I only have one, a 0562 Ti version. It is worth every penny that I gave for it, although I did add a set of Taco bearings that made it even better. I can vouch for the blade steel being very good also. At deer camp, it cleaned and processed four deer and was still as sharp as when I started. It was easy to clean up to make it look like new again. That is the kind of performance that gets my money.
I just saw this lock fail video I've been hearing about. I don't make a habit of spine whacking my knives but I can honestly I've never ever had a ZT that had even a touch of lock rock. I've owned customs that where over a thousand dollars that had lock rock, lock slip and lock fail but never a ZT. So I don't know what this guy did but I don't but it. I just went thru 20 zt's that I own and everyone is ROCK Freaking SOLID.
I own two ZTs, a 0562 and a 0393. Both locks will fail if you whack the spine...the 0393 failed with a very light single strike. Not so worried about the 0562 since your hand holds the lock bar in place under normal use but the 0393 has those G10 scales, making that a little sketchy...
I think spyderco is flat OVER PRICED. I have 1 spyderco and 8 ZTs. No comparison. ZT has hit the spot for the best quality PRODUCTION knife before moving into custom knives. A custom knife will just get you a more unique / limited production item. It won't be any better that a ZT. Perhaps a bit more rare.
@takez L Dig into the comments in that video. You'll find the uploader may not be super trustworthy. There was a discussion on BF about this guy. Really though, you should buy a ZT, use it, and decide for yourself.
I’m looking to cop the 350ts but will this really last I really love the design but money’s not a factor and I’m looking at ratworx chain drive and sabenza obviously that’s a huge gap but the same materials are being used s30v vs s35 vn I do plan on beating the knife up as well do any of these stand out.
Under normal use, I find that Spyderco, ZT, Benchmade, Emerson, etc perform extremely well. I dont care too much about how the locking mechanism reacts to force from odd angles. Downward cutting pressure is the only force I'll ever apply to it.
Tested my nine zt's yesterday after seeing videos of lock failures. I spine tapped, not whacked them. Four of the nine failed miserably. I'll never trust them or purchase another one.
Ya with all the force you'll be applying to the spine under normal use, how could you trust them? Its not like their primary function is cutting or anything...
@@metal_complex If I was cutting into something and the blade got stuck and I had to back it out upwards, then I wouldn't trust it to stay locked. It took very little force for the frame lock to disengage. I love zt's and I didn't want this to be true, but unfortunately, there is a flaw in their design. My $50 Real Steel and Bestech's don't disengage under the same stress. A $220+ zt should be able to handle it. Built like a tank? Proudly over built? I think not.
@@abc456f you forget that when you're spine testing the lock, your hand is not holding the lock bar in position like it would be under normal use. Your hand will keep that lockbar from failing under pressure. If you're going to be applying enought torque to the blade for the lockbar to potentially fail, you're going to be squeezing that lockbar, which will keep that from happening. The entire test is meaningless because it doesn't factor this in. Until someone can calculate the exact amount of force (pressure) your hand is applying to the lockbar during this type of use, and then apply that amount to the frame lock during the spine wack test, it proves nothing.
@@metal_complex A lock shouldn't have to depend on my hand pressure to make it secure. I'm not looking for an argument. I saw videos showing this problem and I just ignored them. But when I tested my knives, I was shocked at how easily the zt's failed. If you're interested, I have a 0452cf, 0462, 0562, and 0393sw that I will be selling. For me, they are just paper weights now. I'd ask you to check out neroknives video on zt lock failures. Don't you think it says something when other knives do not fail under the same stress? You'd still have equal confidence in two knives, one which fails and one that doesn't? These were light taps. I can understand when you see videos of guys slamming the spine of a knife with all their force on a hard piece of wood and after 10 or 15 whacks, the lock fails. I placed a rubber mat over the edge of my dresser and it only took one or two taps and the locks failed. I only moved the blade less than six inches bringing it down. I'd love to be convinced these knives are safe, ZT has been my favorite brand. I own more of them than any other brand. But if you do a little research, you'll see this is a known issue. The geometry of the interface between the lock face and tang is off. I had to send my 0452cf in for warranty because there was play in that area. When I shook the knife you could hear it rattle. ZT did fix it, but one light tap and the lock bar slides off the tang. My liner locks don't do it, my other frame locks don't do it. Some of my other zt's don't do it. Doesn't that indicate a problem? I enjoy your videos and believe you are knowledgeable so I very much appreciate your opinion. But can you honestly blame me for having reservations about these knives? Am I just being unreasonable doubting their construction? Sorry for the long comment, but I'm looking at over $1000 in knives that I'm legitimately leery of carrying. Thanks for replying, have a great day.
