Flat detent ball

S

stalag2

Joined
Aug 12, 2012
Messages
79
Yo there
Im the happy owner of a zt 0200 which i bought a month ago, being my first flipper i sure did flipped it a lot...
I recently noticed the detent ball being flat and i wondered if it is intended or if i prematurely wore the ball. Lets say i flipped it like 50 times a day for the first week. I dont think the detent weakened since i have it so i guess it is intended but better ask to be sure...
 
Yo back
Quick question..Is it a blem 0200 or no?
Detent ball shouldn't be flat after a month IMO if not a blem knife.

Edit: Also, pics are always helpful.
 
Detent balls do flatten over time. Opening a knife more frequently will of course accelerate the wear (vs. opening it only when needed). I wouldn't worry about it unless it feels unsafe, i.e., it opens too easily.
 
I bought it as a regular so i dont think it is a blem unless i got ripped off by my gunsmith.
Im quite worried if the ball isnt meant to be flat as i checked my oldest linerlock (BM afck about 12 y/o) its detent ball seems brand new and well protruding while on the 0200 barely protrudes from the liner lock, detent still seems good however i can gravity flick it rather easily.
 
A couple of my knives have flattened detent balls. Never posed an issue for me, and so long as the closed retention is fine and it opens normally, then there isn't anything to worry about. If it ever becomes an issue, they'll fix it, however there's no sense in sending it in now if it isn't a detriment to the function of the knife.
 
My 0200 has a strong ball/detent engagement and requires a good push on the flipper to break it loose.
It hasn't changed since I got it but I typically don't open it unless I need it so it hasn't been subjected to heavy use.
 
It may just appear flat from crud sticking around it and the little bit of lint flattens against the blade making the ball appear flat.

If it is flat it increases surface area and friction slightly but that slight change shouldn't be noticeable. I agree that if retention isn't impacted I wouldn't worry about it.
 
You could take it apart. Punch it out and put a new ball in - could be a touch bigger too. I've done it. Works just fine.
 
popopine said:
You could take it apart. Punch it out and put a new ball in - could be a touch bigger too. I've done it. Works just fine.
Click to expand...

Or you can even punch out and put the ball again in detend hole in such way that flat side will not contact the blade.
No need to buy new one :-) When i'm buying knives for flipping (which i know i'll open few dozen times a day) - i'm replacing metal detend ball with Silicone Nitride ball. I've used this way on 0300, Tilt and many others.
 
I wouldn't do any of that. It makes the assumption that that the OP is inclined to possibly void his warranty, since this could fall under modification of the knife.

If there is no actual issue, then it should be left alone. If there's a detriment to performance, then it should be repaired by ZT.
 
I can guarantee it is not crud sticking but i deserve a damn slap to not have checked the ball when i got it.
I wont do any kind of self fixing for now, so far the detent is good enough to carry it tip up and the flipping motion is flawless but if an issue arise ill send it back to zt (im oversea so it kinda sux to do so).
Im sorry to not being able to post a pic for now...
 
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