About the ZT302, speedsafe, and framelocking...

Midget

Midget

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Jun 1, 2002
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so i got my Zero Tolerance 302 today from tadgear, and... wow.

this is one hell of a knife. i'm slowly warming up to the large, large, LARGE handles...

my question is... don't we frequently consider flicking the blade opened to be bad for linerlocks/framelocks? i've read about it before in some other threads...

my guess is slamming the blade opened allows the framelock to close in further than it normally would, and this would eventually create wear on the lock face. i've seen it happen on my previous linerlocks...


so i'm wondering... doesn't the speedsafe design implicitly create excess wear on the lock face? should i be wary about thwacking opened my ZT302?

or how about this, who uses their zero tolerances? is this lock gonna last me the rest of my life, or what?

just curious about your views.
 
Better post some pics!

In any case, Kershaw builds their AO framelocks tough. My beloved Blue Bump flicked hard and had a framelock, and did so over six or seven months many times a day with NO wear at all. I was extremely impressed. I would expect nothing less of your ZT300.
 
Stainless locks will wear better but titanium has a good wear rate also and they also sport many other benefits for that application.

Liner locks wear. About once every 5 to 8 years on a heavy duty user you may have to have the lock adjusted if it sees lots of hard use.

You will hear the liner lock tactical guys express amazement sometimes at an 8 year old liner locking tactical folder that has been used hard and that is still in relatively good shape. Good enough to be carried and used still I mean. Its also the first question asked when a well used one goes up for sale. How is the lock up is typically what you see asked. It doesn't make them a bad design really to have to acknowledge this. It is just the way the lock breaks in similar to a blade action that becomes easier over time to flick open from breaking it in good. Some of my most loved folders of the integral lock type are those that have worn in where the lock traveled all the way across the back of the interface, were then adjusted and then broken in all over again. The second time around they work in and get buttery smooth above and beyond what a first go round is capable of normally.

Adjustments can be done on the lock itself, or by going up to the next size (diameter) stop pin or sometimes by simply turning the stop pin so that the blade hits it on a new spot if a flat spot developed on it over time from the hard blade smacking the less hard stop pin. In severe cases you can fix one by replacing the lock side liner but that is rare even for titanium locks.

Kershaw has a great service dept and covers their knives as well or better than anyone in the industry. I'd use it and not worry about it. If it wears in in 8 years more or less just have it tweaked and you will be good to go for another eight or more. I have not seen that knife (yet) but I suspect that 8 years with that one will be about the time its just breaking in based on what I've read.

For what its worth, liner locks will eventually do this kind of wearing with or without the aid of a Wave, or a auto spring or torsion bar. On the plus side of this is that controversy aside about this type of lock. One good thing about them is that you can tell at a glance where you stand with the lock up, and that they are most always easily serviced to get back up and running again.


STR
 
STR said:
Adjustments can be done on the lock itself, or by going up to the next size (diameter) stop pin or sometimes by simply turning the stop pin so that the blade hits it on a new spot if a flat spot developed on it over time from the hard blade smacking the less hard stop pin. In severe cases you can fix one by replacing the lock side liner but that is rare even for titanium locks.


STR
Click to expand...

Very useful info. Thank you.
 
I haven't heard a single bad word on the ZT 0302 knives. I'll have to get one of these bad boys very soon....
 
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