All that test proves is that under a "certain" amount of pressure under "certain" circumstances, the lock will fail. The same could be said about ANY lock, even the triad. ALL locks WILL fail given enough force. People fail to consider this. The spine wack test became a popular method for testing lock failure because it was simple to demonstrate, and deceptively conclusive. NOT because it was relevant to "normal use". Lock failure is easy to demonstrate in this fashion, particularly in frame locks... not just ZTs, but ANY framelocks. Basically what I'm saying is, if someone wanted to prove how unreliable a particular locking system is, all they would have to do is create a test in which that particular lock style fails. It doesnt even matter if the circumstances in which the lock failed are realistic or not. Consider this: "If you create enough downward torque on a triad lock folding knife, the lock will fail!" ... Well, yes. It will. But are you going to be applying that much force in reality? "Well, no, but it shouldnt matter! The lock should hypothetically withstand that force because technically, there are circumstances where it could be applied!" This is nonsense.
Try pressing the lock bar over to the show side when open. I find that every zt I’ve had has that issue. I have to send them in and them problem solved..
And I was the guy that was talking about the tilick bar not slipping. Of course geometry plays a part as well. But apples to apples the ti won’t slip. Nutnfancy popularized the steel lock bar because he battoned a frame lock with no insert and destroyed it. Fun fact with a titanium lock up, the more it is opened properly the harder the face becomes ( according to Greg Medford) . Makes sense though. It pushes the molecules closer together. Like someone forging a sword hitting it with a hammer. Well made frame lock settling in and staying in that spot forever backs that up. Chris reeve says not to flick the sebenza, what he means is using wrist to do it, or “inproperly” the blade will bounce off the pin and mushroomthe lock face causing late lock up. One place a steel insert is better. I could go on haha. Don’t wanna blow up your channel great vid!
I remember watching one of Medford's videos where he talks about that. He called it "work hardening" I believe. And I have also heard that about the Sebenza! Not sure where I read it. I find info like this extremely interesting. And no worries! I enjoy this type of discussion! 😁
Metal Complex yes exactly work hardening. And after that occurs the face is good and hard. Only a few point behind what most makers like zt harden their inserts at. I quoted Greg Medford because I’m not sure it is right haha
I luv zt your friend should experience diversity he can see what else is out there it’s kinda like hooking up with a type of girls out there if he only tried 2 there are a lot of other girls out there that blows them away in there own way to the point where you will ever dislike zt or spydy it’s just to see what else is out there depends on budget but there are better knives but I will always come back to zt but it was fun and still fund checking other girls oops I mean knives. 0393 is thumbstub usable. Peace complex your content is awesome
I just watched the spine whack-a-mole lock failure on ZT knives, and it pisses me off. I only own 2 ZTs the best two in my opinion The 0452CF Sinkevich, and the 0562Ti Hinderer. Neither of these had ANY lock fail..is there a conspiracy against ZT?
RUclips's like to use cars for quite a few good reasons. ☝🏻 Mainly for sound quality both good sound deadening inside and sound proofing from outside noises. Most cars are designed with excellent audio acoustics they have to be able to isolate engine noises Tire noises Etc.
They're both. That's why they're textured. It's so your thumb can catch when you're deploying it that way. The 0562 is an example of ones that are purely meant as stops because they have no texturing.
I only have one, a 0562 Ti version. It is worth every penny that I gave for it, although I did add a set of Taco bearings that made it even better. I can vouch for the blade steel being very good also. At deer camp, it cleaned and processed four deer and was still as sharp as when I started. It was easy to clean up to make it look like new again. That is the kind of performance that gets my money.
I’ve never had a lockup failure on a ZT. I love my ZT knives. I’ll take them over any of my WE knives any day
Ricky-“I think the flipping on a ZT is better than the hinderers you have”
MC-“…………get the f@$k out of my truck”
I just saw this lock fail video I've been hearing about. I don't make a habit of spine whacking my knives but I can honestly I've never ever had a ZT that had even a touch of lock rock. I've owned customs that where over a thousand dollars that had lock rock, lock slip and lock fail but never a ZT. So I don't know what this guy did but I don't but it. I just went thru 20 zt's that I own and everyone is ROCK Freaking SOLID.
