Detent rock

`br4dz-

`br4dz-

Joined
Jan 18, 2016
Messages
1,043
I've never had this problem until the past month, with 2 different model knives from the same company having detent rock. Is this something that is covered under warranty? Something that can be returned to the retailer for a refund? Or is it one of those things that you get what you get. As I've said, I have never experienced this issue before and have no idea how to go about it.
 
What do you mean by detention rock? Like a little “jiggling”? What brand is the knife. There’s a good chance if you bought from a reputable brand the manufacturer will take care of it for you. Tell us about it. Pics?
 
I investigated this a little while back. Looking at my collection, I found that if the liner/frame lock is touching the blade in the closed position then the knife probably has a bit of detent play. There should be a slight gap between liner and blade.
On my knives with detent play, I can only feel it when I pressure the blade downward in the closed position and simultaneously apply pressure to flipper tab.
In other words, the play is undetectable under normal use. I'm ok with this condition.
Now if I can feel or induce the play when opening normally or shaking the knife then it does bother me. I've experienced this before on a few knives.
 
The one i'm really worried about is the ZT 0609 I just received. If I pinch the blade and try to pull it out for example, it rocks back and forth in the handle ever so slightly. It's very minuscule, but for a $220 knife, I'd expect perfection. I first noticed it when I was opening and closing it, because you can feel it rock forward just barely before it deploys the blade.
 
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AF said:
I would return it.
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I was thinking the same, but I'm worried about being charged a restocking fee. I've been charged a restocking fee before for bigger issues that I've detailed out.
 
Well you could send it into warranty instead. Some dealers just suck.
 
I don't think any knife company is going to accept a knife for warranty work that has a little detent wiggle. Do you send knives in for warranty if the centering is slightly off or the lockup isn't early enough for you too?

This place never ceases to amaze me hahaha.

If you expect perfection you need to literally DOUBLE your price point before you can legitimately expect perfection. CRK, Reate, midtechs etc.
 
Scurvy092 said:
I don't think any knife company is going to accept a knife for warranty work that has a little detent wiggle. Do you send knives in for warranty if the centering is slightly off or the lockup isn't early enough for you too?

This place never ceases to amaze me hahaha.

If you expect perfection you need to literally DOUBLE your price point before you can legitimately expect perfection. CRK, Reate, midtechs etc.
Click to expand...

Way to be a patronizing towards people looking for an answer. This place doesn't surprise me either with how many trolls line the forums, take your negativity elsewhere. Detent issues could be a bigger issue in the future, potentially a safety issue if it gets to the point where the blade just falls out. This isn't simply a variance in centering or lockup.
 
Scurvy092 said:
I don't think any knife company is going to accept a knife for warranty work that has a little detent wiggle. Do you send knives in for warranty if the centering is slightly off or the lockup isn't early enough for you too?

This place never ceases to amaze me hahaha.

If you expect perfection you need to literally DOUBLE your price point before you can legitimately expect perfection. CRK, Reate, midtechs etc.
Click to expand...

That’s odd, how come many of us have come to see perfection for MUCH less?


I would exchange with the dealer if I wasn’t happy br4dz. They should be able to take care of you.
 
A while back ZT adjusted the detent strength on their models. I believe they made the detent hole bigger and a little deeper so the blade would fly out. You may be seeing the detent ball not resting on the edge of the detent hole. It may be closer to the middle of the hole causing a little movement in the closed position. I've got a couple that can be moved a bit, I've just tightened up on the pivot a bit to help keep the blade firm. Btw, you can tighten the pivot too much, it's a matter of dialing it in to get what you want. Personally, I don't feel it's a problem because the detent is strong and will keep the blade in place.
Now, if the detent is weak, that's another story.

Have you tried to tighten the pivot a little to see if this helped ?
Is it a rattle like rock lock or is it like closing the knife and you can see the blade bounce when it's closed ?
Can you feel the edge of the detent hole when you pinch it and move the blade ?
 
