Detent Hole in Speedsafe Knives - Some yes, some no...

[sticktodrum]

In some Speedsafe Kershaws/ZTs, one could find a detent hole in the blade. So, if one so chooses to remove the torsion bar, it would function fine as a manual opener, without a lack of detent despite the torsion bar being gone. Some others though, don't have it, and can only retain with the spring. I'm curious as to why this is, since it's not as if this occurrence of detent holes is exclusive to older blades.

I noticed that the ZT0350 has a hole for the detent, and can function as a manual. The Blur also I've noticed has the hole, and the Mini-Cyclones I have (although since it's a convertible blade that is a bit of a moot point). Other assisted ZTs like the 0300 series don't have this.

I just picked up the three newer designs; Knockout, Piston, and Echelon. The Knockout and Piston are assisted, and don't have a detent hole. The Echelon however, does, and can be used as a manual opener. I thought that perhaps the notion of an assisted opener whose primary deployment is the thumbstud would warrant the hole, to cause more of a push on the open to avoid thumb cut issues. However the ZT0350 is a flipper, so that idea doesn't hold much water.

Is it just the individual designer that says whether or not it gets a hole? It's always preferable for me to have a blade that's fully manual, although assisted knives don't bother me or dissuade me from buying (if I like a design, I get it, regardless of opening mechanics). I'm just very curious...

 

[oregonknifenerd]

My best guess is that if Big 5 orders them as manuals or if it is a design that sounds like it may possibly end up at a store that won't carry assisted blades then they make them all with the ball and hole. No sense saving a little bit on the extra machining and work and then losing the savings in the inefficiency of having multiple parts.

I think it also has to do with the geometries. That the speedsafe alone doesn't always provide enough of a detent without the ball and hole. And they have the ball on everything because you have less contact and therefore less friction.

AND now for my next BS theory, I'd guess that there is more stress on the bar in certain geometries in others and may potentially break after 20,000 openings instead of 200,000 and the detent is added as a safety so that with a broken or week t-bar the knife doesn't fall open creating a dangerous situation.