I feel exactly the same way 👍
I own two ZTs, a 0562 and a 0393. Both locks will fail if you whack the spine...the 0393 failed with a very light single strike. Not so worried about the 0562 since your hand holds the lock bar in place under normal use but the 0393 has those G10 scales, making that a little sketchy...
I have a ZT0350 as my EDC since a little after launch and has almost been on my hip ever since.
i ened up with a spear point blade and a bowie hinderer eklips instead andthey are a semi quality jump
I think spyderco is flat OVER PRICED. I have 1 spyderco and 8 ZTs. No comparison. ZT has hit the spot for the best quality PRODUCTION knife before moving into custom knives. A custom knife will just get you a more unique / limited production item. It won't be any better that a ZT. Perhaps a bit more rare.
I like Spyderco, but I get where you're coming from.
@takez L Dig into the comments in that video. You'll find the uploader may not be super trustworthy. There was a discussion on BF about this guy. Really though, you should buy a ZT, use it, and decide for yourself.
What I noticed from all channels:
Just get one Sibenza, you will never get tired of it. Like a timeless music album by Pink Floyd
I’m looking to cop the 350ts but will this really last I really love the design but money’s not a factor and I’m looking at ratworx chain drive and sabenza obviously that’s a huge gap but the same materials are being used s30v vs s35 vn I do plan on beating the knife up as well do any of these stand out.
The Sebenza is probably your best bet for Longevity. Fewer parts. More basic construction. Near perfect build quality.
Metal Complex thx
Still have my Benchmade 940, 15 years and no failures. Knock on wood
Got a new sub! And I am totally the same way with the bigger knives. I’m drawn to them
Funny though how "overbuilt" is still weaker than some spyderco. Their framelock always fails in light testing. Pretty damn easily
Under normal use, I find that Spyderco, ZT, Benchmade, Emerson, etc perform extremely well. I dont care too much about how the locking mechanism reacts to force from odd angles. Downward cutting pressure is the only force I'll ever apply to it.
I've spine wacked my Para 3 and the compression lock failed, same with a delica. Not my 0562cf though. Spine wack tests are dumb either way.
Try some waterproof marine grease on the bearings, I promise you'll never use oil on bearings again
Actually the 0095 bw is the spyderco of zt knives. Nice and thin behind the edge!
Thats true!
Tested my nine zt's yesterday after seeing videos of lock failures. I spine tapped, not whacked them. Four of the nine failed miserably. I'll never trust them or purchase another one.
Ya with all the force you'll be applying to the spine under normal use, how could you trust them? Its not like their primary function is cutting or anything...
@@metal_complex If I was cutting into something and the blade got stuck and I had to back it out upwards, then I wouldn't trust it to stay locked. It took very little force for the frame lock to disengage. I love zt's and I didn't want this to be true, but unfortunately, there is a flaw in their design. My $50 Real Steel and Bestech's don't disengage under the same stress. A $220+ zt should be able to handle it. Built like a tank? Proudly over built? I think not.
@@abc456f you forget that when you're spine testing the lock, your hand is not holding the lock bar in position like it would be under normal use. Your hand will keep that lockbar from failing under pressure. If you're going to be applying enought torque to the blade for the lockbar to potentially fail, you're going to be squeezing that lockbar, which will keep that from happening. The entire test is meaningless because it doesn't factor this in. Until someone can calculate the exact amount of force (pressure) your hand is applying to the lockbar during this type of use, and then apply that amount to the frame lock during the spine wack test, it proves nothing.
@@metal_complex A lock shouldn't have to depend on my hand pressure to make it secure. I'm not looking for an argument. I saw videos showing this problem and I just ignored them. But when I tested my knives, I was shocked at how easily the zt's failed. If you're interested, I have a 0452cf, 0462, 0562, and 0393sw that I will be selling. For me, they are just paper weights now. I'd ask you to check out neroknives video on zt lock failures. Don't you think it says something when other knives do not fail under the same stress? You'd still have equal confidence in two knives, one which fails and one that doesn't? These were light taps. I can understand when you see videos of guys slamming the spine of a knife with all their force on a hard piece of wood and after 10 or 15 whacks, the lock fails. I placed a rubber mat over the edge of my dresser and it only took one or two taps and the locks failed. I only moved the blade less than six inches bringing it down. I'd love to be convinced these knives are safe, ZT has been my favorite brand. I own more of them than any other brand. But if you do a little research, you'll see this is a known issue. The geometry of the interface between the lock face and tang is off. I had to send my 0452cf in for warranty because there was play in that area. When I shook the knife you could hear it rattle. ZT did fix it, but one light tap and the lock bar slides off the tang. My liner locks don't do it, my other frame locks don't do it. Some of my other zt's don't do it. Doesn't that indicate a problem? I enjoy your videos and believe you are knowledgeable so I very much appreciate your opinion. But can you honestly blame me for having reservations about these knives? Am I just being unreasonable doubting their construction? Sorry for the long comment, but I'm looking at over $1000 in knives that I'm legitimately leery of carrying. Thanks for replying, have a great day.
