Stupid people...

Okay, that's not nice of me to say, but there was a discussion on another forum about a video a guy put out showing how ZT knife locks failed with a spine whack.

https://youtu.be/RiVuR5wcn7I

Now, I'll concede, I don't mind his actual reasoning, pointing out some design flaws or lack of tolerances, but my issue is the actual testing...

His knife whack test are no different than limp-wristing a handgun and saying the gun has a design flaw. It's simply absurd and why would you hold a knife like a pansy and smack the back of the blade???? In all my years, I've never seen or experienced a knife failure like that. Can they happen? Sure, under very extreme conditions and likely the wrong tool for the job. Liner locks have been known to disengage if the knife is twisted severely, even lock-backs can disengage if hit hard enough...but are those uses realistic? I'm not really a knife-abuser, but I'll push the limits of a folder for some tasks...knowing the limitations.

Maybe I just don't get it. I don't hold my knife loosely and whack on the spine of the blade...it's a test, but I question the validity from a user's perspective. I'm not giving ZT a pass as they should have tighter tolerances to avoid loose lockup, but try and replicate it by actually holding the blade as you normally would. For the flipper actions, the blade doesn't collapse on your and for the frame-locks, I can't get the locking bar to "jump" off. The video is like limp-wristing a pistol; it's going to cause a malfunction because you're not using it properly. There are a lot of hypothetical, "what if" scenarios, but I just can't buy the OP's post of that video. I've carried folders for almost 30 years in the military, deployments around the world, and four combat tours, and I'm using several here in Afghanistan right now.

Again, I'm not giving an excuse to the poor execution from ZT, but those that think this is such a crisis have likely never used their knives in an abusive environment and are seriously over-reacting to a nonsensical test to induce lock failure. If you fear hard use will result in lock-failure, put your folders up and stick with fixed blades. Sorry, but I'm not very sympathetic to the outrage and fear...and yes, I've used ZTs pretty hard over here and I'm still counting all ten digits. I've used other frame-lock and liner locks over the years and never had a concern like the video above.

I actually don't mind the analysis from the guy in the video, but the testing method is simply absurd from a real-use perspective.

So, I beat on the spine of the opened blade while holding in my hand like a normal person. The only one I was concerned about was the ZT 0630. I used a roll of 100mph tape and beat on it as hard as the video. No failure (thank goodness). I even did a couple "accidental" whacks on the underside of the table in my room.

So, I call B.S. on the pansy method of testing lock failure. Limp wristing isn't a valid testing method. I will say that the flipper knives do offer an extra measure of security by using your finger to secure the blade open even if "whacked" on the spine disengages the liner/frame lock. I think many are really over-analyzing the failure without addressing actual application. I just don't care for those that use hypothetical, "what-if" scenarios to scare themselves into needing a "safe-zone" from locking folders....

This isn't so much about ZT knives, but frame-lock and liner lock knives in general. I would prefer a Tri-Ad/lock-back, Axis lock, or even a plunge lock for extremely hard-use (for a folder), but for normal hard-use, these folders are perfectly fine.

I had a real long, hot day of work...maybe I'm just being over-sensitive myself

ROCK6

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Stupid people...