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ZT 0804cf ball bearings..

highestpoint

highestpoint

Joined
Aug 13, 2014
Messages
1,267
I was thinking about picking one up tomorrow and was curious about the bearings. Have any of you guys edc'd or hard used the 0804 or any other knife with bearings and had trouble with it opening or getting real gritty?

I'm only curious because of it not having thumbstuds and the flipper being the only option to open.
 
I have hard used my 0560cbcf over the past few years. Used to help replace a few water pumps covered in mud, helped me cut drywall, clean game, used as a camp knife of a few trips, etc... just washed in soapy water and blew out with compressed air if I didn't feel like disassembling it. Stayed nice and smooth even when covered in muck. Honestly I wouldn't let it deter me in the least from owning a bearing knife.


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I have carried a ZT0456 pretty much daily for six months. I have gotten sweat, sand, dirt and everything under the sun all up in the pivot. While it was still flipping perfect and had no problems, After 6 months I finally broke it down to clean it. I would say based on my personal experience you have nothing to be worries about. Couple pics of before and after cleaning.

Before:
https://flic.kr/p/Lv1vRH https://www.flickr.com/photos/57703464@N02/

After:
https://flic.kr/p/Ky1PSw https://www.flickr.com/photos/57703464@N02/
 
I used my 808 exclusively for almost a year without any real maintenance. It definitely got a little gritty towards the end. I was in a tropical setting for six of those months and the knife was exposed to salt water for long periods without much rinsing. I abused the knife, for sure. Despite the gritty feeling that developed, I was pleased with how well the KVT system held up, despite my neglect.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
 
the 804CF uses much smaller ball bearings than alot of the other ZT line, and one side is carbon fiber. if you are doing tasks fit more for a fix blade tho... no folder will match that. i would assume that if sand got in the bearings that could be a bad day, but as seen in the above pics, a little dirt and debris wont be too big an issue and this knife is easy to take apart and clean.
 
I appreciate all the feedback guys and you all basically sealed the deal. I wasn't worried about using it for "fixed blade" tasks as I'm not that "hard" on them cause since I got my guardian 3 I carry it with my folder.

The only other bearing knife I have owned was a spyderco Southard and I wasn't exactly impressed with its Performance in that department.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk
 
whitty said:
I have carried a ZT0456 pretty much daily for six months. I have gotten sweat, sand, dirt and everything under the sun all up in the pivot. While it was still flipping perfect and had no problems, After 6 months I finally broke it down to clean it. I would say based on my personal experience you have nothing to be worries about. Couple pics of before and after cleaning.

Before:
https://flic.kr/p/Lv1vRH https://www.flickr.com/photos/57703464@N02/

After:
https://flic.kr/p/Ky1PSw https://www.flickr.com/photos/57703464@N02/
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Whitty, how do you like not having another opening mechanism other than the flipper.

I'm a little hesitant on it but I can't pass up the deal on this 0804cf lol
 
highestpoint said:
Whitty, how do you like not having another opening mechanism other than the flipper.

I'm a little hesitant on it but I can't pass up the deal on this 0804cf lol
Click to expand...

The only time it ever bothers me is when I put a non flipper in my pocket. This is typically a Sebenza or Inkosi. Every time I go for the flipper, it has just become such a natural instinct for me. There is typically a day of learning curve back from one to the other and then it becomes very natural.
 
whitty said:
The only time it ever bothers me is when I put a non flipper in my pocket. This is typically a Sebenza or Inkosi. Every time I go for the flipper, it has just become such a natural instinct for me. There is typically a day of learning curve back from one to the other and then it becomes very natural.
Click to expand...
Yeah I understand what you mean. I know you love your hinderers and such but I have been carrying my sebenza, Emersons, and Contego more than anything recently. So going to a straight flipper will be new to me. Now I have carried the Benchmade 490 amicus and love it but where it's assisted I can barely pinch the blade with my thumb and index finger and open it easily but it's still going to be new.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk
 
My 804CF only got carried for a week or two, so it's still in that pretty and pristine state. But I have not had any problems with any other ZT bearing pivots. My current fave is also the 456, and is just perfect for my hand. Plus I absolutely love the grip and action. That sucker can really take a beating. [emoji41]

In the past, a couple other models that got a little extra pocket time, lint, and grit were the 801, 562CF, 561, and 770CF. None of them have had any issues with the pivot or collective grime. Easy enough to hit with wd40 and dry out with an air compressor. I prefer to run them on the dryer side.


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Sent from my mind using Tap-a-Thought (TM).
 
Honestly, when it comes to grit being able to muck up the pivot, I would say a bearing system is better off than washers. While there is a little more room in the assembly, since the bearings roll and have a pretty tight cage there isn't much room for anything to get into the actual housing, and anything that does will likely be pushed out of the track by the bearings, or simply be ground into dust.
 
i love my 804cf it is a very smooth knife. flippers a bit slow to deploy in comparison to lightning fast deploying knives, but that doesnt matter really.

if you want one that can handle dirt and mudd, try the Grant & Gavin Hawk Mid-Tech MUDD, ZT even has a model based on its technology, the Zero Tolerance 0500 MUDD. the pivot is sealed. i think its on washers, but i dont recall.

What makes the Mudd Knife unique is that both the pivot and the lock are protected by polyurethane seals designed to keep out mud, sand, fine dust, and moisture. The seals are also resistant to petroleum products and are built to withstand a wide range of temperatures. To increase all-round strength, the blade turns on an oversized 5/16-inch pivot shaft. The 3-5/8-inch long blade is ground from 154CM stainless and is coated with tungsten DLC for added corrosion resistance.
Click to expand...
 
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Got to say so far I'm extremely surprised about how awesome this blade is. I couldn't pass picking it up considering I got it 60 bucks cheaper than their map prices.
 
And not only is the action smooth as glass (like my other two ZT/Rexford's), but with the small amount light matte texturing polished out, the CF really pops now. [emoji41]

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Sent from my mind....using Tap-a-Thought. (tm)
 
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