New ZT Construction

whitty said:
To be honest with you I did not even notice it or think about it until I saw this thread. I think some knives are made one way and some are made another. How or why when it comes to ZT probably has something to do with what they think will hold up best and maybe some influence from the maker. Do I think it lessons the look of the knife, absolutely not. I pulled this knife out of the box the first time and was blown away by its looks, feel, weight, clip, materials and overall appeal that it was not even a thought. In some ways I think recessing the ti side for screws might have made that side look less sleek. Regardless everyone is entitled to their opinion on it!
Click to expand...

I just noticed it on this thread too. Just going by pics and posts. I'll have to find one now and check it out in person. Maybe I'll change my mind. It just looks like the screws don't even come flush with the holes on the bad side......
 
I can't say anything regarding cost or structural integrity; but I did notice that the custom this is based on, the Gamma by Todd Rexford, is often constructed in the same way. In fact, from what I've seen, all of Rexford's framelocks only have screws on the one side. And I don't think I've ever seen anyone complain about him cutting corners to save cost or making knives that look ugly. But I'm curious whether he specifically requested this type of construction or not, since his other collaborations with ZT aren't made this way.
 
stabman said:
That I have no clue about.

If one were to send an e-mail though, they could probably get all questions answered. :)

They would likely be glad to say if the screws are hardened or not, AND whether the construction method was chosen by the designer or them.
Click to expand...

I am going with no, they are not hardened (at least in the older models) since I seem to strip the head of one about every other time that I take one apart. That being said, they do send you free replacement screws :thumbup:
 
EChoil said:
I just noticed it on this thread too. Just going by pics and posts. I'll have to find one now and check it out in person. Maybe I'll change my mind. It just looks like the screws don't even come flush with the holes on the bad side......
Click to expand...

They do not. They are actually recessed ever so slightly on the ti side.
 
coinbuysell said:
I am going with no, they are not hardened (at least in the older models) since I seem to strip the head of one about every other time that I take one apart. That being said, they do send you free replacement screws :thumbup:
Click to expand...

Get yourself some Wiha bits and you will not strip a screw. They make a world of difference.
 
With the threaded spacers you only get 2-3 threads engagement from either side before the two screws meet in the middle of the spacer. Threading into the titanium handle you get a few more threads engagement. Arguably more thread engagement means the design is stronger and it's less likely the threads will strip when tightening. The 0804cf is supposed to be more in line with the strength and ruggedness of the early models like the 0300 and 0200 (sharpened pry bar by some opinions,) if strength and durability were the major design goals for the 0804cf, then the threaded lock side makes some sense.

Concerning the screws, they're common 18-8 stainless fasteners, they are not heat treated for hardness, rather the steel is work hardened when the threads are rolled and the head forged. The screws are as hard and tough as they can be without being an alloy steel that would eventually rust, but you can believe marketing jargon instead if you'd like.
 
kornphlake said:
With the threaded spacers you only get 2-3 threads engagement from either side before the two screws meet in the middle of the spacer. Threading into the titanium handle you get a few more threads engagement. Arguably more thread engagement means the design is stronger and it's less likely the threads will strip when tightening. The 0804cf is supposed to be more in line with the strength and ruggedness of the early models like the 0300 and 0200 (sharpened pry bar by some opinions,) if strength and durability were the major design goals for the 0804cf, then the threaded lock side makes some sense.

Concerning the screws, they're common 18-8 stainless fasteners, they are not heat treated for hardness, rather the steel is work hardened when the threads are rolled and the head forged. The screws are as hard and tough as they can be without being an alloy steel that would eventually rust, but you can believe marketing jargon instead if you'd like.
Click to expand...

A. Thank you for this post!

B. I wanted to state most of this but until I heard back from ZT I did not want to state it and be wrong.

C. Learned a couple of things here as well so once again much appreciated!
 
whitty said:
A. Thank you for this post!

