ZT0550 questions!

L

Ltk

Joined
Dec 28, 2013
Messages
23
hey guys, just got my 3rd higher end knife today as a christmas gift from my dad

its a ZT0550 hinderer design, with s35vn blade steel and i love it!

i have a couple questions for you pros. first, i know that its a manual folder, but i cant open it with my thumb on the thumbstud at all. ive tried so hard my thumb is now bruised. ive opened it about 50 times now using my other hand to get it started. is this normal, will it get easier? if not i may trade it for an assisted opener

and my last question, is there anywhere i can get a very good quality scale to replace the plain black one? thanks guys!

image1_zps32980a7d.jpg


image2_zpsc70691c3.jpg


image3_zps43eb1e72.jpg
 
Last edited:
The 0550 opens differently than other folders. If you're trying to push the thumbstud out at a typical 45* angle you will have a hard/difficult time for sure. It really requires that you push straight forward on the stud. If you do you'll encounter much less resistance. Also, be sure you're not holding the lockbar with your other fingers.
 
I posted this today.....

I hated my ZT 0550 When I first bought it. Damn thing was impossible to open one handed. After a month of two handed openings and it not getting better, I ended up sending it to ZT....came back in a few days. They said they could find nothing wrong with it, yet it now opens smooth as butter. Now I feel it is a great knife.
Click to expand...

Also, put your middle finger in the lock bar cut out under the clip and use the frame edge as leverage. This positions the fingers away from pushing down on the lockbar.

BTW, this is an issue with the 0550....plenty of threads about this. Give it time, it will break in. Or send it to ZT and it will magically fix itself while traveling through USPS.
 
The other posters are spot on regarding the opening issue you're experiencing. As far as a nice replacement scale, get in touch with ShepardCC on the forums here. He does some incredible work with a plethora of materials, and I can attest that it is even more impressive in hand than in photograph. Here is his thread.
 
thank you guys! i will open it several thousand times and see what happens haha

okay i will get in touch with him and see what i can do!
 
The ZT0550 is a beautifully made, heavy-duty EDC knife that is all but indestructible, especially with the S35VN steel. But it's never going to be a good flipper because the thumb stud is located too close to the pivot. That proximity doesn't give it the leverage needed for easy flipping.

Over time, the detent ball will wear and you'll learn from practice the easiest way to use the thumb stud, but it's never going to be a good flipper.
 
Loosening the pivot screw about a 8th of a turn will help too. It will wear in eventually but loosening the screw just a tiny bit really helps. Gator scales makes some nice replacements as well.
 
+1 for pushing up on the thumstud and not out. My 0550 fires open with authority using a slight upward flick my thumbnail on the thumbstud. I found that using your nail and "flicking" it upward is the best method. This thing is actually a beast of a flipper once your figure it out! Either way don't feel bad, you are not the only one that has ever had this issue! Another guy that makes awesome scales is Suingab from Lithuania. He has a thread in the exchange under Custom Knife makers--->Services offered. Good luck!
 
The best way I have found to open the 0550 is by using both thumb studs. I use my thumb and index finger (one on each side, of course), and it shoots right out. I've actually come to prefer this method, and use it on my 0560 as well (as an alternative to flipping it). With a little practice it'll become second nature to open it this way.
 
In my case, I found that a small grip change made a big difference. I had my index finger squeezing a little on the lockbar when trying to open, which effectively held the detent even more firmly in place. By shifting my fingers off the lockbar (index finger sits near the pivot, and middle finger on the pocket clip), it opens quickly and easily. And once it wears in a little, the opening action becomes incredibly smooth (the blade practically swings freely on mine when the lockbar is pushed out of the way).
 
im afraid to mess with the pivot screw lol. maybe i should get an assisted opening one. which one do you guys prefer? manual folder or assisted?
 
flarp said:
In my case, I found that a small grip change made a big difference. I had my index finger squeezing a little on the lockbar when trying to open, which effectively held the detent even more firmly in place. By shifting my fingers off the lockbar (index finger sits near the pivot, and middle finger on the pocket clip), it opens quickly and easily. And once it wears in a little, the opening action becomes incredibly smooth (the blade practically swings freely on mine when the lockbar is pushed out of the way).
Click to expand...

so it changes that drastically just with normal use? i have a benchmade with the axis locking mechanism that also swings pretty much freely, thought it was just becoming a little too "worn"
 
Ltk said:
so it changes that drastically just with normal use? i have a benchmade with the axis locking mechanism that also swings pretty much freely, thought it was just becoming a little too "worn"
Click to expand...

I've seen that on several of my knives as they wear in. My 0550, some Benchmades, my PM2's, and others exhibit that type of movement with the detent or Axis lock completely retracted out of the way.
 
well hopefully this one does as well! it feels really nice in hand, im surprised that i actually like it a lot better than my benchmade 586
 
I have manual folders, assisted, and flippers. I don't guess I like any one type more than the other. They're all unique in their own ways.
 
I would back off of the pivot little by little if you're still having issues. Personally, I loosen all of mine a bit and then tighten it just enough to take out any blade play. Also try a small drop of oil in the detent hole.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top