ZT 0550 didn't fare very well...

SVTFreak · May 25, 2015

Ok, I've got to complain a bit. I been having it for awhile. Last few weeks, I busted the forms, cleaned wood, erected, insulated and sheeted my shop. I carried the 0550 as I wasn't expecting any light cutting and wanted something stouter than my usual.

Anyway, I never used as a pry bar, or anything other than cutting mostly. Used to scratch on steel, separate purlins to get a grip, cut open plastic, botch wood, stuff like that. Nothing hard really.

At the and of 2 weeks working approx 12 hours a day with it in my pocket most of the time, the edge is a mess, not terrible. That's not bad though and wasn't unexpected (it maybe have hit a nail or metal, and definitely used to make marks). What got me is now it opens terrible (not smooth like it was), one handle screw fell out and one is loose. That boggles me. Guess I need to give it a good cleaning and loctite the screws in but I was very surprised at that considering. The only other knife I've had similar happen to was a new camillus tanto. I don't expect that from ZT. Especially from a couple weeks of what I would consider medium use.

Rant done. Sorry.

PURPLEDC · May 25, 2015

You used it a solid 2 weeks and it got dirty and a couple screws came loose? Sounds normal for a knife IMHO.

craytab · May 25, 2015

PURPLEDC said:
You used it a solid 2 weeks and it got dirty and a couple screws came loose? Sounds normal for a knife IMHO.

Yup. Believe it or not edges gut dull and/or chipped. Dirt can make the action less smooth. Screws can back out. This can happen with all knives and brands.

Sharpen it, clean it, and loc-tite the screws. Problems solved.

whitty · May 25, 2015

Has it been disassembled before? If it has and the screws were not loc-tited back that can be the problem with the screws running out. Sounds like the rest is explainable. A pic of the blade would help to see how chipped up it is.

SVTFreak · May 25, 2015

whitty said:
Has it been disassembled before? If it has and the screws were not loc-tited back that can be the problem with the screws running out. Sounds like the rest is explainable. A pic of the blade would help to see how chipped up it is.

Never. Bought it new.

I'm not upset about blade. It's not chipped, it's rolled and that's easily explainable by using it as a scribe hah

However, I have used my sebenza, and my shiro hati harder and for longer stretches of time without grip screws coming out of them. Screws falling out after two weeks is NOT acceptable, in my opinion. I've had plenty knives that that did not happen to.

Oh yes. I'll clean it and reassemble it with some blue loctite and continue to use the hell out of it. I will admit that the edge held up pretty good considering.

SVTFreak · May 25, 2015

To elaborate. I shouldn't pay 150$ for a knife and have to send it in every 2 weeks because a screw fell out and I couldn't find it. (I didn't lose it, but you get my drift there).

The Aflac Duck · May 25, 2015

SVTFreak said:
Never. Bought it new.

I'm not upset about blade. It's not chipped, it's rolled and that's easily explainable by using it as a scribe hah

However, I have used my sebenza, and my shiro hati harder and for longer stretches of time without grip screws coming out of them. Screws falling out after two weeks is NOT acceptable, in my opinion. I've had plenty knives that that did not happen to.

Oh yes. I'll clean it and reassemble it with some blue loctite and continue to use the hell out of it. I will admit that the edge held up pretty good considering.

I ate an apple one time, and to my surprise, it did not taste like an orange! I was shocked

EChoil · May 25, 2015

If indeed you did nothing out of the ordinary with it and didn't abuse it, I would be a little disappointed too. Everything you mention can be solved though. Only thing that would bother me is if it developed blade play or off-centering that was uncorrectable.

A good folder, much like a good house, is built to breathe---flex a bit and change in places (pivot, handle, washers) in response to stressors. This can also be what adds longevity to a knife....the better knives 'breathe' the best. This can result in noticeable tactile changes over time.

Two weeks of work can affect the pivot. Sounds like it just needs to be flushed out; maybe readjusted. As to the edge, all bets are off when you do the type work you describe. Just sharpen it up and go on. Maybe pay attention to the edge now, see it it chips from opening envelopes or cutting string. It's probably OK though. I always check handle screws out of the box and tighten them anyway, just a little more. If a screw continues to loosen a drop of blue Loctite takes care of it.

You used your knife and now it's time for a little maintenance. Sounds pretty normal to me. They don't stay shiny new when you use them and they're going to get marked up. That's how a knife eventually becomes your 'favorite.' As you get to know your knife you should be able to get it back to working like you want every time you have an intense work session like that.

Hopefully by now you've cleaned the knife, maybe touched up the edge and are happy with it again.

RevDevil · May 25, 2015

I want to see a video of some hard use of the Shiro and the CRK.
/Sounds like unrealistic expectations (for any knife). Maybe I just don't get it.

Silvanus · May 25, 2015

craytab said:
Believe it or not edges gut dull and/or chipped. Dirt can make the action less smooth. Screws can back out. This can happen with all knives and brands.

Nope, it's just ZT's poor quality heat treat and QC!

In all seriousness, cleaning, sharpening and maintaining your tools is paramount to keeping them in working order. As far as the screws go just making sure they're tight every now and again will prevent this. You shouldn't have to send it in either. Unless the policy has changed ZT/KAI will send you a new set of screws for free.

utahsam · May 25, 2015

To the OP: I think you make a fair point in that a $150 knife should not start losing screws from being used for 2 weeks. A knife supposedly built like a tank should keep it's parts to itself, if you are using it as a craftsman and not abusing it. I have never had this problem with my ZTs, so I think you might not have a typical example on your hands. The part about losing your edge and getting gunk in the pivot, affecting smoothness of opening, sounds predictable and normal. I'm sure you'll get years of great use from the knife if you keep it.

