ZT0561 Draw Technique

T

tocohillsguy

Joined
Jan 3, 2012
Messages
37
I have a ZT0561. Love the knife, but I can't draw and deploy it quickly. When it's carried tip-up in my pocket, it sits so deep my finger can't reach the flipper. Also, when I grab it to pull it from my pocket, I seem to put more tension on the clip making it harder to pull from the pocket. If I flip the clip, so the knife is tip down, it's easier to extract the knife by pinching it between my thumb and trigger finger, and then rotate the handle of the knife into my hand to get to the flipper. I'm just wondering if I'm doing something wrong when I extract the knife when carried tip up, or if others experience a similar issue.
 
Not necessarily. Some people just prefer tip down, others tip up. Both require a pinch and a rotate, just different directions.
 
Also, think about the position of the knife in your pocket and the configuration of the knife itself. When tip up and you draw the flipper is essentially on the far end. When it's set up for tip down, the flipper is right there at the top.

While not terribly different motions it can make a difference when using a bigger knife, especially with the addition of a deep carry clip.
 
I like to carry my flippers tip down, especially my 0561. It lets me draw (with thumb and middle finger), deploy (with index finger), and grasp the knife in one smooth movement, with no need to reposition my grip.
 
Try this: when you draw it your thumb goes deep in your pocket, your hand is now along the length of the knife....you grasp the entire knife, index finger tip now at the bottom of the clip, and slip it out of the pocket gripping knife and clip tip. Your finger is now right at the flipper...
 
I carry my ZT0561 as a workhorse, not a fast deployment tactitool. Get an emerson if you want fast deployment.
 
EChoil said:
Try this: when you draw it your thumb goes deep in your pocket, your hand is now along the length of the knife....you grasp the entire knife, index finger tip now at the bottom of the clip, and slip it out of the pocket gripping knife and clip tip. Your finger is now right at the flipper...
Click to expand...


^^This
 
EChoil said:
Try this: when you draw it your thumb goes deep in your pocket, your hand is now along the length of the knife....you grasp the entire knife, index finger tip now at the bottom of the clip, and slip it out of the pocket gripping knife and clip tip. Your finger is now right at the flipper...
Click to expand...
Thanks. This is helpful. Also seems to work if I use the middle finger to pull up from the end of the clip. Loose pants and flimsy pockets still present a problem, but jeans work fine. Maybe the clip tension will weaken with time.
 
DAVE_M said:
I carry my ZT0561 as a workhorse, not a fast deployment tactitool. Get an emerson if you want fast deployment.
Click to expand...
It's nice to be able to deploy and close the knife with one hand (even when one isn't interested in being a mall ninja).
 
It's nice to be able to deploy and close the knife with one hand (even when one isn't interested in being a mall ninja).
DAVE_M said:
I carry my ZT0561 as a workhorse, not a fast deployment tactitool. Get an emerson if you want fast deployment.
Click to expand...
 
Some people claim they are faster with tip-up, others claim they are faster with tip-down. I regularly carry about 6 different tip-up knives and about 6 more tip-down knives and find that I am faster with tip-down. I still carry both types though. There is not that much time difference and for most of my uses it really doesn't make any difference.

I do have a 0561 and it is about like other tip-up knives for me. I pull it out and I have to reposition it in my hand before I can open it. The biggest difference I find with the 0561 is that the deep-carry clip design makes it harder for me to draw. I have a Benchmade 890 and it presents the same problem. With other knives I pull out the knife by pinching the end between my thumb and first finger. With a deep carry clip I can't do this, I have to use my first finger on the bottom tip of the clip to push it up and out of my pocket. This operation is a little more difficult and less reliable than pinching the end of the knife, so I prefer having lots of knife sticking out that I can grab.
 
DAVE_M said:
Point being, I deploy my ZT0561 one handed and have no issues. Deep carry isn't for everyone.
Click to expand...

I operate all 12 or so knives in my EDC rotation one-handed every time, but some are slower for me than others, at least slightly slower. It doesn't keep me from carrying any of them.
 
DAVE_M said:
I carry my ZT0561 as a workhorse, not a fast deployment tactitool. Get an emerson if you want fast deployment.
Click to expand...
This.

tocohillsguy said:
It's nice to be able to deploy and close the knife with one hand (even when one isn't interested in being a mall ninja).
Click to expand...

That is what practice is for. If you try different techniques you find the one that works best for you. The clothing you wear makes a lot of difference in the speed of the action. It's not QD friendly because it has a deep carry clip. Most knives with deep carry clips make for poor QD blades, I don't think I have seen an exception to the rule yet. The tighter your pockets, thicker the material and seams the worse time you will have, regardless of what knife it is.

By the way, Emerson knives are not exactly mall ninja, just need a little hand eye coordination. That is what Mantis and Quartermaster knives are. Emerson knives are just no BS get the job done tools. Whatever the job might be. The reason Emerson knives can be QD is because there is at least an inch of the knife sticking up above the seam of the pocket, gives the user something to grab onto so when they pill the knife they don't need to go fishing in their pocket.
 
RevDevil said:
This.



That is what practice is for. If you try different techniques you find the one that works best for you. The clothing you wear makes a lot of difference in the speed of the action. It's not QD friendly because it has a deep carry clip. Most knives with deep carry clips make for poor QD blades, I don't think I have seen an exception to the rule yet. The tighter your pockets, thicker the material and seams the worse time you will have, regardless of what knife it is.

By the way, Emerson knives are not exactly mall ninja, just need a little hand eye coordination. That is what Mantis and Quartermaster knives are. Emerson knives are just no BS get the job done tools. Whatever the job might be. The reason Emerson knives can be QD is because there is at least an inch of the knife sticking up above the seam of the pocket, gives the user something to grab onto so when they pill the knife they don't need to go fishing in their pocket.
Click to expand...

The zt0561 is the only knife that gives me an issue, but it's also my largest folder. The technique mentioned on this thread helped. I have a deep pocket clip on my zt0350 and I have no problem deploying it. I also have an Emerson mini commander. It's easy to deploy, but it's been modified and I'm not that comfortable with its lockup.
 
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