Okay, I'm a believer in the pencil treatment...

Uncle Malice

Uncle Malice

Joined
May 13, 2012
Messages
692
Last week I ordered both a 1st gen and 2nd gen ZT 0550. The 1st gen came first and the lock up was perfectly smooth just my 0301 and 0303. I did notice that the detent and pivot was a little tight as I had heard so often about the 1st gen models. All in all, I was very pleased and couldn't wait to get the 2nd gen.

The 2nd gen showed up on Tuesday of this week and I noticed that the detent and pivot were much more smooth. The only 'problem' so-to-speak was that the lock up stuck.. bad. I had a similar issue on my 0560 when it was new but after a day of playing with it, it broke in nicely. This 2nd gen 0550 has been a bear all week. If I flip it open hard, it unlocks easily enough but if I open it controlled and allow it to click right in it locks up to the point where I usually cant even unlock it without using a makeshift prybar (I was using the flat blade on my swiss army knife to release it).

I have spent 3 days working on this and it was just not breaking in any further. I was to the point that I was probably going to call Kershaw and have it sent in for repair... doing some searching, I found recommendations of putting pencil lead(graphite) on the lock bar surface and blade contact surface... this didn't make any sense to me, but I figured I would give it a shot before I sent the knife off.

Well, I grabbed a mechanical pencil about 30 min ago and got started. I put as much as I could on there without it just falling off and worked it for a little while. It seemed to actually be a little easier, but still a bit tight. After 50-100 opens/closes I reapplied the pencil and kept going... It seems that it's completely worked itself out. I'm rather shocked. Is it just a small bits of graphite sitting in the machining marks that are allowing it to slide? Am I going to have to reapply the pencil after it eventually comes off or is this a permanent solution that somehow allowed the surfaces to mate properly?

I'm thrilled that this worked... I just don't really understand WHY it worked. Any help would be awesome. Thanks guys!
 
As an update, I'd just like to say that the pencil treatment definitely wasn't permanent. After playing with it for a while it became just as sticky again. I'm trying to pencil it again. Is there anything permanent that can be done short of sending the knife to Kershaw?
 
Try permanent marker, it worked well on my 0200. I can't recall if I applied it to both surfaces or just the locking surface on the blade. I thought it was just the one but I could be wrong
 
Try permanent marker or continue using pencil.

I used pencil on my Strider SnG and in the beginning it would only last about a dozen openings and now, 5 months later, a single application of pencil lead easily lasts a month. Give it time.
 
I tried the Sharpie method too. It works well for a little bit... but they both wear off quite quickly. I ended up just contacting BHQ for an exchange. Should have it next week. Love the knife though.

It's weird that the gen1 is perfectly buttery smooth. Hopefully the new gen2 will be that way.
 
...or don't give it time. ;)

If you can easily get it replaced with a better working model, you would be stupid not to.
Let us know how the replacement functions. I hope your luck is better this time around.
 
Haha, yeah, that's kinda what I was thinking. They have superb customer service so I figured I'd give it a shot. If the next one comes the same way I'll just abuse my thumbs for a while and hope it breaks in! I'll update back for sure.
 
I bought a Wilson Combat Eagle a while back and the lock was a bit sticky. Since I'd been giving the Nano Oil a try lately, I put a drop on the lock face. Things got considerably worse (not complaining about the Nano Oil - it works great for everything else). I couldn't even move the lock off off the blade lock face with my thumb. I tried the pencil method and it helped immediately but the lock was still a bit sticky. I did have to reapply it a few times during the next couple of weeks (I'm not a flipper monster by any means) but the lock does work perfectly now. Not sure why the oil did what it did - maybe let the lock move a bit deeper? Mike
 
Mike157 said:
I bought a Wilson Combat Eagle a while back and the lock was a bit sticky. Since I'd been giving the Nano Oil a try lately, I put a drop on the lock face. Things got considerably worse (not complaining about the Nano Oil - it works great for everything else). I couldn't even move the lock off off the blade lock face with my thumb. I tried the pencil method and it helped immediately but the lock was still a bit sticky. I did have to reapply it a few times during the next couple of weeks (I'm not a flipper monster by any means) but the lock does work perfectly now. Not sure why the oil did what it did - maybe let the lock move a bit deeper? Mike
Click to expand...

Oil on the lockface tends to make stickiness alot worse. Sharpie or graphite are the way to go. Although graphite can allow more lock slip as it wears in more, but seems to last longer than sharpie.
 
Maybe some kind of commercial graphite lubricant with an additive to make it stick to surfaces would last a little longer?

Or try one of the teflon lubricants that claim to penetrate/coat metal after a few applications.
 
Go to a locksmith supply and get a bottle of graphite in a rubber container with a small tube on the end. Just squeeze it and the graphite "blows" out the tube and onto the lock face. Better and lasts longer than a pencil. One container will last for years. Only drawback is it can be messy, but is easily cleaned up with a rag.

Blessings,

Omar
 
The new 550 was delivered today! Tracking showed out for delivery yesterday but it never showed. Weird... but anyways. I got the new one and it's absolutely perfect. Lockup is nice and smooth. I put the kryptoglow scale I had ordered for the old one on it. Nice and smooth. Overall fit and finish seems better on this one too. The finish on the titanium seems nicer. Serial number is 6274. If I remember correctly, the serial number of the old one was in the 3XXX range.

Really digging the knife. Obligatory pics, even though they aren't great quality. I'll get some better ones later.

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