ZT 0456 Clip is a "premium part" not covered by warranty

DustinY

DustinY

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Alright, so i have a question for the community and a story i think is worth sharing.

A while back i picked up a ZT 0456 and loved it, my best friend also took to the design and how it felt in hand, so for his birthday i passed it onto him. He works property maintenance and actually uses the knife daily. He has carried it everyday now for around a year, and the clip has broke. Just some background on him, he was really fond of this knife because it was from an american company. He contacts ZT for a replacement and they tell him "it's a premium part" and it's a 10$ fee, which we all know is a bit of a joke as its the worst part on the 0456. He comments on their IG saying he loved the knife (or their product) til they decided the clip wasn't covered under warranty on a 240$ knife, where they said they would free of charge and that they don't charge for clips. So, he returns to customer service with screenshots of the conversation between "the media" team and him, where they told him that for "some models" the clip is a premium part and is a 10$ fee.

I've had the clip on my Kizer John Gray Thuck replaced for free, and that's a 3d milled TITANIUM clip. What does everyone think of this? Sucks rooting for American companies and this stuff happens. Hes obviously old fashion, and has decided to let the knife sit. Is this a deal breaker? Opinions?
 
DustinY said:
Alright, so i have a question for the community and a story i think is worth sharing.

A while back i picked up a ZT 0456 and loved it, my best friend also took to the design and how it felt in hand, so for his birthday i passed it onto him. He works property maintenance and actually uses the knife daily. He has carried it everyday now for around a year, and the clip has broke. Just some background on him, he was really fond of this knife because it was from an american company. He contacts ZT for a replacement and they tell him "it's a premium part" and it's a 10$ fee, which we all know is a bit of a joke as its the worst part on the 0456. He comments on their IG saying he loved the knife (or their product) til they decided the clip wasn't covered under warranty on a 240$ knife, where they said they would free of charge and that they don't charge for clips. So, he returns to customer service with screenshots of the conversation between "the media" team and him, where they told him that for "some models" the clip is a premium part and is a 10$ fee.

I've had the clip on my Kizer John Gray Thuck replaced for free, and that's a 3d milled TITANIUM clip. What does everyone think of this? Sucks rooting for American companies and this stuff happens. Hes obviously old fashion, and has decided to let the knife sit. Is this a deal breaker? Opinions?
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I highly doubt the clip broke due to a defect or poor workmanship after being carried daily for a year, so please explain exactly how this should be replaced under warranty?
 
mattmanyam said:
I highly doubt the clip broke due to a defect or poor workmanship after being carried daily for a year, so please explain exactly how this should be replaced under warranty?
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He works maintenance and solo manages an entire rental property. He carries the knife LITERALLY everyday (in this perfect pocket in his Carhartt pants) and uses the living shit out of it. I'll post a picture here of the photo i got after he was successful on his elk hunt, but i have literally zero reason to believe he intentionally "broke" the clip like you're implying. This post was meant as a way to communicate and see what others thought, and to inform the public that the worst (in my opinion) and cheapest part of the 0456 isn't covered under warranty. I've literally spoken to people who have told me they replace clips all the time, and even do so on the 0095 (which is the SAME clip just different color). I'm also saying its a bummer that ZT (an American company we both want to support and spend out folder money on) doesn't compete with international companies that make knives with better materials and are willing to replace without hesitation a 3d milled titanium clip.
 
If you're rough on your tools, sooner or later something is going to break. For the price point of ZT's, and what you get, IMO, they're probably the best bang for the buck.
Compare apples to apples, has Kizer been in the U.S. market as long as ZT ? I really don't know and it's not a sarcastic question. If not, let's wait to compare until they have the same production years as ZT. I do agree that ZT has crappy pocket clips.
But, there are alternatives to getting a new pocket clip besides getting one from the factory. What I don't understand is why send it back to ZT and get the same clip that will more than likely fail again???????
 
If he wants the clip, he pays, if not then he doesn't or he looks aftermarket, in that case, he will definitely pay.

It is their business to run as they see fit, doesn't matter why or how to one individual when there are folks lining up with dollars in their hands to have one.

I am not a huge fan of most ZTs. I like the 770cfM4, the new 462, and I would like a lighter 562cf, but that is it...

If I buy into the company, it will be doing so knowing full well that I may have to pay for some things and others I may not.

Maybe the $10 is to cover some of the Anodization?

Do I like it, not really. But, I am not going to make a fuss. I understand that it is the price of (recurring) admission.

Would you buy a car that is over 100K then cry when you found out it needs premium fuel or synthetic oil? Even a Subaru calls for these...
 
My opinion is that no one should get mad over a clip not being covered under warranty. It's something every knife carrier has bent or broken or smashed over their years of carrying.
If a company sends them out cool, but don't expect every company to, regardless of the cost of the knife. It's their time, shipping costs and employee labor, and it's their property.
They own that piece of metal. You do not.
You are wanting them to replace a part broken by the owner, "free", not repair a warrantied defect.

It's a damn shame to hear you say rooting for American companies "sucks".
Kizer sends parts out for free probably because they are built by Chinese slave labor. But you can get all you want for "free" so, I guess that makes them a better company than ZT.
My opinion is for you to buy your friend a Kizer and stop saying
DustinY said:
...LITERALLY,literally,literally...
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so often.
 
