ZT 0561 blade play

S

SuzukiGS750EZ

Joined
Dec 30, 2008
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Hey all. I bought blue anodized hardware off ebay from someone who makes it. The only thing stock is the lock side, the liner on the non lock side, the bearings and the blade. I measured the blade stop (for close position) pin against the original one, and they're both down to the hundredth (exactly the same). Maybe it's because I haven't used the knife in a while, but there's a bit of play from the detent ball sitting in the detent of the blade, slight up and down. Is this normal and I'm just forgetful, or is there something I missed?
 
SuzukiGS750EZ said:
Hey all. I bought blue anodized hardware off ebay from someone who makes it. The only thing stock is the lock side, the liner on the non lock side, the bearings and the blade. I measured the blade stop (for close position) pin against the original one, and they're both down to the hundredth (exactly the same). Maybe it's because I haven't used the knife in a while, but there's a bit of play from the detent ball sitting in the detent of the blade, slight up and down. Is this normal and I'm just forgetful, or is there something I missed?
Click to expand...

Are you saying the blade has slight vertical movement when closed?

If so, it's up to you. If it moves too much for your liking, send it back. Slightly loose like that shouldn't HURT anything.

If it was totally disassembled then put back together and started doing that, if you want, try to disassemble and assemble it again. Might go away.....
 
If closed, when you push sken or pull up on the blade, you can feel the detent ball move around in the detent a bit. I don't remember if the blade just parked and had no play, or if it had a little like now. Is not crazy, but in wondering what it could be if it us an issue.
 
Its not normal. I lost the blade stop pin which is of course separate from the thumb stud stops. I did make a new one that was a few thousandths smaller and it resulted in that exact blade play.
I have no issue taking a look at it for you and making a new pin to fix this.
If interested instead of trying KAI>
No prob.
LMK
 
The blade stop pin is a blue anodized one I bought off ebay from someone who sells parts for these knives, from Australia. Everything fit perfect or better than stock, except for that pin. It confuses me because it's the same size measured with my caliper. Can you anodize it as well? I had gotten it all together and didn't want to take it back apart to check if the old pin did the same lol
 
Update: just swapped in the stock pin and is just the same.
The new pin had a slight amount more of play but either way, there's play
 
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The shoulders on the pin that go into the lock side and scale side need to be thicker. The center portion the blade touches is the same on both, but could be one hundredth thicker to eliminate all play, I believe. I'd be happy with stock fitment though. The new pin has a slight amount of more play than the original. But it weld bug the crap out of me to put the old one back in.
 
It's bothering the hell out of you and you aren't going to be able to make the repair

Send it to Bella or KAI...Bella if you want it done right with quicker turnaround.
 
Thanks EChoil.
I will happily do it, But I cannot anodize it. I would make a new one from steel and just give it a little heat treat and that would be it. Would not be pretty and blue. But I have enough steel stock to make one just a few thousandths thicker and it will not bother you again. For that little pin function over beauty. That would bother me as well.

Just shoot me an email or visitor message if you want to call or write me.
Whichever.
Matt
 
For now, I've temporarily super glued the pin in. I'll able to chip and clean out the glue when it needs to be changed, but it won't rattle now and fits a bit tighter. I lessened the play, but would still like a proper fitting pin
 
SuzukiGS750EZ said:
Update: just swapped in the stock pin and is just the same.
The new pin had a slight amount more of play but either way, there's play
Click to expand...

This is interesting to me as, if I'm reading this correctly, there's blade play with either the original factory stop pin as well as the new one purchased from a third party maker. There were some past issues with the ZT 0561 concerning it's titanium lock side. Apparently several people complained about this and KAI actually ended up redesigning the frame lock side. I'm not entirely sure what all they did, but referencing the attached photo, some minor differences in the old and new frame side do exist. That being said, replacing the lock bar side did solve the blade play issues (both up & down and side to side).
 

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My 0561 has the lock bar insert, which I was thankful for. The play is technically not hurting the knife or function, but when in the closed position, the detent hope in the blade is larger than the detent ball, so the pin is making the detent ball sit in the middle of the hole, causing some play. Think of a basketball in a hoop, if it's touching the side of the hoop, no play. If it's in the middle, it can move around wherever.
 
It sounds like a defect in the blade then in my opinion. The detent hole in the blade might actually be out of specs.
 
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