`br4dz- said:
Way to be a patronizing towards people looking for an answer. This place doesn't surprise me either with how many trolls line the forums, take your negativity elsewhere. Detent issues could be a bigger issue in the future, potentially a safety issue if it gets to the point where the blade just falls out. This isn't simply a variance in centering or lockup.
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I'm sorry but you are being dramatic. Play in the detent and a weak detent are two different things caused by two different problems. Slight detent play is not going to develop into a safety issue.

At this point, I'm wondering if it really is detent play because I'm not sure if you have the capacity to differentiate it from the lock bar flexing on flipping. Knives with very strong detents will feel like they have a minute amount of play as the lockbar literally flexes slighting under the pressure before the detent pops out...
 
Misthailin said:
That’s odd, how come many of us have come to see perfection for MUCH less?
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Everyone has their own definition of perfection. I would guarantee you that there is no truly perfect knife for MUCH less. Tooling marks, chamfers, centering, bevel evenness etc etc etc can all be nitpicked to death until you get to a price range far above where most people buy knives.

You want to buy true meticulous perfection, shell out $1600 plus for a Michael Raymond. Knives so obsessively built and crafted to perfection that the knife functions 100% perfect with the pivot screw completely removed.
 
A little detent wiggle isn’t really enough to bother me personally. Especially if it is only happening when I put force on the spine or flipper. If the blade was rattling loudly in the closed position that might bother me. (Although i am generally not shaking my knives back and forward to try and cause it.)

Still it is your knife you paid for it, it’s up to you what is acceptable. I agree it is possible to get a flawless knife for 200$, even 30$. However at this price point it is not a guarentee. ZT is a mass production brand. At the price I pay for ZT issues like uneven grind ir even slightly off centre are par for the course. As long as the knife isn’t defective. (Lock slip, lock rock, blade rubbing scale etc).

I don’t know any knife company that puts out 100% perfect knives for 200$. Even at 500$ 100% is not a gaurentee. Whether or not they will free warranty it is totally up to whether they deem it out of spec or not.

Still personally if it was my knife, the blade moving abit when seated by the detent when I put pressure on the blade isn’t even close to a defect. A blade that rattles loudly when held closed by the detent is a defect. (Detent hole too large for the detent)

Also I agree with above if the lockbar is moving at all when the blade is detent rocking then the issue is just that the detent is coming slightly unseated from the hole.
 
I would just send it to ZT's warranty service. This 801 developed detent rock after years of flipping. They replaced the entire lock side and had it back to me in 10 days.
5vvic0M.jpg
 
Scurvy092 said:
Everyone has their own definition of perfection. I would guarantee you that there is no truly perfect knife for MUCH less. Tooling marks, chamfers, centering, bevel evenness etc etc etc can all be nitpicked to death until you get to a price range far above where most people buy knives.

You want to buy true meticulous perfection, shell out $1600 plus for a Michael Raymond. Knives so obsessively built and crafted to perfection that the knife functions 100% perfect with the pivot screw completely removed.
Click to expand...

Geez, dude...

You're like a squeaky toy that just makes the same sound over and over again. You come in, defend ZT by spewing garbage, then add some BS about RJ Martin or Michael Raymond and their "perfect" knives. It's perpetual.

Many people don't have over a grand laying around to spend on kool-aid. Great knives can be had for reasonable prices. I own knives that are over $1,000 and I'm not blind when it comes to getting your dollars worth.

If this thread weren't about ZT you wouldn't have posted in here in the first place.

On topic, I had an Umnumzaan that had play in the detent. It was bad enough where the tip would sit outside of the handle and poke your hand when you draw the knife. CRK promptly fixed it for me and apologized for the error.

Maybe I should have just bought a $1,600 knife though:rolleyes:
 
I’ve heard of plenty of knives in the $500-$2000 range having issues as well, or no benefit to the already perfect knives in the $150-$450 range.
 
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