Zero Tolerance 566 and 0770 Aluminum -- wonderful designs but not perfect

flash900 said:
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The fact that it's off-center and has blade play is reason enough to note it here.
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So you took the knife apart and it now has an off-center blade and blade play? Sounds like someone didn't get it put back together correctly. If "designed so that it could be deassisted" means a simple detent, then I guess you're correct. I just don't understand why they didn't design it for manual opening. And they should have gone ahead and pieced the frame in Ti instead of stainless and used CF for the scale. Oops! Wouldn't be the 0566 if they did all that, would it?
 
Wow. Just wow. Deassisting the 566 has made all the difference for me. I love a manual flipper. Especially a manual flipper, with thumb studs, that's a small ZT, that fits my hand.

ZT publicly said on BF that the 566 can be deassisted. Plenty of others have commented that they were disappointed that it is A/O.

Well, ZT was right. Thank you.

Tightened as much as I dare, mine is centered. The detent is weak and wrist flick is needed to flip it. That's OK with me. I love it. Despite the weight.

It's fun to flip. And the thumb studs work fine. I'm throwing away that little spring that I never wanted in the first place.
 
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Sadly, mine was off center out of the box and unscrewing the pivot to the point where it was centered made the knife have blade play :( can anyone help me out here?

Also, does anyone know what HRC ZT normally runs their Elmax at?
 
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SirGeod said:
Sadly, mine was off center out of the box and unscrewing the pivot to the point where it was centered made the knife have blade play :( can anyone help me out here?

Also, does anyone know what HRC ZT normally runs their Elmax at?
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They say 58-60 I believe, but I have seen some people testing them to actually be in the low 60's, and I even saw I think it was a 63. Basically... 57 and up.
 
The probably MAIN reason the 566 has a stainless instead of titanium scale is for strength. The framelock is substantially thinner in the 566 than the 560-561 so it has to be denser and harder to withstand the smaller contact surface area for the lock. A titanium 566 at its same dimensions would probably have lock failure inconsistent with heavy duty use. It would be a cool looking non heavy duty knife though, certainly much lighter. These guys carefully design and test these products and zero tolerance production knives in general are not "cost oriented" like the kershaw line tends to be (btw that doesnt mean cheap, kershaw is the bomb!)
 
somerandomind said:
The probably MAIN reason the 566 has a stainless instead of titanium scale is for strength. The framelock is substantially thinner in the 566 than the 560-561 so it has to be denser and harder to withstand the smaller contact surface area for the lock. A titanium 566 at its same dimensions would probably have lock failure inconsistent with heavy duty use. It would be a cool looking non heavy duty knife though, certainly much lighter. These guys carefully design and test these products and zero tolerance production knives in general are not "cost oriented" like the kershaw line tends to be (btw that doesnt mean cheap, kershaw is the bomb!)
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Actually, they went with ss because of cost. They wanted to keep this knife as an affordable offering in the Hinderer designed lineup. If they used Ti instead, it would be just like the 0550 and cost just as much.


Just to be clear though, technically, the stainless lock should be stronger than the same dimensions in titanium,
 
the 550-551 series that is also Hinderer designed is probably the next closest design has a frame lock is about twice as thick. Look at all striders, and the new spyderco southard. Point is that if the 566 had a titanium scale the knife handles would be much thicker. Hence my "at it's same dimensions" comment above. you cant just slap different materials on a handle and expect the design to perform the same. I'm sure if zero tolerance made a garbage can and the thing was advertised in "titanium" and "carbon fiber" and "elmax" the line would be around the block.........lol .....seriously.....if a company now makes a knife and it doesnt't have all these materials in it ,it's cause they are trying "save money" is utterly false....
 
Your missing my point. It's not that they are saving money, the knife costs less due to less expensive materials. That's why it cost $140 compared to & 200 for the 0550.
 
i understand, but what i'm saying is that if that if it had titanium scales,it would be fatter and carry a different balance etc, its not like a PM2 put new scales and lets go. It would be a totally diff knife
 
I am really loving the 566, been working it since it arrived and hasn't left my pocket since. This knife is a home run and will likely be a best seller for zt. I bet there will be varieties coming out soon like a dlc or blackwash. The 770 I found the flipper tab to be just a little small and the liner lock is set flush with the scale so with gloves on I don't think I would be able to close it.
 
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