0801 Go or No

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Raging Rhino said:
I love mine but I think there must be something wrong with the bearing pivot...it seems to have excess drag...it actually whistles during blade rotation...and feels like it's rubbing. The pivot has worked itself loose twice now, forcing me to retighten. I've taken it apart to clean, polish, and lube the moving parts, with no substantial improvement. It definitely does not meet the description of smoothness that everyone else describes, but is nonetheless very solid, pretty and functional. I think the minor kinks will work themselves out with time and use. I still REALLY like this knife and think is a darn near perfect edc.
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I've had a few do this to me after moving the pivot screw. Get yourself some blue loctite and use just a tip of a toothpick, adjust it to the perfect spot for you and then let it set up. The bearings should smooth out with more use, although I cant say I've ever heard someone say that theirs whistles!
 
Raging Rhino said:
I love mine but I think there must be something wrong with the bearing pivot...it seems to have excess drag...it actually whistles during blade rotation...and feels like it's rubbing. The pivot has worked itself loose twice now, forcing me to retighten. I've taken it apart to clean, polish, and lube the moving parts, with no substantial improvement. It definitely does not meet the description of smoothness that everyone else describes, but is nonetheless very solid, pretty and functional. I think the minor kinks will work themselves out with time and use. I still REALLY like this knife and think is a darn near perfect edc.
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The thing is if there is drag with your 0801 it is most like not the pivot that is the problem. The majority of all drag on a bearing flipper is actually due to the lockbar and the detent ball. The stronger the lockbar pressure the more resistance the blade is going to have in its travel. I have a few bearing pivot knives that the detent ball and lockbar strength are so great that it almost completely defeated the purpose of bearing pivot to begin with. One trick you can try with your 0801 is to take a very small dab of grease and get it into the detent hole of the blade. Take care not to get it on the face of the lock. What this does is it lubricates your detent ball every time it seats itself into the blade. It grabs a small amount of grease each time you close the knife helping to reduce drag every time you open it. The whistling you are hearing is most likely the vibratory effect of the detent ball riding on the blade as it is deployed. Similar to how a needle on a record creates sound or nails on a chalkboard. Using the grease in the detent hole should quiet that as well.
 
Make sure it's a PTFE grease. Greases and oils that aren't PTFE impregnated may cause more drag on the detent ball.
 
I bought a ZT-0801 from Kershaw Guy. It has become my favorite EDC, hands down!!

That's saying something because I currently have a 0560, 0551, Spyderco Southard, and the new Spyderco Green Paramilitary!
 
Just buy your wife something expensive that she wanted to balance it out. I tell my boyfriend, "You want a fancy computer upgrade? Fine. Buy me a ZT 0550" and here I am with one and he has what he wants. :p
 
sticktodrum said:
Make sure it's a PTFE grease. Greases and oils that aren't PTFE impregnated may cause more drag on the detent ball.
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hmm, I havent run into this. But thats definitely not to say it doesnt happen. The two that I use are Millitec grease and tuff glide High slip grease. I dont believe either is PTFE.
 
Could be that they're greases made for metal to metal contact. I've had odd luck with more generic lubricants.
 
PURPLEDC said:
hmm, I havent run into this. But thats definitely not to say it doesnt happen. The two that I use are Millitec grease and tuff glide High slip grease. I dont believe either is PTFE.
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I've used both Slip2000 grease and Tuff Glide on the detente and both seemed to work fine, the Tuff Glide a little better than the grease (probably just a viscosity thing).

Besides, pregnancy scares me a little...
 
