Black ZT 0550

whitty

whitty

Dealer / Materials Provider
Joined
Aug 25, 2005
Messages
6,009
We just got these in today! I know a little behind the 8 ball. My question to you guys who have owned both is, do they seem a little tighter to you than the stonewash finish. I think the detent ball is a little bigger or deeper and the knife seems to lock up just a hair smoother. Just curious if you guys have noticed this or does everyone think I am crazy? Regardless I think I just found my new EDC!


1426389_674036282649379_803311410_n by http://www.flickr.com/people/57703464@N02/, on Flickr
 
I got one, and it's much better than the 0551 in every respect; clip, detent, lockup, edge retention, etc.
 
I have two of the ZT 0550BLK folders and both are smoother than my 0550 (Gen 1), 0550, 0550 (Elmax) and 0551. No doubt about that plus the 0550BLK is my favorite amongst all of them.
 
I had one and sold it, but it was easily the smoothest knife out of the box that I've ever owned. It's the only non-bearing knife I've ever owned that I didn't disassemble and work on to smooth out the pivot. So buttery smooth, with perfect lockup and a great detent.

Highly recommended to any people on the fence about getting one.
 
I have one coming in the next couple of days. It will be interesting to see how it compares to my 1st gen 0550, which is very smooth.

Tom
 
The locking surface on the 0550BLK is a flat angled face, similar to other ZT and Kershaw knives, older 0550 models have a concave lock face. The new 0550BLK should lock up a little better than the older models. As far as I can tell, everything else is the same as any other current gen 0550 except the blade color.
 
Use them well, they only get better. I can honestly say that my 550 is just as smooth as my 560 when the blade opens.

2013-01-05_13-31-46_518.jpg
 
love my 0550BLK. Been my EDC since the day I got it a couple months ago. However, it was my first framelock and at first I was a little rough on it so it developed the tiniest bit of lock rock. hasn't gotten any worse since, but definitely still there.

And the DLC doesn't seem quite as durable as that of my manix2 but maybe that's my fault in some way. haha overall an awesome and ridiculously smooth knife. Would highly recommend.
 
chrispy513 said:
love my 0550BLK. Been my EDC since the day I got it a couple months ago. However, it was my first framelock and at first I was a little rough on it so it developed the tiniest bit of lock rock. hasn't gotten any worse since, but definitely still there.

And the DLC doesn't seem quite as durable as that of my manix2 but maybe that's my fault in some way. haha overall an awesome and ridiculously smooth knife. Would highly recommend.
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Send it in for warranty. Just sent a couple Kershaws and a ZT in to test them out on their warranty turn time. I was amazingly impressed. My 0301 was back in my pocket in 10 days. That is pretty good considering it went from NC to Oregon and back.
 
I have one of the earlier batches of the 0550BLK. I don't have a stonewash one to compare with, but the 0550BLK was very slightly gritty when I first got it. It was just enough to where you could feel it, but did not affect opening or closing noticeably. After about a week (and a lot of incessant flicking the knife open and closed ;)), it is now one of the smoothest opening knives I own. I'd have a hard time telling it apart from a knife with a bearing pivot system. The 0550 also makes a different sound when latching open. It's a lower pitched, more resonant thwack sound than my other ZT's. The 0550 is just an all-around awesome knife.
 
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