ZT 0562 lock sticking

M

matto6

Joined
Jan 30, 2017
Messages
237
I bought a new ZT 0562 and it has the sticky lock problem. It's incredibly difficult to open. I have to use 2 fingers to pull the blade out. Forget about using the flipper - no way.

I opened and closed it about 30 times this morning and it improved. Now 50% of the time I can open it with the flipper.

Should I keep opening and closing it and see what happens? Or does this mean I got a bad one and it'll never be right, hence I should return it?
 
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Thats not a sticky lock, which refers to a lock being difficult to unlock.

I'll bet dollars to donuts that you're putting pressure on the lockbar during opening. Try adjusting your grip, as you may be pressing on the lockbar during opening, forcing the decent ball on the lockbar into the detent hole in the blade, thus holding the blade shut.
 
Thanks, I did try that but I will double check when I get home.

But given the design of the knife... How does one hold the knife (comfortably, without contorting your hand) without having fingers resting gently on the lock bar?
 
Sounds like pivot might be cranked down way too tight. I'd try adjusting that.
 
halden.doerge said:
Also I assume you mean the 0562, right?
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Oops, yes. I fixed the typo.

Dyslexic much?


Also, I've fliped it probably 80 times now and it's much, much better. It still gets stuck once in a while but not often. Hopefully that'll go away soon too.
 
My 0562CF has the strongest detent I've ever experienced. But now that I'm used to it I don't mind it.
 
Some lubricant on the detent ball might help out quite a bit too. If it's running dry, that could be the reason for the friction.
 
Zt knives have a notoriously strong detent. Because of that strong detent any and i mean any pressure being exerted on the lockbar when trying to open te knife will prevent the detent ball from releasing from the the hole in the blade. Especially when a persons first instinct when finding a knife difficult to open is to reinforce their grip compounding the problem. The best thing that i have found to do is to open and close the knife repeatedly without lubricant being added to the detent ball or the hole in the blade for the detent ball. What you want is the sharp shoulder of the detent hole i. The blade to round off a bit so that the ball will slip out easier. If you lubricate it you reduce the friction needed for this to happen. It will help temporarily but te problem will most likely cone right back after the lubricant displaces. If however you find you are not touching the lockbar at all and the knife still is hard to operate after a good hour or two of obsessive manipulation you may want to consider sending it in to zt and they can evaluate and correct any issues. There are more fixes they can perform that i would not eecommend for the casual knife user.
 
It does not sound to me a detent issue. Assuming the OP did not put pressure on the lockbar, I would believe it is more because of an overtightened pivot.

OP - is it that you have difficulties to flip the blade to move but once it moves a bit (i.e. the detent ball leaves the detent hole) it flies open, or is it that even if the blade is half open, it is still not smooth?

If it is the former, then it is a too strong detent. If latter, then you need to loose the pivot or apply a drop of tuf glide to the pivot.
 
If you do adjust the pivot, just a tiny bit at a time.
Good luck!
Joe
 
sharp_edge said:
OP - is it that you have difficulties to flip the blade to move but once it moves a bit (i.e. the detent ball leaves the detent hole) it flies open
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Yes, that. Exactly. It's definitely the detent.

I've opened it a ton of times and now it's much better. I'd say 19 out of 20 times I get it with no problem. I'd keep going but now my finger is sore af at this point.
 
OK. Then really no need to do anything other than keep opening and closing. Sounds it just needs to break in. You can add a tiny drop of tuf glide to the detent hole and track.
 
1.5 MONTH UPDATE

I spent the weekend flipping it like 1000 times and it got a lot better. But it would sometime still stick and piss me off.

I called ZT and they told me it shouldn't be that hard and I should send it back. So I did and replaced it with a ZT 808 and the flipping action was fantastic.

But after a month I missed the 0562 so I ordered another one. This one's flipping is flawless. The detent is nowhere near as strong. It just flies right open even without me having to think about where my hand is on the lock bar. Night and day difference! If anything I would almost say this one could use a slightly stronger detent, but it's also fine as it is.

And this second one came in s35vn. ZT said the reason they changed from elmax to s35vn was simply that they weren't able to source enough elmax, not that they didn't like the elmax for any reason.
 
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matto6 said:
1.5 MONTH UPDATE

I spent the weekend flipping it like 1000 times and it got a lot better. But it would sometime still stick and piss me off.

I called ZT and they told me it shouldn't be that hard and I should send it back. So I did and replaced it with a ZT 808 and the flipping action was fantastic.

But after a month I missed the 0562 so I ordered another one. This one's flipping is flawless. The detent is nowhere near as strong. It just flies right open even without me having to think about where my hand is on the lock bar. Night and day difference! If anything I would almost say this one could use a slightly stronger detent, but it's also fine as it is.

And this second one came in s35vn. ZT said the reason they changed from elmax to s35vn was simply that they weren't able to source enough elmax, not that they didn't like the elmax for any reason.
Click to expand...


I’m having the exact same problem with my new zt0562. It was tight at first, then got better, then got worse. Not improving after repeated openings. Will call ZT this week. Very frustrating after spending nearly $250 to get this knife. Like the knife otherwise.
 
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