New ZT0562CF sticks

Ravenbrook

Ravenbrook

Joined
Mar 21, 2015
Messages
188
I just received this knife and it has two issues in my book. First off, it is incredibly hard to open. I'm a big guy with big hands and it was a bear to open the first few times. After about 40-50 flips it has lessened a "bit" but still not smooth like EVERY SINGLE VIDEO I WATCHED ON THE KNIFE before ordering. Do you think it's just the detent being too stiff and needing to be broken in more or is there an adjustment I can make? What about lubricant? Can you use WD-40 on a knife like this? Or do I need something more specific to the job?

Secondly it came pretty dull. One part of the blade will cut copy paper nicely the rest will tear it/cut it. I've noticed that the videos I've watched on this knife and from what I've read it seems that most people are sharpening this and the ZT 0560 anywhere from 18-22 degrees per side. Is there a reason for this? Blade shape or steel type? Anybody have this knife and if so, what angle did you sharpen it at?

Thanks in advance!

Rick
 
I'm sure it just needs to be broken in. A lot of knives are stiff out of box, but will break in over time. You can use WD-40 if you'd like. I usually avoid using lubricants on most of my knives because it can cause debris to stick to the pivot area, which is counter productive especially if you're trying to achieve a 'smooth' feeling action.
 
Definitely make sure you are not putting pressure on the lock bar when opening the knife. Rule of thumb is to hold the knife light in your hand, keep your fingers below the half way mark on the lock bar side and light switch the flipper.

As for being dull, it really should not be. We have not had a problem with ZT0562CF's being dull in a long time. Depending on where you bought it from and their policy you might want to send it back or at least contact the dealer. I would want to know if a customer spent good money on a knife and was not satisfied!
 
I have a Wicked Edge sharpener and I was planning on using that. I did try moving my fingers as Whitty suggested and it seems to open better. You can tell it's not buttery smooth and there is still a bit of binding up but much better. Great tip! I think that I will contact the seller. I know it's not his fault but I'm sure he'd like to know.
 
If this is your first "flipper", it might be that you need practice. It makes no difference if you can flip dump trucks over or if you can barely take the paper off a bendy straw, physical size has no bearing on this what so ever. As mentioned, you might be pressing the lock bar against the blade and creating more tension.

If you are not happy with the knife, the best thing to do and the first thing to do is return it to the place of purchase for an exchange, immediately, and before the threads with the bashing and complaining start. They tend to snowball for no reason other than to have people come out of the wood work and start flinging their crap. In an ideal scenario, having the ability to check out the knives before purchase is highly desirable, but not everyone can do this.

If you want to keep the knife, sharpen it, it's not hard to match the factory angle. Putting an insanely steep mirror polished edge on it serves no real purpose and will increase the difficulty of future sharpening and maintenance. Just my .02¢
 
If you want to keep the knife said:
I don't do this but I am curious as to why it makes it more difficult for future sharpening? I have just never heard this before.
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Yes, the detent on some ZT's are super strong. It will take some time to break it in before it becomes smoother. I have two, one is really smooth out of the box and the other has a strong detent.
The steel is either M390 or CTS-204P. M390 is made by Bohler and CTS-204P is the US equivalent made by Carpenter. They're basically the same steel. ZT switched because the Carpenter steel is more available.
The steel can take a 18-22 degree angle without compromising the design of the steel. It will perform better at lower angles. Depending on your uses for the knife, you may want to start off with the factory edge, make it nice and sharp. Always remember, once you take the steel off, it can never be put back on. If your uses for the knife allow you to put a new angle on it, don't hesitate to do just that.
I've been hesitant to stray from the factory edge on my work knives due to the harshness of what I put them through. Some of my light users get lower angles and the performance is so much better over factory angles.
 
I had a 562 and a similar post a month ago.I was ready to send it back. It will break in and do what they say as far as keeping fingers off the lock. I would put my biggest finger on the lock side in that little groove and it fired alot easier.give it a chance to break in a bit.
 
whitty said:
I don't do this but I am curious as to why it makes it more difficult for future sharpening? I have just never heard this before.
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Well, it might not make it harder to sharpen, but it will leave you with a wider/taler shoulder and the angle will be thicker behind the edge. I've seen some sharpening jobs where the knife has a 10 degree angle per side and it looked gaudy and served no functional purpose IMO.
 
Ravenbrook said:
I just received this knife and it has two issues in my book. First off, it is incredibly hard to open. I'm a big guy with big hands and it was a bear to open the first few times. After about 40-50 flips it has lessened a "bit" but still not smooth like EVERY SINGLE VIDEO I WATCHED ON THE KNIFE before ordering. Do you think it's just the detent being too stiff and needing to be broken in more or is there an adjustment I can make? What about lubricant? Can you use WD-40 on a knife like this? Or do I need something more specific to the job?

Secondly it came pretty dull. One part of the blade will cut copy paper nicely the rest will tear it/cut it. I've noticed that the videos I've watched on this knife and from what I've read it seems that most people are sharpening this and the ZT 0560 anywhere from 18-22 degrees per side. Is there a reason for this? Blade shape or steel type? Anybody have this knife and if so, what angle did you sharpen it at?

Thanks in advance!

Rick
Click to expand...
The edge topic I will leave alone as their are much more experience members who will likely weigh in. But the detent is pretty common and its simply how they are setting up the knives these days. It simply is a matter of what they have found to be most popular. I have found most if not all of my recent Kai products have a similar detent. One thing to remember is when trying to open it be mindful of where you place your fingers. Even a light touch to the lockbar can prevent opening. And usually the instinct is when not being able to flip it to increase your grip preparing for a flying knife and that makes it even harder to open yet. And while it seems stiff now the more you use it the better it will be. If you simply cant live with it you can ask to either return it to the dealer in exchange for one that may be easier to open as they are all dialed in by hand so some natural variance will occur. Or you can send it in to Kai and see if they can tweak the action. I personally would not lubricate it. I used to because it does make the knife a bit easier to open but it can cause other problems. Especially if you want the knife to actually break in.

What you are wanting to happen in for the detent hole to lose a bit of its sharp edge. The bearings arent causing your issue and any lubrication to those isnt going to be felt with a heavy detent set up as that is where most of your friction is coming from. Now if you lube the actual detent its going to slow the break in process. Lubricatio prevents wear. Instead of the should rounding the lubriction will allow the ball to slip better but the wear you want on the parts to break in will be slowed dramatically. That and lubrication of the detent can attract lint and dirt and make the action even less smooth. Then when that happens some people start going crazy with the lube and it travels to the lockface causing slipping and sticking issues. If It were me I would leave it exactly as is and just flip the daylights out of it. And every so often take a can of compressed air and blow it out so that any metal dust that might be being created can just be wiped or blown out. Adding lube means any of that dust is just gonna turn into a paste. Good luck! Now you are probably going to get a few different opinions on how to go about this. Im just sharing what has been working best for me.
 
Ravenbrook said:
I just received this knife and it has two issues in my book. First off, it is incredibly hard to open. I'm a big guy with big hands and it was a bear to open the first few times. After about 40-50 flips it has lessened a "bit" but still not smooth like EVERY SINGLE VIDEO I WATCHED ON THE KNIFE before ordering. Do you think it's just the detent being too stiff and needing to be broken in more or is there an adjustment I can make? What about lubricant? Can you use WD-40 on a knife like this? Or do I need something more specific to the job?
Click to expand...

When I got my 0562CF it was so stiff that I called ZT to work out the logistics of returning it. Ultimately I just kept flipping it for hours while I watched TV and it got easier. By the time I flipped 1000 times it broke in nicely. Love that knife now.
 
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