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ZT 0560 issue please help

Blade Runner 7

Blade Runner 7

Joined
Oct 26, 2010
Messages
3,274
So I got a 0560 in a trade recently. I have a 0550 and its a great knife. Problem is the 0560 is VERY hard to open. It's almost like it's locked closed. I can open it if I push fairly hard on the flipper but as you all know, the jimping is pretty aggressive. It sort of feels like a cheese grater when I open it with the flipper. So to the thumb studs I go. Right handed thumb stud opening is impossible. Trust me, I'm no wimp and I have only been able to do it 2 or three times that way. Left handed opening from the other thumb stud is a little easier but who cares? I'm not left handed. Only somewhat easy way to open it is pinch the blade with two fingers and pull it open. Kinda defeats the purpose of thumb studs and the flipper. The whole reason I wanted the 560 is the flipper. I have tried tightening and loosening the lock bar stop and the blade pivot screw. No help. Has anyone else dealt with this problem?

Next minor issue is the bar that stops the blade when opening (not sure what it's called) rattles. I thought tightening the pivot screw would stop that but nope. I have a Griptillian with the same issue but I didn't think ZT would allow this. Is it normal? My 550 doesn't rattle at all.

Thanks everyone in advance.
 
The 0560 does take some wearing-in. If the 0560 wasn't really used by the previous owner, it may just need to be worn in. Mine took a little bit to wear in as well. The thumb studs, they really aren't that. They are blade stops. It may be possible to use them as thumb studs as well, but the 0560 really was intended to be a flipper. One of the KAI staff explained it here some time back (can't find the post at the moment), but the detent was tuned for the knife to function as a flipper (not thumb stud opening). While it may be possible to use them as thumb studs, the intent was for the knife to be a flipper.

As for the stop pin rattling, that shouldn't be. It may imply something isn't lined up right (which may also cause the detent to be off). If you're comfortable doing it, you can take the knife apart and carefully re-assemble it. I've had the same issue on one of my Griptilians, and it turned out the handle screws near the base of the handle (opposite end from the stop pin) were over-tightened. Getting them snug and then applying threadlocker fixed it on that knife (and also fixed some minor horizontal blade play). The same may apply for your ZT.

If all else fails, contact ZT Warranty. There's good reason their customer service is so highly regarded. :)
 
My detent is pretty tight there is no way i can use the studs. Took me a while to get the hang of the flipper without tearing up my finger on the jimping but once you figure it out its fine. Strong detent on a flipper is what makes it flip good.
 
Check your grip when you try to open it. I found I was putting pressure on the lock bar which was, as you described, locking it shut. Put your fingers along the pocket clip and it should flip open a lot easier. A couple of days flipping once I worked out the technique and it was quickly buttery smooth.
 
I have a few Zt0560s and both were perfect butter smooth. Then about a week ago one of them became really really difficult to open. I didn't change anything. Played with the pivot. No change. Added some grease. Nothin. The detent is just too aggressive on it. No blade play. So it's getting sent in to kershaw.

I've had to do this before for another issue and they are great with customer service. Had it back in about 3 weeks. They even sharpened it for me for free without me asking. Much sharper now :)

So if all else fails send it in.
 
I have a few Zt0560s and both were perfect butter smooth. Then about a week ago one of them became really really difficult to open. I didn't change anything. Played with the pivot. No change. Added some grease. Nothin. The detent is just too aggressive on it. No blade play. So it's getting sent in to kershaw.

I've had to do this before for another issue and they are great with customer service. Had it back in about 3 weeks. They even sharpened it for me for free without me asking. Much sharper now :)

So if all else fails send it in.
 
Loom where your fingers fall and open a few times with your fingers totally off the lockbar even if it is a bit of a contortion and be sure that isn't the problem.

I found that I put a bit of pressure on the lock bar when opening due to the knife being skinnier than the 0300 I was previously carrying and my fingers aligning on to the lock. I swapped the clip around to block where I was putting my fingers and then retrained myself so I could pull it and position my hand on it instinctively without placing any pressure on the lock bar. When I swapped the clip back I was still drawing the knife with my fingers landing so they weren't pressuring on the lock and I know have zero issues with opening.
 
Mine is super smooth,never had a problem from day one.
Have you tried backing off the grip and pivot screws and see what happens?
 
1. The thumbstud is not a thumb stud. It is an external stop pin and its actual purpose is to work with the lockbar to lock open the blade. Its been stated that in hindsight they feel they should have used an internal stop pin to avoid confusion. Some people are able to open the 0560 with this device but its not what its really there for.

