ZT 0550 grind issues?

I

IBEW353

Joined
Jul 21, 2012
Messages
24
Hello all! New here, I just got myself a ZT 0550 today...had to go through a few in the store to find one with a relatively even blade grind. Most of them were way off, the one I picked has an uneven grind but not too bad and also what seems to be a re-curve in the blade near the pivot. I called KAI and they said that both were normal have any of you had problems with uneven blade grinds on these knives? Other than that this thing is built like a tank!
 
Are you planning on using the knife?
If yes: over time you will end up sharpening the knife. The grind lines are inconsequential in this scenario as you can change them to any angle you like.
If no: doesn't matter either, it's a production knife and not a custom piece. Won't matter how straight the grind lines are on a knife that will never see a day of work outside cutting a piece of paper.

In other words, these aren't custom knives, they are production knives. They are meant to be used. If you want to collect the perfect knife, buy 10 of them, order 2 for 5 different stores. Look at each one carefully, using Hi Res lupes., spotting flaws along the way. Keep the perfect specimen and sell the rest. I know people that do this, because they are so hypercritical of the most minor flaw. Their behavior practically takes any potential fun, joy, pride of ownership out of the picture. Sad.
 
If you are implying I am one of those people I am not, however, when I spend 200 dollars on a knife I do expect a certain level of quality. I know from experience I can buy any Spyderco knife and they almost always come with an even grind, the ZT knives I looked at however where all over the place. That being said, I still purchased it based on its other strong points. Being new to ZT I was just curious if this is a common occurence, and if there is actually a small recurve in the blade. The whole thing I enjoy about knives is the level of craftsmanship that goes into making them, and I buy them to use.
 
My 550's fine. It was mail order and I just took what they sent me. No edge issues and it even touches up well with the sharpmaker... just like they were made for each other. No issues with any of my 350s either. If you can post pix of your edges, that might help us see the grind problem your'e talking about.
 
No where did I imply anything, just stated my opinion on the matter. The small recurve aspect is making me wonder though.
 
My 0550 is perfect, AFAIK, although I've never examined the edge all that closely. It looks fine to me.
Sonny
 
Do you mean the blade grind or the edge is uneven? Sounds like you're talking edge but saying grind instead. If edge, I wouldn't worry about it. If grind, I might send it back to the seller if you haven't used it.
 
IBEW, can you post a picture, especially of the recurve?

Yes these are production blades not customs but still, at this price point and with KIA's reputation I would expect more than sloppy grinds you are describing.
 
The edge is ground a little on the uneven side, no big deal but a little disapointing. Even more so is that the detent ball seems to be dragging on the blade in two small places just before the lock engages. I looked at another one today that seemed to have the same issue. Have any of you got this problem?
 
No drag in the detent on mine, but mine is a very early 0551. As far as the blade grind goes, I've handled quite a few 0551s and a couple 0550s and the main grind as well as the shoulders have all seemed pretty even and well done. The actual edge is where things can change up. For the most part, I usually put a new edge on all my knives unless they come from the factory with an exceptional edge. I agree with the OP that Spydercos usually come with a pretty exceptional edge that usually just requires a slight cleaining up.

If I can take your username as your occupation then we are in the same line of work in different unions. Personally, I wasn't happy with how my 0551 performed on the job. The edge and the grind were just too thick to do what I needed the knife to do. I sent mine into Tom Krein and he did an excellent regrind for me. The edge and grind are much thinner now so stripping wire, cutting zipties, and slicing massive wads of tape have become much, much easier.
 
I carried my para 2 at work and I was always scared of snapping the tip off even though I dont pry with my knives. So I wanted a big beefy well made knife and after looking at the 0550 it seemed to fit the bill. As for the detent ball, I *Think* that the reason that the small divots are there because they pressed the ball into the lockbar while the blade was installed in the knife since you feel the drag right before the lock engages, I figure they did it there so the knife would open smoothly until it got to the point just before lock engagement where they pressed the ball in.
 
The uneven grind on the flat of a cutting edge is common in factory grinds and if bad enough can "ruin" a knife.

It's not normal, its lack of experience and care at the factory that causes it. If you look closely its more than just one knife brand that has such a issue, its pretty much all of them.
 
knifenut1013 said:
It's not normal, its lack of experience and care at the factory that causes it. If you look closely its more than just one knife brand that has such a issue, its pretty much all of them.
Click to expand...
It's not normal and yet it applies to all manufacturers? Are all manufacturers lacking experience and care?
 
I never understood why uneven edges were a huge deal. That's the part of the knife that sees use...
 
Thomas W said:
It's not normal and yet it applies to all manufacturers? Are all manufacturers lacking experience and care?
Click to expand...

Pretty much all factory edges I have had experience with (my knives and others) have had some degree of recurve near the heel of the blade.

It's not the manufacturer its the individual and their skill. I would have to say its a bit of the volume too, a individual will loose care in their work when pressed for productivity.
 
Ive used my Para 2 at work quite often and I've never had the tip break. I've done some pretty stupid stuff with that Para 2 on the job and it has held up to everything. The Para 2 makes a great work knife for an electrician right out of the box.
 
RevDevil said:
Are you planning on using the knife?
If yes: over time you will end up sharpening the knife. The grind lines are inconsequential in this scenario as you can change them to any angle you like.
If no: doesn't matter either, it's a production knife and not a custom piece. Won't matter how straight the grind lines are on a knife that will never see a day of work outside cutting a piece of paper.

In other words, these aren't custom knives, they are production knives. They are meant to be used. If you want to collect the perfect knife, buy 10 of them, order 2 for 5 different stores. Look at each one carefully, using Hi Res lupes., spotting flaws along the way. Keep the perfect specimen and sell the rest. I know people that do this, because they are so hypercritical of the most minor flaw. Their behavior practically takes any potential fun, joy, pride of ownership out of the picture. Sad.
Click to expand...

I have to respectably disagree. I have heard enough excuses just like that when I started a thread at Spyderco's forum recently raising a similar issue. At the end of the day, it all about quality control and the attitude towards the end users. $200 for a knife is NOT a small number, The minimum wage is $7.25 per hour in this country, so a fair amount of attention should be paid to reflect the price premium. I would not be surprised that the knife in question was made in USA. The only Spydercos that I had problems with are mostly American made, their Taichung production lines are excellent.

If I was not mistaken, all ZT’s are made in USA, their Shun Japanese division builds excellent products. I own many Shun’s, never had single problem, great grind jobs on every piece, and most of them are under $200, so go figure.

You may now feel the urge of accusing me of being against American made products. Not at all! But comments like this are about the most unpatriotic thing that anyone could have done. Why? Because you are not doing American makers any good by sending message that what they are building is just fine. Comments like this have been sending that message for a long time and the makers are reading it loud and clear. Is it a time for a change? You bet!
 
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