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PURPLEDC said:
The thing is if there is drag with your 0801 it is most like not the pivot that is the problem. The majority of all drag on a bearing flipper is actually due to the lockbar and the detent ball. The stronger the lockbar pressure the more resistance the blade is going to have in its travel. I have a few bearing pivot knives that the detent ball and lockbar strength are so great that it almost completely defeated the purpose of bearing pivot to begin with. One trick you can try with your 0801 is to take a very small dab of grease and get it into the detent hole of the blade. Take care not to get it on the face of the lock. What this does is it lubricates your detent ball every time it seats itself into the blade. It grabs a small amount of grease each time you close the knife helping to reduce drag every time you open it. The whistling you are hearing is most likely the vibratory effect of the detent ball riding on the blade as it is deployed. Similar to how a needle on a record creates sound or nails on a chalkboard. Using the grease in the detent hole should quiet that as well.
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Thanks for the advice...I'll give that a try.
Mine functions just fine....but the squeaking sound and rubbing feeling (i.e., lack of smoothness) is mildly displeasurable. Even with the rubbing...it still opens and closes easily . The pivot screw loosening itself is not cool however...then again I was opening it and closing it excessively to work it in... I will grease and locktite it as suggested. It is definitely one of my favorite EDC knives. Very strong and solid while being sleek and refined at the same time...great knife.
 
I love this knife. I actually bought 2. It's great. My only nitpick is, I hate words on the handles of my knives. I dont understand why it was deemed necessary for this knife. This minor nitpick takes nothing away from this incredible knife. Just my only personal and very minor grievance.
 
godsmyjudge said:
I love this knife. I actually bought 2. It's great. My only nitpick is, I hate words on the handles of my knives. I dont understand why it was deemed necessary for this knife. This minor nitpick takes nothing away from this incredible knife. Just my only personal and very minor grievance.
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I think its another damned if you do, damned if you dont. I would bet for every person who would prefer the logo be left off the handle you will have someone (like me) who actually likes it. Just like im sure there are people who like the way they decided to do the logo on the production model and those (again like me) who would have preferred it be inset like the prototypes. Simply different strokes.
 
Right. It wasn't really a complaint, just a statement of my personal preference. I think of all the knives I own which have words on the handle, the 801 is the most subtle, and tastefully done. I still just prefer a handle without writing on it though.
 
I really liked the 3D machined logo from the SHOT Show. Now that it's filtered down I'd rather do without it. While on personal preferences I'll chime in again that the clip should've been titanium/chrome like at SHOW Show. Additionally, the pivot screw and other screws also titanium colored. Just my personal preference to enhance the looks. Of course, others may like the contrasting black accents. They won!
 
Ok, I caved. My next ZT was going to be the 770, but according to USPS I'll have a new ZT0801 by tomorrow afternoon. Damn you ZT! And damn you NGK!
 
I placed an order for one back at the first of this month, but it was late at night and after my second dose (pain meds I am on due to the spinal stroke I had a year ago ) of morphine, oxycodone, lyrica, tramadol, and baclofen, and in the famous words of Richard Pryor," them narcotics will make you null and void boy":eek::D. So the next day I canceled the order and begin to read up some more on this knife. I'm more of a big knife type guy, and the ZT0600 is right down my alley and has been in my pocket since the day it arrived. I also like a smaller knife, with a ~3.5" blade, as long as it is built stout with a little bit of weight to it to give a solid feel in the hand. My ZT0550 Gen 2 has that at 6 ounces and I like the feel of it in my hand. So I think the stout build of the 801, with a weight of 5.8 ounces, AND a full titanium handle, will be perfect for me. So yesterday, before I took anything, I emailed the internet shop I deal with and reserved an 801 that will be here middle of next week. I am really looking forward to getting it!!:thumbup::)
 
Wow! This thing is a tank of a knife! It's very comfortable in the hand, and is about the same size as the ZT 550. It's pretty cool that they built the lockbar stabilizer into the steel lockbar insert. The pocket clip is a larger version of the one found on the Kershaw Cryo. I don't have a Cryo 2, but maybe it's the same with the logos changed? The blade is thinned out on the top, but then back to full size about 1/2 in near the edge so that when you look downwards at the knife, it looks like the top of the knife gets thin, then fat, then thin again. The flipper action is FANTASTIC, so I can see why they didn't need thumb studs/blade stops. If I were to change one thing, it would be to put some jimping on the top of the blade like the ZT 550. No regrets about getting this knife.
 
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