2. The secondary stop pin (the one rattling) is for when the blade is closed. It prevents the edge of the blade from contacting the standoffs. If it is rattling the best way ive found to stop them from doing it is to disassemble the knife and apply a small amount of grease in the holes of that they fit into. It will stop it from knocking back and forth. I would not do this unless you know what your doing. And I mean really know what your doing. Ive been tinkering with knives for the better part of 20 years and i still mess up time to time.

3. When your opening your knife with the flipper make a conscious effort to keep your fingers off the lockbar. Gripping the knife tightly in an effort to try and apply more force to the flipper may inadvertently put unwanted pressure on the lockbar forcing the detent ball into the detent hole in the blade preventing it from releasing the blade. A good way to test this is to hold the knife with your left hand making sure that no fingers are touching the lockbar and actuating the flipper with your right hand. If it opens easier this way your applying force to it when trying to open it normally.

4. The lock bar stabilizer prevent over travel of the lockbar in times of stress and adrenaline. It is a non adjustable feature that will have no impact on your knife's ability to open.

5. With some self discipline there is a method to opening the 0560 with the flipper so that your finger never contacts the jimping. On most flipper pushing in on the flipper will give you the best results. Apparently your 0560 has a stronger detent (or your pushing on it) and therefore pulling down on the very end of the flipper should provide enough stored energy to ensure lockup once the detent is overridden.

6. The blade pivot should not be adjusted to try and compensate for the strong detent. By the time the pivot is loosened enough to make a significant difference you have compromised the integrity of the lock. With a loose pivot the blade moves out of the way of the detent instead of the lockbar moving over with the detent ball. This will probably cause side to side play and could cause abnormal wear of the lock face.

7. The only real ways to decrease the detent strength (that is if it isnt user error) would require disassembling the knife and some know how on how on how to either file down the detent ball or reduce tension on the lockbar. I dont recommend either if your not familiar with doing these things. Resetting the pressure of your lockbar could have a negative impact on your lock if you dont set things properly. And if you go messing with the detent and shave too much you wont have a detent. My best suggestion is that if after you assess whether your doing something wrong and find it truly is the knife I would try and trade it for an example with a lighter detent. I know there are a few people out there that would rather have a super strong detent over a weak one and vice versa. If you still want to keep the knife you can also speed up the wear in process of the detent by holding the knife in your left hand while applying slight pressure to the lock bar with your thumb. While doing this you would open the blade with your right hand while still applying pressure to the lockbar. This will speed up the break in on the detent and detent hole and will ease its grip. But I strongly recommend trying to learn proper flipper technique before exploring any other means.
 
Thank you for all the responses. I have to say I am totally disappointed with this knife. I am NOT a newbie to high end folders. I saw that whole BS explanation from KAI that the thumb studs aren't thumb studs. So on all the other similar models they are thumb studs but on this model they aren't? I'm pretty sure they were intended as thumb studs as well as stops but after people complained, they decided to rename them. I'm sure most of you that say yours is possible to open with the studs are correct but believe me when I tell you mine is IMPOSSIBLE with the right hand holding stud. I can be holding the handles in my left hand with no pressure whatsoever and it will still not open.

As for the flipper with the jimping, sure I can find a way to flip it without cheese grating my finger but why should I need to? That jimping just shouldn't be there like that. It's a horrible design. If I wanted a folder that required skill and practice to learn to open safely, I would get a bali-song. If I want a nice flipper, I don't expect to have to learn how to use it.

In summary I think this is a terrible design with inherent flaws. I can't understand why they would change anything from the 550 model other than maybe size, flipper, and steel. That's really all they needed to do if they wanted another model. That's all I thought they changed with the models. But no.
 
I used some sand paper to smooth the rough jimping on my 561, I did this shortly after I got it. The jimping is much more comfortable now and has been
for about a year.
 
Really? BS explanation? How are they NOT blade-stops? Look at where they're positioned. They're positioned to STOP the BLADE, hence, blade-stops. If ZT wanted those blade-stops to also function as thumbstuds, than they would've designed the knife that way, but they didn't, they designed it as a flipper knife.

Look at the Skyline. Those "thumbstuds" are there for one purpose, to act as the stop-pin. If Kershaw wanted those to work as thumbstuds, don't you think they would've made access to them easier instead of having to dig your thumb in between them and the G-10?
 