B. I wanted to state most of this but until I heard back from ZT I did not want to state it and be wrong.

C. Learned a couple of things here as well so once again much appreciated!
Click to expand...

Just to be clear I am not a representative of ZT or KAI, but there isn't any mystery behind production knife manufacturing, KAI's engineers follow the same design rules as one would in any other industry, because they are the rules for sucessful engineering. A lot of enthusiasts believe that knife making is full of secrets but I don't believe that to be the case, industry standards are just that, if you aren't following the standard you are simply an amature.
 
Im carrying my 0303 today. Never gave much thought on the way its screwed together...
 
kornphlake said:
With the threaded spacers you only get 2-3 threads engagement from either side before the two screws meet in the middle of the spacer. Threading into the titanium handle you get a few more threads engagement. Arguably more thread engagement means the design is stronger and it's less likely the threads will strip when tightening. The 0804cf is supposed to be more in line with the strength and ruggedness of the early models like the 0300 and 0200 (sharpened pry bar by some opinions,) if strength and durability were the major design goals for the 0804cf, then the threaded lock side makes some sense......
Click to expand...

Makes perfect sense to me.
 
whitty said:
Get yourself some Wiha bits and you will not strip a screw. They make a world of difference.
Click to expand...

Curious...are you familiar with the compact Wiha set with the bulb palm handle that encloses a small tray holding about 6 or 8 snap-in bits?

Not sure if that's new or not, but I just saw one the other day. Thought it was pretty neat. Wish I'd bought it now.....
 
EChoil said:
Curious...are you familiar with the compact Wiha set with the bulb palm handle that encloses a small tray holding about 6 or 8 snap-in bits?

Not sure if that's new or not, but I just saw one the other day. Thought it was pretty neat. Wish I'd bought it now.....
Click to expand...

Yeah, I have one and it's my go-to for most knife assembly/disassembly. They're almost perfect for knives in most applications as it provides a nice grip for your hand and keeps your hand close to the target. They're not too hard to find, but you might have to look under Boker brand. I found mine at the Giant River site. They also offer one with Allen hex keys and I plan to pick one up someday.
 
Hackenslash said:
Yeah, I have one and it's my go-to for most knife assembly/disassembly. They're almost perfect for knives in most applications as it provides a nice grip for your hand and keeps your hand close to the target. They're not too hard to find, but you might have to look under Boker brand. I found mine at the Giant River site. They also offer one with Allen hex keys and I plan to pick one up someday.
Click to expand...

Cool. I tried to Google the particular set I saw and just found out how damn many different sets they make....so maybe it's the same one maybe not. Haven't found it yet....

I don't know how else to describe it though, in fact I saw it at a knife shop. Problem is it's like nearly an hour away.

Just a very short bulbish handle, palm fitting, like on a short screwdriver, plastic bottom snaps off and the bits sit there secured. Seems like the bottom was blue plastic, not sure. Pick one and pop it into the handle. I don't think the handle was wood but it was some kind of comfortable looking synthetic maybe....??

Does your set show a name or part number or anything? I'll check the Boker site when I have time.

Anyway, I want one. You sound pretty impressed with yours. :)
 
EChoil said:
Curious...are you familiar with the compact Wiha set with the bulb palm handle that encloses a small tray holding about 6 or 8 snap-in bits?

Not sure if that's new or not, but I just saw one the other day. Thought it was pretty neat. Wish I'd bought it now.....
Click to expand...

That is what I use! I have not stripped a single screw since I started using them!
 
EChoil said:
Yeah, that's it....the one I saw was wasn't a Boker though, it was Wiha branded.

Looks perfect for throwing in the knife box. Thanks for that, I can find it now.
Click to expand...

They say Boker on one side and Wiha on the other, but they're a lot easier to find if you search for Boker Torx tool since Wiha has hundreds of models.
 
I don't prefer this construction style. But more importantly, please ZT, use Male-Female pivots rather than Male-tube-Male.
 
Hackenslash said:
They say Boker on one side and Wiha on the other, but they're a lot easier to find if you search for Boker Torx tool since Wiha has hundreds of models.
Click to expand...

*L* Eeeyeeahhh......I ran into that right after I posted. It'd take 100 pages of Goog Images before that set finally appeared. That's why Thx for that....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top