ZT 0560 / 0561 BEWARE lockbar may stick

Rondel

Rondel

Joined
Jul 3, 2015
Messages
94
Brand new out of the box ZT 0560BLK. Due to the chemical properties of the alloys, titanium sticks to steel. 6AL4V sticks to Elmax steel. It's chemistry. Most manufactures fix this by installing a steel tip on the end of the titanium lock bar. Not on this knife. You can pry it open with another knife or use your other thumbnail to pry it open but you can forget about unlocking it with one hand. This has already been back to ZT once to address the issue. They put some oil on the end of the lock bar and sent it back.
 
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If I'm not mistaken, since the 2nd gen. they have a steel lock bar insert. Maybe try to sending it in again and explaining the situation, hopefully they can just replace the lock side with the new one.
 
Design flaw, I think not. Might be a problem with your knife though. I suggest washing it out with hot soapy water and see if that helps.
 
Mine is the older version without the lockbar insert and it functions just fine.
 
bodog said:
Mine is the older version without the lockbar insert and it functions just fine.
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Well what can I say. There is simply no way I can unlock this thing just using my right thumb. You can feel that it was stuck when it does release, it kind of pops. I called ZT and they said they will make things good. We shall see. I'm sure Rick isn't real happy about having his name on the thing.

I have seen some knifes that instead of a steel insert on the end of the lockbar they have milled it out and poured steel in the hole, or the tip is carbidized. Correct me if I am wrong but the Hinderer knifes are carbidized on the tip.
 
Rondel said:
Well what can I say. There is simply no way I can unlock this thing just using my right thumb. You can feel that it was stuck when it does release, it kind of pops. I called ZT and they said they will make things good. We shall see. I'm sure Rick isn't real happy about having his name on the thing.

I have seen some knifes that instead of a steel insert on the end of the lockbar they have milled it out and poured steel in the hole, or the tip is carbidized. Correct me if I am wrong but the Hinderer knifes are carbidized on the tip.
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I'm sure Rick is just fine with his name on them or he wouldn't keep letting them do it. On one hand you get a knife thats hard to close, on the other you get a knife thats too easy to open. Most of RHK knives also operate at like 5% lock up. You decide which you like better if any of those issues are acceptable at all.
 
A sticky lockbar is no fun, but it is part of the game with some knives that don't have the lockbar insert.

You have to open and close the knife until the end of the lockbar gets some work-hardening on it -

Few of the examples I have seen have ever had a lockbar that was so sticky that you had to pry it away from the tang to close it, but the couple that were like that were frustrating until I got them "worked in".

Maybe you should try the dealer that sold it to you and see if they have another example, and try it out?

Good luck with your knife, I have to say I love my 560s and none of them exhibit the issue you are seeing.

best
mqqn
 
I think ZT realizes that lock stick and lock wear could be an issue. That might be why they switched over to a lockbar insert. I love my 0562, I bought it because it had the lockbar insert. I couldn't find any nrxt gen 0560 with it at the time.
 
I have an early Gen I (Serial No. 1139) that I don't use much anymore, but I carried it for a fair while. It has no issues with the lockbar sticking to the Elmax blade.

There are some lubricating chemicals that can make the ti/steel contact sticky.
 
I read somewhere and tested out myself that simply taking a plain old #2 pencil and rub the graphite on the sticking surface helps tremendously.
 
bodog said:
I'm sure Rick is just fine with his name on them or he wouldn't keep letting them do it. On one hand you get a knife thats hard to close, on the other you get a knife thats too easy to open. Most of RHK knives also operate at like 5% lock up. You decide which you like better if any of those issues are acceptable at all.
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I just find it hard to believe that ZT thinks that a sticky lockbar is OK, you just have to deal with it and it may work itself out. I have seen a hundred 0560 videos on youtube and none of them show any problems with the lockbar like mine does here: [video]http://www.julieculley.com/temp/zt.mp4[/video]
It looks like the lockup is about 40% on the tang. I keep flipping it open hoping that one of these times it will work! Not gonna happen.
 
I have a 0561 with the steel lockbar insert. I've never had any problems with a sticky or stuck lock.
 
PSUJoe said:
I read somewhere and tested out myself that simply taking a plain old #2 pencil and rub the graphite on the sticking surface helps tremendously.
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well I guess you can tell this is my first titanium frame lock. The pencil trick worked! I opened it about 30 times then the graphite started to wear off and I hit it again and it is opening now, still pretty stiff but I can open it with one hand now. Thanks for the tip!!
 
Rondel said:
I have seen a hundred 0560 videos on youtube and none of them show any problems with the lockbar like mine does here:.
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Doesn't that say something to you? I understand that you're frustrated; but "Never EVER buy one due to design flaw" seems a bit extreme in light of your other statement. If you'd seen a hundred videos, and 25 of them showed that same problem, then you'd have something. Heck, even 10% would be a serious issue.
I'm not saying you're an isolated case - just that your approach here is a bit off.

BTW - when you sent it back to ZT; did they tell you what they did?
 
hhmoore said:
Doesn't that say something to you? I understand that you're frustrated; but "Never EVER buy one due to design flaw" seems a bit extreme in light of your other statement. If you'd seen a hundred videos, and 25 of them showed that same problem, then you'd have something. Heck, even 10% would be a serious issue.
I'm not saying you're an isolated case - just that your approach here is a bit off.

BTW - when you sent it back to ZT; did they tell you what they did?
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I changed the title, too harsh I suppose.

They said they 'adjusted' the lockbar. I don't think they adjusted the stabilizer, the screw looks like it has never had a screwdriver in it. They said they sharpened it too, I could not tell. It came back with a lubricant on the blade, wierd stuff I have never seen before. I did pretty much jump the gun on my assessment, but still, I don't think it's carbidized so they did nothing to address the steel on titanium issue. Just miffed me a little, thats all. Of all the videos out there I have not found one with the sticking problem. I am not real picky either, heck I can deal with a little side to side blade play (which this knife has absolutely none), being a hair off center with the blade does not bother me. I don't think being able to unlock it with my thumb is too much to ask.. It's all good though, I clean my knifes regularly so on this one I just need to hit the blade tang with a pencil and life is good!
 
Rondel -

Maybe the 560 is not right for you.

The G10 is cut the same on all of the 560s, and it is no a problem for tens of thousands of people. Some people have chosen to grind that material out of the scale, but that has never been an implication on the operation of any of the 560s or variants that I own.

In fact, I probably would not have noticed that at all unless some nit-picker posted here years ago, when the 560 was a new design....

best

mqqn
 
Have the 560 with no problems, but have encountered the lockbar stick on a few other folders. I use graphite powder as a lube (in moderation) - which is pretty much the same principle as a pencil. Just a bit higher in purity and more controlled in terms of particle size. It generally does the trick for me. All in all, the 560 has does well by me and is one of my preferred EDC's
 
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