Leftytwogunz said:
My opinion is that no one should get mad over a clip not being covered under warranty. It's something every knife carrier has bent or broken or smashed over their years of carrying.
If a company sends them out cool, but don't expect every company to, regardless of the cost of the knife. It's their time, shipping costs and employee labor, and it's their property.
They own that piece of metal. You do not.
You are wanting them to replace a part broken by the owner, "free", not repair a warrantied defect.

It's a damn shame to hear you say rooting for American companies "sucks".
Kizer sends parts out for free probably because they are built by Chinese slave labor. But you can get all you want for "free" so, I guess that makes them a better company than ZT.
My opinion is for you to buy your friend a Kizer and stop saying so often.
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I had to quote this because I agree with it enough that just "liking" it didn't cover it.
 
Leftytwogunz said:
It's a damn shame to hear you say rooting for American companies "sucks".
Kizer sends parts out for free probably because they are built by Chinese slave labor. But you can get all you want for "free" so, I guess that makes them a better company than ZT.

My opinion is for you to buy your friend a Kizer and stop saying so often.
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You better have some proof to back up this insane and somewhat racist statement.
 
I really doubt the clip broke because of a manufacturing defect. If a clip, say, got caught on his seatbelt, got bent way out of whack to the point of breaking (or beyond bending back), then that's not a defective clip. No more than a broken knife tip because you were prying with it or using it as a screwdriver.

Kershaw/ZT likely gets requests constantly for free pocket clips. Like they bought a blackout model but prefer a polished clip. I don't think it's out of line for a company to charge a pittance for a replacement clip (even if just to cover the labor/shipping), especially if it's unique to a specific model, and not one used on multiple models.
 
My one time of contacting ZT customer service was probably3 yrs ago, to purchase a replacement clip; and they sent it free of charge. As noted above, the 0456 clip is the same as the 0095...except it is blue. Looking at the website, it states that the 0456 features Custom blue backspacer, clip, and pivot hardware. I wouldn't have an issue paying for a clip that is specific to my knife, especially if I broke (lost, or otherwise damaged) the original...heck, I was willing to pay for the somewhat generic clip that I wanted.
I get that the two of you feel it's a matter of principle, and that is your choice...but my suggestion would be to step away from the entitlement table. Either buy the (inexpensive, at $10) replacement clip, see if ZT will send an 0095 clip & deal with the color difference, or buy an aftermarket clip. The guy didn't even buy the knife, he used it for a year, and now has his knickers in a twist over $10 for a replacement part.
 
"You are wanting them to replace a part broken by the owner, "free", not repair a warrantied defect."

That is an assumption, with all that implies. For me, I don't know one way or another. From what has been said, the clip is felt by some to me as weakness; i.e., a defective part. I have no personal knowledge.
 
hhmoore said:
my suggestion would be to step away from the entitlement table.
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Not every company gives out free clips OP...
They don't have to.


The only way I bent/broke a clip was because it got hung up on something.

BM will send you a free one.
Spyderco No.

And it seems that ZT is on the NO side.
 
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basmca said:
You better have some proof to back up this insane and somewhat racist statement.
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Or what, you will sling the next best SJW weakling insult my way? Do your own research if you really want to know as I suspect that you do not.
I am now going to ignore you like the bratty kids in the restaurant who contribute nothing but background noise to the adult conversation.

Thomas Linton said:
That is an assumption, with all that implies. For me, I don't know one way or another. From what has been said, the clip is felt by some to me as weakness; i.e., a defective part. I have no personal knowledge.
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Knife is on its 2nd owner. Carried for more than one year, used daily. Then clip breaks.

How defective would you say it was? Certainly not "broke first time putting it into my pocket defective." Not even "broke the 365th time I put into my pocket defective." What is your personal opinion on how many owners and how much use an item should withstand before it no longer classifies as defective?

Sucky pocket clip is different from defective pocket clip.
 
Leftytwogunz said:
Or what, you will sling the next best SJW weakling insult my way? Do your own research if you really want to know as I suspect that you do not.
I am now going to ignore you the bratty kids in the restaurant who contribute nothing but background noise to the adult conversation.
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yea sorry, i'm sure your racist bullshit statement unrelated to the topic really adds something.
 
Whoa! What a massive amount of responses to read, thanks everyone for your input. My intent was not to offend, and i should have worded this all a little better as it seems stuff has been taken out of context or stretched thinned to make it seem like something i didn't mean. I apologize for that, i simply wanted a conversation and to see what everyone thought. The clip sucks no doubt, and the pocket he carries it in has a larger than normal "lip" so i'm sure it just beat the fuck out of the clip (but i'm almost positive it broke by getting snagged on something) which is why he requested a replacement (expecting that freak accident not to happen again). My points here are:

1. ZT doesn't cover the 0456 clip replacement for free, like they do other models (with the same pocket clip minus some blue color...)
2. It's a bit of a bummer, as a chinese company sent me a 3d milled titanium one for free without asking questions.
3. I had (probably not deserved) expectations on what ZT would deliver.

Thanks again to everyone who took time to write a response, the feedback was rad and shed multiple new perspectives on the subject.
 
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