ZT 0450 keeps cutting my thumb knuckle when closing

You say it isn't your technique, but yet every frame lock and liner lock that I have, I close them differently and without incident.

Do Not Hold the knife with the Blade pointed upwards, as shown in the pictures above.
And
Do Not put pressure on the spine while yu are moving the lockbar to unlock the blade.

If you aren't touching the spine and you have your knife horizontal or have the tip facing Anything other than up, you should be safe...

I hold my knives horizontal when closing, as in the tip is level with the butt of the handle and the ground.
This allows for multiple things to happen:
- The knife doesn't swing shut under gravity.
- My thumb is never in the way of the blade when shutting.
- The blade doesn't slam closed.
- I can actually feel if there is any grit in the pivot.
- I don't fear my knife.


You say it isn't your technique, well then whatever word you use to describe how you shut your knife has to change.
Or
It doesn't and you keep getting cut...

Make your choice.
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So you can "judge my post", instead of actually taking it on its own merit...
March 2014, post count 5788
 
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I have cut my finger closing my 450CF but my fault, not the blade. Simply didn't have my finger far enough back and wasn't paying attention.

As far as closing method, I move the lock bar with thumb and once the bade clears the detent, I then move my thumb out of the way and close the blade using my index finger. Works well and easy to do. I am lefty but can use the same method with my right hand. Haven't been cut since.

One other note, I close the blade and do not let gravity assist.
 
You just have to make sure the blade is closed back past the detent to keep it from slamming shut. If you're putting pressure on the blade to overcome the detent when closing, then it WILL snap closed!
 
This is my number one irritating knaf, mine too hits my thumb knuckle. i have another one or two that does the same thing, but not nearly as frequently as the 0450
 
I don't buy that its a technique issue...I've had the same experience with the 0450, yet have two hinders, 4 CRK's, an Olamic 247, a zt0900, an SMF, and other frame locks that have never bitten my thumb knuckle. I firmly believe its inherent to the design since it is so compact has a rather tiny flipper tab and an extremely free bearing pivot. ya, you could alter your technique but you shouldn't have to if it works for any other knife of the same basic design.
 
I might just be dense, but I try to never put my fingers in the path of any closing blade. Same reason I don't put my hand over the muzzle of any handgun.

I close my 450 my pushing the frame lock in with the tip of my thumb perpendicular instead of holding my thumb parallel and using the side of my thumb. It results in the flipper tab hitting the meat of my thumb just after it breaks the detent. I move my thumb out of the way and snap the blade closed the rest of the way.
 
dwdickey said:
I don't buy that its a technique issue...I've had the same experience with the 0450, yet have two hinders, 4 CRK's, an Olamic 247, a zt0900, an SMF, and other frame locks that have never bitten my thumb knuckle. I firmly believe its inherent to the design since it is so compact has a rather tiny flipper tab and an extremely free bearing pivot. ya, you could alter your technique but you shouldn't have to if it works for any other knife of the same basic design.
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So that is akin to saying that if you can fire a .410 shotgun one handed, you should be able to do so with a 10 guage as well?

Each tool has its own design and idiosyncrasies. Using one tool right doesn't mean you can use any tool of that type correctly.

If you swing a framing hammer all day, that doesn't mean you can use a car body hammer or a blacksmith hammer with equal quality and affect.
 
extrastout said:
Its not me. I feel like you shouldn't have to think and position everytime i need to use the knife for a second.
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I don't disagree with the idea that closing a knife should not require specific thought every time you do it...but, you seem to 1) have developed some bad habits that you won't be able to break without a conscious effort, and/or 2) be insistent on using a knife that is too small for you to manage efficiently. Regardless of which choice is more accurate (and it doesn't really matter to me which one it is), an alteration in your technique is the key to fixing this problem.
My focus is not on how im going to close my knife properly.
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I'm not going to beat that subject any further into the ground. You don't feel you're doing anything incorrectly - no skin off my knuckle...you'll either figure it out & adapt, stop carrying the knife, or just keep on cutting yourself. That choice is yours.

While I have handled, and used an 0450; I do not own one - I prefer larger knives, and - while I do sometimes opt to go smaller - there was nothing about this particular design that appealed to me. I say that openly, so you can feel free to discount everything I've said in this thread because I just don't know.
 
