QC in production knife making

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Here's a thought, return the knife to the vendor that you bought it from and get a refund. Since you seem to be so dissatisfied with ZT's QC, don't buy anymore of their products (or anything from KAI for that matter) and spend your money on other brands. That will certainly "hold their feet to the fire".

Your responses have been very enlightening, thanks. I guess "Made with Pride in the USA" has lost its meaning these days. If people don't hold their feet to the fire on these issues, then I guess we get what we deserve.

Personally, I'm going to hold their feet to the fire. I took some good pics and sent them to Kai to ask for a replacement. Here are a couple for your viewing pleasure. I will refrain from further comment and just let them do the talking. Enjoy your knives, gents, whatever that means to you.

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I'll wager that this isn't something that is a warranty issue (see mqqn's comments in post #50 about a design change to improve detent consistency and performance), but I could be wrong.

I disagree. ZT has one of the best warranties in the business. Send it in to ZT and they'll take care of you. Here's the warranty info for reference:

http://zt.kaiusaltd.com/warranty

And yes, when the issue is warrantable, they are the best in the business.
 
Agreed. Based on the feedback in this thread, I'd suggest the OP call ZT before sending it in. I'd trust them to give him the straight scoop. They're a quality company!
 
Based on the tone of the OPs posts I really doubt that a phone call to ZT will satisfy him. Especially when he doesn't get the answer that he wants.

Agreed. Based on the feedback in this thread, I'd suggest the OP call ZT before sending it in. I'd trust them to give him the straight scoop. They're a quality company!
 
Possibly. But he doesn't have anything to lose by making the call. ZT's telephone number is toll-free: (800) 325-2891. :)
 
Guys, we'll see. I already submitted an electronic request with ZT for warranty exchange yesterday, with links to photos, etc. The website said they are further behind than usual due to the holiday. I can wait.
 
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A 15% restocking fee after they sold you a defective knife, very "interesting" vendor you bought from.
 
You're 1st problem was not buying from a reputable supplier like Kershaw Guy, House of Blades, KnifeWorks. They could have helped and shown that its supposed to be there and even replaced yours with an older model that doesn't have that mark to make you happy.

2nd is attacking KAI/ZT. Things go alot better if you come correct and without your pitchfork in hand ready to start a riot. Also you should try calling them before you made this thread. They're nice people to talk to on the phone.

And the last but not least no matter what you get told you're not going to be happy either way at this point. You're already beyond the point of being able to be made happy.

This is just my 2 cents. Maybe I'm more laid back then most but as long as my knife is sharp, solid and well built I'm happy. No knife is flawless. You should see some $1000+ customs.
 
As Chester said, some $1000+ customs have just as big of issues. The people that QC knives at the factory are people. People miss things. I think it is now clear that this isn't actually an issue and is just a change in the manufacturing process. Assuming it was an issue, those things do happen... to everyone.. big.. small.. production.. custom. They could run an ISO9000 factory but your 0560 would cost $1500 or more.

The measure of a good maker isn't just the quality of the knife when you receive it, but how they handle things when those inevitable little issues happen. KAI is really very good at that. They are generally very good at communicating what is going on with the warranty process. At times they get busy, but they will not give up until they've made things right for someone even to the extent of being completely ridiculous in their effort to ensure customer satisfaction.
 
And the last but not least no matter what you get told you're not going to be happy either way at this point. You're already beyond the point of being able to be made happy.

I'm not sure why people keep saying this. While I'm not happy with this specific knife, I'm not upset at ZT about it - they haven't even responded yet. And my 0801 is practically a work of art so I know they can do better. I'll give them a chance and I'll continue to do business with KAI/ZT.

The thrust of the conversation wasn't intended to be about ZT anyway. I was trying to compare notes with other enthusiasts to find out if they are getting more consistent product than what I've been seeing across several brands. It sounds like a "no" and furthermore it sounds like most people are OK with it (which I find astonishing, but we all have a different world view).
 
The problem with 'comparing notes' between enthusiasts without anyone bothering to check in with the maker, it just spreads misinformation.

This is similar to the 'zomg, my 030x doesn't have a lbs! Is it a fake?!' threads that were going around.

Or the, 'why is the lockbar cutout not the same size as everyone else's?!'.
 
The problem with 'comparing notes' between enthusiasts without anyone bothering to check in with the maker, it just spreads misinformation.

OK, we are right back onto the ZT again. Hey everybody, the cutout on the back of the flipper that I first called a QC issue might really just be a kludge.

kludge (or kluge) (klo̅o̅j):
A workaround or quick-and-dirty solution that is clumsy, inelegant, difficult to extend, yet an effective and quick solution to a problem.

There, I've set the record straight. Also in the original post. No misinformation. And I still love ZT, for the record. Just not this particular knife that I'm holding in my hand.
 
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A 15% restocking fee after they sold you a defective knife

I'm failing to see how this is a "defective knife". How does an intended design feature, discoloration from heat treat, and a edge not perfectly machined make a defective knife? As far as we've been told the knife still opens, closes, locks, and cuts without issue. Hardly defective.
 
I don't disagree with your observation at all. Just reiterating the OPs since edited comment that the knife was defective enough to be replaced by the manufacturer but he didn't seek replacement with the original seller because of a 15% restocking fee. Seems to be more of a problem with the original seller and whether or not its truly "defective".

I'm failing to see how this is a "defective knife". How does an intended design feature, discoloration from heat treat, and a edge not perfectly machined make a defective knife? As far as we've been told the knife still opens, closes, locks, and cuts without issue. Hardly defective.
 
Here is my Hinderer XM-18 3.5" Wharnie. I paid $650, normal retail is $400 I believe. First, look at the wear on the flipper area. It's not machined in but there is a line there where it contacts the stop pin. Next look at the jimping in the flipper tab. It's discolored from the heat treat, the jimping on the spine is the same way. It's not he same at the OP's but I think it's because the steel is different therefore making a different color. Lastly, the tang machining where it meets the lockbar. Looks quite similar to the OP's pic. I've had 6 Hinderers, and a few ZT Hinderers. All of them looked like this.

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That XM looks about as defective as the 0560 in the OPs first post. Maybe Rick's bad habits rubbed off on ZT ;-).










































































At least I hope they did. Their collabs have been great so far, can't wait to see what is coming out next.
 
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