ZT Detent Change

M

MatthewSB

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Feb 1, 2013
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ZT used to use a standard/typical detent divot (that the detent ball sits in) on their folder blades. I handled a recently produced 0630, and instead of a divot there was a cylindrical hole in the blade, with sharp 90 degree edges. The detent ball fell completley into the hole, the blade was held shut very securely. Also, the blade was almost impossible to open (I can close the 200 lb Captains of Crush grippers, it's not my hands that are the problem :D ) using the thumbstud. I know that I've seen this style of detent on the flippers in the past, I assume to ensure a solid flip open, but is this how all of their knives' detents are now?
 
Make sure you're not applying pressure to the lock bar with your fingers while you're trying to use the thumb disk. I found that was my problem with the 0620.
 
I'm pretty sure that's how all their detents are set up now, even current runs of older knives (like the 0562).

The way I see it is ZT is ensuring a nice detent for the life of the knife, instead of focusing on how the detent is straight out of the box. Personally I prefer a knife to have a stiffer detent brand new but break into perfection, rather than having a perfect detent brand new and then breaking into a lazy detent. You can find many reports especially on the 0452cf where many users were initially upset with the stiff detent, even to the point of wanting to sent the knife in, only to report back a week later about how perfectly awesome the detent broke in.



:D
 
Yes sir! All the newer ZTs are coming out with this detent setup. Makes for an awesome flipper!
 
MatthewSB said:
ZT used to use a standard/typical detent divot (that the detent ball sits in) on their folder blades. I handled a recently produced 0630, and instead of a divot there was a cylindrical hole in the blade, with sharp 90 degree edges. The detent ball fell completley into the hole, the blade was held shut very securely. Also, the blade was almost impossible to open (I can close the 200 lb Captains of Crush grippers, it's not my hands that are the problem :D ) using the thumbstud. I know that I've seen this style of detent on the flippers in the past, I assume to ensure a solid flip open, but is this how all of their knives' detents are now?
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Yeah, I'm not familiar with the 630 but I think that's the thing where ZT openly says the studs are only for supplying 'stop pin' strength now and not meant to ever open the knife anyway. I first saw them proclaiming that when I bought my 560/561's, even though mine worked equally well opening by stud or flipper at the time.

I'm of mixed opinion on it as well......
 
EChoil said:
Yeah, I'm not familiar with the 630 but I think that's the thing where ZT openly says the studs are only for supplying 'stop pin' strength now and not meant to ever open the knife anyway. I first saw them proclaiming that when I bought my 560/561's, even though mine worked equally well opening by stud or flipper at the time.

I'm of mixed opinion on it as well......
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That is true of the flippers, however the 0630 is the Emerson collaboration and has the thumb disk, not studs.
 
kniferbro said:
I'm pretty sure that's how all their detents are set up now, even current runs of older knives (like the 0562).

The way I see it is ZT is ensuring a nice detent for the life of the knife, instead of focusing on how the detent is straight out of the box. Personally I prefer a knife to have a stiffer detent brand new but break into perfection, rather than having a perfect detent brand new and then breaking into a lazy detent. You can find many reports especially on the 0452cf where many users were initially upset with the stiff detent, even to the point of wanting to sent the knife in, only to report back a week later about how perfectly awesome the detent broke in.



:D
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This is the case. I acquired a 452cf a couple weeks ago and it was nearly impossible to open at first. Now, after a couple thousand flips it's one of the best flippers I've ever handled. You do have to be pretty particular about finger placement though; get a finger on the frame lock anywhere near the top and it won't budge.
 
venemous said:
This is the case. I acquired a 452cf a couple weeks ago and it was nearly impossible to open at first. Now, after a couple thousand flips it's one of the best flippers I've ever handled. You do have to be pretty particular about finger placement though; get a finger on the frame lock anywhere near the top and it won't budge.
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That setup doesn't make sense for a hard use knife. Can a dude with gloves guarantee that some portion of one of his fingers isn't on the lockbar? What about if you're in an upside down car, your right hand is disabled, three fingers on your left hand are missing, and you can't open that SAAWEEET knife because, damn it, it flips so well under the perfect circumstances but no other time.
 
bodog said:
That setup doesn't make sense for a hard use knife. Can a dude with gloves guarantee that some portion of one of his fingers isn't on the lockbar? What about if you're in an upside down car, your right hand is disabled, three fingers on your left hand are missing, and you can't open that SAAWEEET knife because, damn it, it flips so well under the perfect circumstances but no other time.
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I agree 100%. It's not a work knife, it's not going to work well in gloves or with freezing or damaged hands. The carbon fiber probably wouldn't hold up to real hard use. It's a pretty toy, nothing more. And that's exactly why I got it.
 