SVTFreak · May 25, 2015

RevDevil said:
I want to see a video of some hard use of the Shiro and the CRK.
/Sounds like unrealistic expectations (for any knife). Maybe I just don't get it.

The only thing I haven't done with my shiro that I did with the ZT was use as a metal scribe. Scratch paint off metal where I had to cut.

I was carrying the shiro when I formed up for the shop slab. It was used to cut bands, notch wood, cut sheeting, score pvc etc. Same use basically. I've been carrying it last few days wiring the shop, cutting plastic gang box covers, stripping wire sometimes (if my strippers end up on other side). Oh, I did use it to scratch the paint on the outside where I had to drill a hole. Forgot my sharpie inside. Not abuse, but harder than cutting apples hehe

Czechmate · May 25, 2015

Maybe it's a ZT0550 clone...

SVTFreak · May 25, 2015

EChoil said:
If indeed you did nothing out of the ordinary with it and didn't abuse it, I would be a little disappointed too. Everything you mention can be solved though. Only thing that would bother me is if it developed blade play or off-centering that was uncorrectable.

yes, you get it! Nothing that isn't correctable. And that I can't make better to meet my expectations.

I don't have to swap my craftsman ratchets and tape measures out or take them apart and clean them every two weeks. And they are more intricate mechanically. The 5$ 5/16 magnet bit for the self taping screws lasted longer. All of those got worked harder and abused more (dropped into mud, off ladders). I'm not saying it shouldn't happen. I'm saying it shouldn't happen every two weeks.

Edit: I've got a pot metal Chinese box opener that stayed in my toolbox for years that gets abused. And it's handle screws haven't fallen out. Neither has my reeves, shiros, microtechs (granted those don't see much use), spydercos, or benchmades, or even my Kershaw. I just expected a little more from ZT I guess.

asdf12345 · May 25, 2015

Handle screws coming loose is a rare problem to have and of the QC concerns I have heard about ZT, handle screws coming loose has never been one of them.

From where did you purchase this knife? If you purchased it from a dealer, you may have gotten a "new" knife that was returned from another customer that wasn't exactly "new". If you purchased it from another individual, there's no telling what happened to the knife before it got to you, even if it might look and feel "new".

I've had exactly two knives, ever, whose handle screws exhibited loosening. One was a Microtech Halo III which turned out to have broken components inside. The other was a beater Benchmade 970 which had been disassembled and reassembled many times.

EChoil · May 25, 2015

SVTFreak said:
yes, you get it! Nothing that isn't correctable. And that I can't make better to meet my expectations.

I don't have to swap my craftsman ratchets and tape measures out or take them apart and clean them every two weeks. And they are more intricate mechanically. The 5$ 5/16 magnet bit for the self taping screws lasted longer. All of those got worked harder and abused more (dropped into mud, off ladders). I'm not saying it shouldn't happen. I'm saying it shouldn't happen every two weeks.

Edit: I've got a pot metal Chinese box opener that stayed in my toolbox for years that gets abused. And it's handle screws haven't fallen out. Neither has my reeves, shiros, microtechs (granted those don't see much use), spydercos, or benchmades, or even my Kershaw. I just expected a little more from ZT I guess.

I hear ya, man. I'd be ticked if screws started falling out too.

But you've corrected it now, and checked all your other screws too, right? So that problem is solved, likely forever.

Hope your knife is back in adjustment now and working to your liking. A 550 should be able to spring back fine.

When you put it through more projects it will likely need fine tuning and some edge maintenance afterward, just like this time. Daily pocket carry is a different thing and you won't be needing to perform maintenance nearly so often. All of this is normal.

Insipid Moniker · May 25, 2015

I've had pivots back out, which I understand and accept, but I've literally never had a handle screw back out on a knife, much less had it happen in just a few weeks. Make all the excuses you want, that's just poor fit. Luckily, easily sorted, but yeah I'd be disappointed too.

Geneo · May 25, 2015

SVTFreak said:
To elaborate. I shouldn't pay 150$ for a knife and have to send it in every 2 weeks because a screw fell out and I couldn't find it. (I didn't lose it, but you get my drift there).

Why would you do or imagine that? My scale screws worked loose after light use and I just applied Loctite to them, no big deal. I would have been upset if the fit and finish were not very good, or the blade wasn't ground right or not centered or wouldn't hold an edge, or the lockup wasn't working properly, but scale screws?

SVTFreak · May 25, 2015

It was brand new (appeared to be) from a vendor here. I don't hold them accountable. Or ZT for that matter. Fit and finish otherwise is fine.

kniferbro · May 25, 2015

Pretty normal maintenance for me is to loctite screws and what not. That being said the knife should last more than 2 weeks before coming apart. Guys I knew from highschool and college are in/joining the armed forces at my age. Being the knife nut I am I can imagine a friend that is serving asking me for a knife suggestion. I would hate if I suggested a ZT, and the next time I hear from him he tells me it fell apart. Not every person is going to know to loctite the screws or routinely service their pocket knife.