Calling ZT0200 owners - detent question!

PropThePolecat

PropThePolecat

Joined
Jan 31, 2009
Messages
3,292
Hello my fellow ZT0200 owners.

I recently received a ZT0200. I noticed that it has a very weak detent. Shaking the knife once, will cause the blade to open halfways. Is that normal on this model? I havent experienced this before on any brand of knife.

I had a close call yesterday, when i carried it tip-up yesterday, and drawing the knife caused the blade to open halfways (friction between the blade/pants).

Check out the vid. Are yours like that too?

[video=youtube;x7geB-grIrw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7geB-grIrw[/video]
 
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I think giving that old boy a trip to the spa at the kershaw factory would be in order. that is not the way it is supposed to be.
 
Flipper based knives won't really function correctly without a proper detent. The buildup of energy from the resistance of the detent and the sudden release are what gives a good flipper that satisfying snap.

Does the lockup seem weak? If so, the liner may not have enough tension pressing the ball into the detent. You may be able to adjust it.

If it is a new knife you should see about returning and exchanging it first. If it wasn't new try adjusting it or contact ZT.
 
Mine is similar. It has seen use as my main edc blade for about a year. Cut myself pretty badly once when it opened on its own in my pocket and I reached into my pocket to grab it...
 
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kneedeep said:
Does the lockup seem weak? If so, the liner may not have enough tension pressing the ball into the detent. You may be able to adjust it.
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The lockup is strong. Theres nothing wrong with the knife. Ive heard from others that the ZT0200 has a weak detent, but i was surprised at how much it was. The purpose with this thread is to see if its just like all the rest.


Anyways, ive packed it up and its going back to the dealer tomorrow, who promised to take a look at it. Ill keep you updated.

Mika said:
Mine is similar. It seen use as my main edc blade for about a year. Cut myself pretty badly once when it opened on its own in my pocket and I reached into my pocket to grab it...
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Hope it wasnt too serious. I will not accept that in a knife no matter which brand/model/pricepoint. Period.
 
PropThePolecat said:
Hope it wasnt too serious. I will not accept that in a knife no matter which brand/model/pricepoint. Period.
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Well, no stiches needed. So nothing too serious. But there was a lot of blood. :D The cut was in the palm of my right hand, no way to get a band-aid to hold on there. And on the other hand (no pun intended) I thought bandage would have been overkill.
 
I can't shake the blade open on mine even with a really hard wrist flip. The detent is pretty tight on my 0200.
 
I just tried mine and was able to open mine the same way. took knife apart and ball and detent seem to be operating. The only thing I can think is the washers are pretty wide on this model, if you got thinner washers that would allow the ball and detent to fit closer to each other. However my detent is enough that I dont think it would just vibrate open while clipped to pocket.
 
That seems weird. I'm sure sending it to Kershaw would be a bit costly (based on location and shipping). Could the knife be dirty at all? Maybe needs a bit of pivot adjusting? Just throwing stuff out there.
 
RevDevil said:
That seems weird. I'm sure sending it to Kershaw would be a bit costly (based on location and shipping). Could the knife be dirty at all? Maybe needs a bit of pivot adjusting? Just throwing stuff out there.
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Yes, it is strange. Some people state that theirs is just like mine in the vid. Others state, that their 0200 has a strong detent. I packed up the knife, and its sitting in a box with the adress written on it, all ready to ship, but im hesitating.

The knife is super-clean and silky smooth. I thought about tightening the pivot, but thatll just tighten the whole opening/closing action.

Shipping it back to the dealer IS costly. If the knife is defective, ill get reimbursed for the shipping. If its just like every other 0200, then its just too bad.

I think ill write Kershaw directly and ask them what they think.
 
I've tuned the pivot as much as possible to still be able to flip open as intended. I think it is just the overall weight of the blade, if you hold it like in the posters video and throw downward with enough force the weight of the blade will overcome the detent. I dont see how this would open while carrying in pocket though.
 
There is a ball in the liner, correct? When you close it slowly can you see the liner move over to the right as the ball enters the detent hole. If it does, then you can disassemble it and give the liner lock more bend. You DO NOT want to give it much, just a little, check it, do it again, if needed.

If the liner does not move over to the right when you close the knife, then the ball and ball detent hole are not aligned correctly.
 
Mine does the same thing. I took it by the handle and gave it a good jerk and the blade flew open. I think under normal use, it'll be just fine. I've never had it open in my pocket.
 
Well, as another ZT0200 owner said, now i know why it came setup for tip-down carry :D

Anyways, i wrote Kershaw asking if it was standard on the ZT0200. Cheryl wrote me back with a copy/paste email, that described the correct procedure for warranty returns, ie. forms, shipping, etc.

I wrote her back, that i wasnt asking about the return-procedure, but i was asking how the detent is supposed to be on the 0200. She replied back in a couple of hours. Here is what she said:

I have talked to my manager on the issue with your knife. This model does not come with a torsion bar installed to keep the blade in the closed position, so to open it you would actually use your wrist action as you have shown me in the video. This being a heavy blade, it does come unfolded rather easily.

The true test to know if the knife is defective is when you are closing it. You would close the blade very slowly, checking as the last of the blade is slipping into its position it should be sucked in as the ball bearing falls into place. You should hear and feel this muffled click as it closes. As long as this closes correctly, you have a good knife. You can also adjust the pivot bolt a little until you have the action where you would like it.

I hope I have shed some light on your situation, If I can assist any further please feel free to contact me anytime. Have a great weekend
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Descriptive, fast and professional. They are right up there with the best of them. Kershaw customer service gets my thumbs-up:thumbup:

This knife is a keeper. But its going back to tip-down carry :D
 
Prop, if you bend the liner in some more, it will probably fix your issue. Give it a try (you could always bend it back)
 
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