All that test proves is that under a "certain" amount of pressure under "certain" circumstances, the lock will fail. The same could be said about ANY lock, even the triad. ALL locks WILL fail given enough force. People fail to consider this. The spine wack test became a popular method for testing lock failure because it was simple to demonstrate, and deceptively conclusive. NOT because it was relevant to "normal use". Lock failure is easy to demonstrate in this fashion, particularly in frame locks... not just ZTs, but ANY framelocks. Basically what I'm saying is, if someone wanted to prove how unreliable a particular locking system is, all they would have to do is create a test in which that particular lock style fails. It doesnt even matter if the circumstances in which the lock failed are realistic or not. Consider this: "If you create enough downward torque on a triad lock folding knife, the lock will fail!" ... Well, yes. It will. But are you going to be applying that much force in reality? "Well, no, but it shouldnt matter! The lock should hypothetically withstand that force because technically, there are circumstances where it could be applied!"
This is nonsense.
No non flippers in current production. The 0550 was a thumb stud folder. Great knife. Phosphorus bronze washers and thumb stud.
Try pressing the lock bar over to the show side when open. I find that every zt I’ve had has that issue. I have to send them in and them problem solved..
And I was the guy that was talking about the tilick bar not slipping. Of course geometry plays a part as well. But apples to apples the ti won’t slip. Nutnfancy popularized the steel lock bar because he battoned a frame lock with no insert and destroyed it. Fun fact with a titanium lock up, the more it is opened properly the harder the face becomes ( according to Greg Medford) . Makes sense though. It pushes the molecules closer together. Like someone forging a sword hitting it with a hammer. Well made frame lock settling in and staying in that spot forever backs that up. Chris reeve says not to flick the sebenza, what he means is using wrist to do it, or “inproperly” the blade will bounce off the pin and mushroomthe lock face causing late lock up. One place a steel insert is better. I could go on haha. Don’t wanna blow up your channel great vid!
I remember watching one of Medford's videos where he talks about that. He called it "work hardening" I believe. And I have also heard that about the Sebenza! Not sure where I read it. I find info like this extremely interesting. And no worries! I enjoy this type of discussion! 😁
Metal Complex yes exactly work hardening. And after that occurs the face is good and hard. Only a few point behind what most makers like zt harden their inserts at. I quoted Greg Medford because I’m not sure it is right haha
Except there’s that 0850
I luv zt your friend should experience diversity he can see what else is out there it’s kinda like hooking up with a type of girls out there if he only tried 2 there are a lot of other girls out there that blows them away in there own way to the point where you will ever dislike zt or spydy it’s just to see what else is out there depends on budget but there are better knives but I will always come back to zt but it was fun and still fund checking other girls oops I mean knives. 0393 is thumbstub usable. Peace complex your content is awesome
ZT0550 is a Hinderer designed thumber.
0850 thumb studs amazing action
Rest pm2 is one of the best edc ever along with bm940
I just watched the spine whack-a-mole lock failure on ZT knives, and it pisses me off. I only own 2 ZTs the best two in my opinion The 0452CF Sinkevich, and the 0562Ti Hinderer. Neither of these had ANY lock fail..is there a conspiracy against ZT?
To each there own
why are you In a car? lol
RUclips's like to use cars for quite a few good reasons. ☝🏻
Mainly for sound quality both good sound deadening inside and sound proofing from outside noises. Most cars are designed with excellent audio acoustics they have to be able to isolate engine noises Tire noises Etc.
That is NOT a thumb stud on the 0300 it's meant to be a Blade-Stop!
They're both. That's why they're textured. It's so your thumb can catch when you're deploying it that way. The 0562 is an example of ones that are purely meant as stops because they have no texturing.
Lol why is ricky in the vid, just as a prop?? 99% MC is talking.
He's a professional left leg model.
Big NO
zt is one of the worse companies. start using the knifes before recommending shit. google zt lock failures
Just wack the spine *lightly* and see if you feel safe using ZT knives.
For me NO; too public unfriendly for sheeple.