Mediocre action on new knives (ZT 0562, Kizer Rogue, Spyderco Domino)

M

matto6

Joined
Jan 30, 2017
Messages
237
I'm new to this and just bought a bunch of new knives. The action on several of them was great (Spyderco PM2, Manix 2, Native 5)

But 3 surprised me:

ZT 0562: was very hard to open. I flipped it a billion times and it's much better, but the least amount of pressure on the lock bar and I'll get a misfire. I called ZT and they said the action should be great right out of the gate, so I should exchange it.

Kizer Rogue: I love the knife overall, but I also can't open it one handed. It stays closed so firm there's no way to open it using the thumb studs. I have to use two hands. And once out of the detent it's still not that smooth. The lock is also stickly. I contacted KnifeCenter asking if I could exchange it.

Spyderco Domino: this one flicks with light pressure, so not stuck like the others. But it has a scratchy sound when in motion. It's like it's screaming to be oiled! Should I oil it and be done?

Am I just getting unlucky, or is this all part of the new-knife game?

BTW, I also have a Kizer Gemini and the action on this is fantastic. Flies open, smooth action. The detent is really week though so you have to make sure you use a fast finger motion.
 
Last edited:
Can't speak about the rogue but I've own d both the domino and the 0562 and the action was amazing on both. Not sure about a misfire on bearings either

I can't stand a weak detent....... ZT has been my favorite
 
Popsickle said:
Can't speak about the rogue but I've own d both the domino and the 0562 and the action was amazing on both. Not sure about a misfire on bearings either
Click to expand...
Was your domino scratchy sounding? Mine flips fine but sounds ghetto. [emoji28]
 
matto6 said:
Was your domino scratchy sounding? Mine flips fine but sounds ghetto. [emoji28]
Click to expand...

Most bearing flippers will make that sound. The issue is many bearing flippers have more leverage on the lock bar so that the detent has a firm grip on the blade. This helps build kinetic energy to guarantee a knife that flips open properly. But this added tension on the lockbar means that detent ball rides the blade with more pressure than it normally would and you are hearing the ball scraping the side of the blade as it swings. Sometimes their is some crap on the blade, and you hear the ball dragging through it. But usually its just the sound of the ball scraping along the finish. Satin blades and stonewash usually I find make the most noise. But in time the ball usually polishes a track and the noise either goes away or is muted drastically. You can put a dab of grease in the detent hole of the blade. Not oil but grease. Thin grease being preferred. I say grease because it is less likely to migrate to places you don't want it like the lockface. And each time the detent ball goes into the hole in the blade, it picks up a small amount of the grease and will reduce the noise a lot.
 
Try a little bit of grease on the detent ball and flip it a few times.
My 562 will occasionally get a little squeal and feel a bit rough, but once the lockbar pressure is off, it is smooth as glass.
The (Very Small Amount of) grease on the detent ball fixes it.

Edit to add, just saw that Purple stated this.
+1
 
I've owned 3 ZT0562's Two had moderate detents and flipped open easily. My 0562 M390's detent is a lot harder to over come. Really got to push hard on the flipper to get it open.
 
My ZT0562CF was gritty and EXTREMELY hard to open, till the point i had to use electrical tape around my finger to prevent further bruising (no pressure on lockbar).
The lockbar was very stiff aswell.
But it is merely part and parcel of breaking in. Now it drops freely when disengaged and flips out amazing, with even a very slight yet pleasurable recoil.
The ZT pamphlet included in every new box says that it is normal to receive a new stiff knife. They WILL break in by a week or two.

PS:
Oiling the detent hole and working it using your fingers to cover the detent track makes a world of difference.

Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk
 
The ZT 562 has an awesome detent but it shouldn't be difficult to open, and the action should be unlike anything you would get from Spyderco, it feels like the knife is assisted with a torsion bar only riding on the bearings. the ZT knife I recently bought had such a nice action that my Spyderco knives leave me wondering why I own them (except the military, that knife kicks ass).

I wouldn't use grease like Finish Line on a bearing knife, even on the detent it makes a grimy mess. I would use Militec if anything but it shouldn't be necessary.
 
Most knives require a bit of break in. Give them some time, maybe a bit of lube and be sure when you're opening it that your fingers aren't resting on the lock bar.
 
On the ZT0562CF I can say from a ton of personal and customer experience that it is 90% a break in period for both the knife and the customer. For one, slightly stronger detents will wear in and work just like those without tight detents with some time. Secondly, there is an art to opening it during that break in period that if you master will solve your strong detent flipper problem for life. I can say this, while saying it is not just you. I have plenty of customers in the shop that are very knife knowledgeable. They will pick up a knife and can not flip it, I pick it up and have no problem. This is not just on ZT knives but a number of frame lock flippers we sell.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top