flipping if you're avoiding the flipper because you're running your hand into the jimping.
 
I am definitely not touching the lock bar at all when trying to open it with my right hand/thumb. Twas the first and most obvious thing I made sure of.
Left handed it works fine using my thumb on the stud/stop pin. Right hand it just won't. And it is because of the lock bar itself pushing on the blade, as I said if I take the pressure of the lock bar off the blade with my left thumbnail it opens just fine using my right thumb.

The reason I prefer studs to flippers is because the tip of my right index finger is a bit shorter than it should be, due to an accident many years ago, and is therefore lacking in 'feel' and yet sensitive to bumps/abrasions. I can use the flipper, I have 4 other flippers, but just prefer studs/holes.

The detent seems right to me, not too strong, just right for the flipper action and also for left hand thumb opening.
Anyway, thanks to all for your replies, I will continue to use this folder as I really do like it, and I understand ZT made it a flipper with stop pins not thumbstuds, so I will use it accordingly and hope for some wearing in to occur over time.
 
Mine was like the op's knife - I could open it LH-ed but not RH-ed with the thumb stud - or either hand with an easy flip. Thanks to an earlier post here - I found that I was pushing the blade against the lockbar as I pushed the thumbstud with my right thumb even if miraculously I didn't put inward effort on the lockbar with the rest of my fingers. Just pushing parallel to the blade made the difference for me. That also explains why LH-ed thumbstud deployment is easier - you are pushing the blade away from the lockbar in that case. While pushing the thumbstud, look at the blade tip's centering move for visual proof, albeit enhanced by the longer moment arm. Still, we are talking about a thousandth of an inch or so - break-in wear will help - as would a taller RH thumbstud.

Stainz
 
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