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There is an issue with this knife the detent is pretty late when you are closing it. This is a big part of what the OP is having a problem with. On better designed folders you pass the detent right away when you are folding the blade.
 
NJBillK said:
So that is akin to saying that if you can fire a .410 shotgun one handed, you should be able to do so with a 10 guage as well?

Each tool has its own design and idiosyncrasies. Using one tool right doesn't mean you can use any tool of that type correctly.

If you swing a framing hammer all day, that doesn't mean you can use a car body hammer or a blacksmith hammer with equal quality and affect.
Click to expand...

I respectfully disagree. Once you build muscle memory and know the principal of operation if doesn't matter the type of tool in your hand you can and will use it to the same effectiveness!

A hammer is a hammer if you can use one properly you can use them all, if you understand their principals of use you can use any hammer and make it do what you are trying to to regardless of the task or size of hammer, yes a hammer designed to simplify the task may make it a bit easier but one that masters a hammer can use any hammer for any hammering task and complete the task!

BTW I have full faith I could handle a 10ga fired one-handed aswell, its all about recoil management.


Multiple people from different time periods suffering the same experience of being bit by a particular knife means that there is something inherent to the design of said knife that is at fault, and not necessarily the user.
 
I had one for awhile. Never had a problem. You just need to keep the lockbar pushed over until the detent ball starts riding the side of the blade. If you release the lockbar before the detent ball (very large for the size of knife) is riding the side of the blade it essentially uses a detent to prevent you from closing. If anything it should be viewed as a good thing as its a warning you screwed up. Muscling the blade anyway and having it smack your thumb is IMHO is the wrong way to close the knife. And I'm sorry but I think about things a little differently and I feel you should always stop and think when using a knife. IMHO this is complete user error and nothing more. If this was as big of a problem as the OP is letting on and "not him" then we would have seen this issue pop up somewhere else. But I also get that no one wants to be the cause for their own problems.

Now some companies like WE, CH and a few other Chinese brands have combated this same phenom with flippers by grinding a channel into the side of the blade that allows for a smoother transition from open to closed. But I find it to be an ugly solution to a non existent problem if using proper technique.
 
dwdickey said:
I respectfully disagree. Once you build muscle memory and know the principal of operation if doesn't matter the type of tool in your hand you can and will use it to the same effectiveness!

A hammer is a hammer if you can use one properly you can use them all, if you understand their principals of use you can use any hammer and make it do what you are trying to to regardless of the task or size of hammer, yes a hammer designed to simplify the task may make it a bit easier but one that masters a hammer can use any hammer for any hammering task and complete the task!

BTW I have full faith I could handle a 10ga fired one-handed aswell, its all about recoil management.


Multiple people from different time periods suffering the same experience of being bit by a particular knife means that there is something inherent to the design of said knife that is at fault, and not necessarily the user.
Click to expand...


I'm not so sure you got what he was saying. Because even though those three hammers have hammer in the name they operate completely differently and you WONT be good at using them just because you used a different type of hammer.
 
kerryrwac-1492453524609.jpg

with a dremel this could help with the detent issues when closing. just keep your thumb out of the way.

image from Kerryrwac
 
Try closing if this way. Maybe it'll work better for you. Still gotta get used to bringing it passed the point where is loose from detent and you can feel the flipper
IMG_20170417_115510977_zps81dig8pm.jpg

IMG_20170417_115516870_zpsngb0btu6.jpg

IMG_20170417_115522823_zpsl8ufhhpi.jpg
 
Why not use two hands to close it?

The blade will be under control as soon as it's unlocked and not "leaping" into your thumb.

And for the a hammer is a hammer crowd I have a do it yourself Venus de Milo installation that needs finishing. Which one of you framing carpenters can help me out?

07_1.jpg6f4888f2-d1c9-4adb-bf00-b8e613b16d56Large.jpg
 
I don't know how big your hands are. Maybe that is the problem and you need a bigger knife like someone else suggest. But I see that your thumb is parallel to the blade when you dislodge the lockbar. Have you tried to push the lockbar out from the side so that your thumb knuckle isn't even in the way of the blade.

zP9cPojl.jpg
 
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A few people have mentioned it...but stop applying pressure to the blade spine while you're pushing the lockbar over. That's what's causing the knife to 'snap' closed.

Unlock the knife with your thumb, push the blade closed a bit with your index finger, then move your thumb out of the way and close the rest of the way.
 
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