Recommendation? What should I do with my ZT(framelock issue)?

G

Gideons

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Dec 9, 2015
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Hey BF,

I've owned 4 ZT emerson collabs, the first one was a ZT 0620 and my newest one(ZT 0630ORBLK) have the same issue. When I disengage the lock, it is extremely smooth, almost too smooth as it disengages without any Resistance or tension at all. Secondly, when I push the spine of the knife into the palm of my hand the lockbar slips (outwards) on just light hand pressure and almost disengages. With any actual spine pressure it would disengage. Thoughts on this? Only ever had this issue on the ZT emerson collabs.

-Gideons
 
Gideons said:
Hey BF,

I've owned 4 ZT emerson collabs, the first one was a ZT 0620 and my newest one(ZT 0630ORBLK) have the same issue. When I disengage the lock, it is extremely smooth, almost too smooth as it disengages without any Resistance or tension at all. Secondly, when I push the spine of the knife into the palm of my hand the lockbar slips (outwards) on just light hand pressure and almost disengages. With any actual spine pressure it would disengage. Thoughts on this? Only ever had this issue on the ZT emerson collabs.

-Gideons
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My zt 0620 had this issue too. The way I see it there is the smart way and a dumb way to fix this.

Smart: send them into ZT for warranty work.

Dumb: take the knife apart and gently bend the lockbar just abit further in. Be careful not to overdo it. I used a monkey wrench with cloth over the jaws to gain better leverage. Bending it abit further in completely solved the problem on mine.
 
Lapedog said:
My zt 0620 had this issue too. The way I see it there is the smart way and a dumb way to fix this.

Smart: send them into ZT for warranty work.

Dumb: take the knife apart and gently bend the lockbar just abit further in. Be careful not to overdo it. I used a monkey wrench with cloth over the jaws to gain better leverage. Bending it abit further in completely solved the problem on mine.
Click to expand...
Hmm, glad that fixed your issue. I wouldn't bend it myself, however I also in this current situation with the CBSA I don't think I could risk sending it back to ZT for maintenance.
 
Gideons said:
Hmm, glad that fixed your issue. I wouldn't bend it myself, however I also in this current situation with the CBSA I don't think I could risk sending it back to ZT for maintenance.
Click to expand...

The only option then is to do it yourself.

Or where do you live in Canada?
 
Gideons said:
Hmm, glad that fixed your issue. I wouldn't bend it myself, however I also in this current situation with the CBSA I don't think I could risk sending it back to ZT for maintenance.
Click to expand...

You could ask them if they might do it for you if you just send them the lock side? Might be less hassle with customs. Just a thought.
 
b00n said:
You could ask them if they might do it for you if you just send them the lock side? Might be less hassle with customs. Just a thought.
Click to expand...

You need the blade to be able to put the knife back together and check if it worked.
 
b00n said:
Well I was thinking that ZT can do it with just the lockside somehow.
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Even if you just sent them the whole handle they aren’t going to stick a new blade in there just to test if the lockup worked. I doubt they would use a blade from their stock for that.

G Gideons you could always send them an email and find out.
 
I've bent lockbars inward on multiple knives. Not because I observed lock slip, rather because it was apparent that they had only just enough spring strength to engage, without any additional strength to wear-in.
It's an easy fix. I got the desired result every time.
If your lock is slipping you may be better off sending it in.
 
Did you alcohol the lock faces? Tighten all the hardware? Open it a few hundred times?
 
I don’t advise trying to manually adjust lockbar tension as a means to that particular end; what you’re describing is lock slip, which is caused by a combination of lock geometry (both the materials and angles of both the blade tang and lock interfaces) and the tension on the lockbar. I’m not familiar with KAI’s warranty policy, but manual bending of the lockbar sounds like the kind of thing that voids warranties.

ZT warranty service or a return / exhange to the seller are far and away your best options, as those run no risk of voiding a warranty and little risk of getting an unsatisfactory result in the end.
 
Yeah I had a black ZT 620 with really weak lock tension. I'm guessing they started doing that because a lot of their older knives were actually built with really strong detents and tension and customers probably started whining how it hurt their fingers to flip the knives constantly.
 
Just bend it yourself, go slow and be careful. Or send it to KAI to have some kid they just hired do it for you.
 
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