KnottyEagle said:
Really? BS explanation? How are they NOT blade-stops? Look at where they're positioned. They're positioned to STOP the BLADE, hence, blade-stops. If ZT wanted those blade-stops to also function as thumbstuds, than they would've designed the knife that way, but they didn't, they designed it as a flipper knife.

Look at the Skyline. Those "thumbstuds" are there for one purpose, to act as the stop-pin. If Kershaw wanted those to work as thumbstuds, don't you think they would've made access to them easier instead of having to dig your thumb in between them and the G-10?
Click to expand...


Your response is silly. First you say to look at the position of them. Then you compare them to a knife that has them positioned differently. On the 560 there is plenty of room for your thumb. So what exactly is your point?
 
al g blenny said:
Your response is silly. First you say to look at the position of them. Then you compare them to a knife that has them positioned differently. On the 560 there is plenty of room for your thumb. So what exactly is your point?
Click to expand...
When comparing one knife to another knife, things are going to be different. It doesn't make since to compare the same knife....to the same knife. The blade-stops on the 0560/1 are positioned the way they are because of the handle. The blade-stops have to be put into that spot on the blade so when the blade flies open and makes contact with the handle, the blade-stops are seated in the grooves on the top of the handle. That's why there's enough room to comfortably fit your thumb in between the blade-stops and scales.
 
Dude, jimmer has said it himself, many of times. They are NOT thumbstuds. They're main purpose is as the blade stop. They CAN be used as studs, but it's not their purpose.
 
al g blenny said:
Thank you for all the responses. I have to say I am totally disappointed with this knife. I am NOT a newbie to high end folders. I saw that whole BS explanation from KAI that the thumb studs aren't thumb studs. So on all the other similar models they are thumb studs but on this model they aren't? I'm pretty sure they were intended as thumb studs as well as stops but after people complained, they decided to rename them. I'm sure most of you that say yours is possible to open with the studs are correct but believe me when I tell you mine is IMPOSSIBLE with the right hand holding stud. I can be holding the handles in my left hand with no pressure whatsoever and it will still not open.

As for the flipper with the jimping, sure I can find a way to flip it without cheese grating my finger but why should I need to? That jimping just shouldn't be there like that. It's a horrible design. If I wanted a folder that required skill and practice to learn to open safely, I would get a bali-song. If I want a nice flipper, I don't expect to have to learn how to use it.

In summary I think this is a terrible design with inherent flaws. I can't understand why they would change anything from the 550 model other than maybe size, flipper, and steel. That's really all they needed to do if they wanted another model. That's all I thought they changed with the models. But no.
Click to expand...


Maybe its just me, but i don’t see the point of going through all the trouble to bash a knifes design. If you really think its “a terrible design with inherent flaws”, what’s the point of keeping it?
I know if I was this dissatisfied with a knife design, i’d sell/trade it, and move on. Perhaps that might be the better route than sitting here debating just for the heck of it.

There’s a lot of people that are quite content with the 0560, myself being one of them. Making statements like the one’s you’ve been making are your own opinion, which you are entitled to... but if you are going to outright hate on someones designs, at least state your opinion in the form of an opinion.

So here we go. In my opinion, the gimping is in the perfect place, and provides a great grip. Since we’re talking about design... the ZT line of knives are developed and designed for hard use. Most people who use their knives for long periods of time wear gloves. So they wouldn’t have a problem with the gimping. The intent of these knives being made is to be used as cutting tools. They weren’t made to be flipped open and closed for hours on end... so they probably didn’t think of the gimping being “too sharp”.

Again, this is all my opinion... so take it how you want. However, it might be considerate to think about what the knife was intended to be used for, before making a point to prove to everyone how the design is flawed.
 
Lets not start arguments from either side. O.P. if you have a problem with your knife contact Zt they will take care of you. If you dislike the knife and nothing is going to change your mind I suggest cutting your losses and moving on , put it on the exchange. You have made your thoughts on it very clear.

Nobody needs to fight over opinions, if we need to discuss further I suggest pm's or email if need be take it to whine and cheese. Thanks gentlemen.
 
So after reading this thread and editing many many posts lol i have come to understand some people( or 1) believe ZT( top knife company) is lying about how they made there own knife....and the good men and women on BF who have taken time to help by posting the info they have are lying as well!!!! its one be cover up than right!!!! LOL i mean WOW...WOW!!! SMH
 
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