Yep--jus got a new 0630 and I can't open it with the thumb disk... it has to do with the detent and position/ angle of the disk. Even take my finger off the lock bar... and my hands are not the problem either (long time martial arts practitioner). It waves real nice and is ridiculously smooth otherwise. I put a custom ti deep carry clip on it, and I absolutely love it. I can get it open with the disk if I really concentrate and position my hand just--just--right.
 
My ZT 0630 opens just fine with the disk, with either hand.
Not with heavy gloves though...I just tried it with my Kevlar lined winter gloves, and then it was a two-handed opener.
To be fair though, many knives are difficult to open with heavy winter gloves.
 
bodog said:
That setup doesn't make sense for a hard use knife. Can a dude with gloves guarantee that some portion of one of his fingers isn't on the lockbar? What about if you're in an upside down car, your right hand is disabled, three fingers on your left hand are missing, and you can't open that SAAWEEET knife because, damn it, it flips so well under the perfect circumstances but no other time.
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Yeah, I've got the same issue with an 808. It flips more crisply than my 801, but if I'm not paying attention to it when I flip it and have a finger on the lockbar it won't budge. Very irritating when I just need it for something small, pull it out of my pocket, go to open and... no sharp.
 
bodog said:
That setup doesn't make sense for a hard use knife. Can a dude with gloves guarantee that some portion of one of his fingers isn't on the lockbar? What about if you're in an upside down car, your right hand is disabled, three fingers on your left hand are missing, and you can't open that SAAWEEET knife because, damn it, it flips so well under the perfect circumstances but no other time.
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Do guns shoot themselves? No. Do cars drive themselves? not usually, No. Do planes fly themselves? in most cases no. In any case where a human needs to operate a mechanical device he must learn how to use the item effectively. Is a apache helicopter NOT a hard use military aircraft because you cant fly one? Just because a knife wasnt designed specifically to fit your desires doesnt mean its wrong. It means it wasnt designed for you. Any folder. And I mean any folder in gloved hands will not be guaranteed of anything if the user doesnt learn how to properly use that tool. And bodog you certainly know better by now than to play the what if game. We could run that argument into the dirt just like every other time so lets cut the head of this beast and just say "what if your in an upsidedown rollercoaster and your decapitated and you cant open your heavy detent knife because your head cant communicate with your body" its a stupid argument because any knife in any situation you can play the what if game effectively as there are no limits to what ifs.
 
following this logic, is it possible that after amfew more thousand flippings it eventually becomes lazy detent? I am not challenging you, just trying to find out if it may be the case. am going through the break in stage of my new 452.
 
sharp_edge said:
following this logic, is it possible that after amfew more thousand flippings it eventually becomes lazy detent? I am not challenging you, just trying to find out if it may be the case. am going through the break in stage of my new 452.
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Yes, it will gat smoother and stay strong. I haven't wore and down to a week detent so far.
 
venemous said:
I agree 100%. It's not a work knife, it's not going to work well in gloves or with freezing or damaged hands. The carbon fiber probably wouldn't hold up to real hard use. It's a pretty toy, nothing more. And that's exactly why I got it.
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Awesome answer!
 
sharp_edge said:
following this logic, is it possible that after amfew more thousand flippings it eventually becomes lazy detent? I am not challenging you, just trying to find out if it may be the case. am going through the break in stage of my new 452.
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I have no idea. Ask me again in a few years[emoji1] From what I've read it will sort of settle in to a certain point where the wear seems to pretty much stop.
 
PURPLEDC said:
Do guns shoot themselves? No. Do cars drive themselves? not usually, No. Do planes fly themselves? in most cases no. In any case where a human needs to operate a mechanical device he must learn how to use the item effectively. Is a apache helicopter NOT a hard use military aircraft because you cant fly one? Just because a knife wasnt designed specifically to fit your desires doesnt mean its wrong. It means it wasnt designed for you. Any folder. And I mean any folder in gloved hands will not be guaranteed of anything if the user doesnt learn how to properly use that tool. And bodog you certainly know better by now than to play the what if game. We could run that argument into the dirt just like every other time so lets cut the head of this beast and just say "what if your in an upsidedown rollercoaster and your decapitated and you cant open your heavy detent knife because your head cant communicate with your body" its a stupid argument because any knife in any situation you can play the what if game effectively as there are no limits to what ifs.
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I have literally no idea why you responded to me when the guy I was talking to agreed and gave a perfectly reasonable answer in return. He knows what he has and isn't fooling himself into believing he has that knife for anything else. The man likes what he likes and is happy with it, so why are you saying anything to me that's contradicts what that man feels? He seems perfectly capable of carrying on his own conversation and questions asked of him.
 
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