Wow, this thread got a lot of replys! Thanks to everyone who shared their thoughts on the subject!
While I can't respond to each post individually I'll try to reply to each suggestion made.
Buy more pants and jeans.
...after just wearing them a few months. I just buy more pants.
Our society seems to be moving more and more toward treating everything (not just material goods but that's another discussion altogether) as disposable.
If I break the handle on a shovel or axe I attempt to repair it first instead of just buying a new one.
Everything wears out, knives, pants, cars, and many other things. You can prolong the life of anything but eventually there is a end.
Exactly what I'm trying to do! If I spend the money for a high performing product I want to maximize it's service life!
I certainly don't expect a pair of jeans to last forever but my problem now is that before the jeans actually wear out the pocket is shredded to the point where I end up wearing another pair over them.
Get rid of the clips, carry using a different method.
If I asked for advice because my car was leaking oil would you say "just start walking everywhere!"
I love pocket clips and think they're genius! I can carry my folder in a way where I always know exactly where it is and it's quickly accessible!
Two advantages that are absent from deep carry.
Carry In Waist Band (IWB). Its thicker material, and no one can see the wear anyway
I do it most of the time.
I carry my knife IWB almost everyday at work because I wear jogging pants under my coveralls and it's the most comfortable and accessible method.
But I find it less comfortable when wearing jeans and certainly less convenient than clipped to my pocket. Plus... how will other knife nuts spot me when they can't see my folder clipped!?
If the wear is on the inside of the pocket, the handle is too rough. If the wear is on the outside of the pocket, the clip has a burr. Pocket clips are stamped out in a die that leaves a drag burr on the under side of the clip. Remove and inspect your clips for drag burrs and file or stone them off. Use an old nylon stocking to test for burrs.
We can reduce the frictional coefficient by polishing all contact areas of the pants and knife, including the handle and clip...
Great suggestion(s)! I'll be checking all my pocket clips for burrs! Will report back on what I find.
Perhaps put carbon fiber scales on your most carried knife?
Start carrying titanium framelocks.
I carry frame locks almost exclusively and when I don't carbon fiber is my handle material of choice! Only exception (right now) is one of my five Military's that has g10, the rest are ti or cf.
I certainly agree that these materials are less wearing on denim than g10 would be but eventually they still contribute to pocket wear.
Get a new girlfriend. Problem solved.
I was trying to add a little humor to my post, not really an issue.
I find my pockets actually become much more fragile and offer less clip security after the seam on top is worn through and it's just one layer of denim exposed.
The other way is to reduce the "Normal force", which is the force the pants exert on the clip, the only way to reduce this is by loosening the clip.
Loosening the clip isn't really an option I want to explore because some of my knives are quite costly and I don't want to always be worried they may fall off.
Ultimately new jeans are cheaper than new knives!
Some of the Wrangler Riggs Workwear pants have leather patches on wear area of the pockets. The 5.11 pants have extra material sewn in on wear areas of their pockets. Tru-Spec pants have separate side seam knife pockets to free up main pockets. Some companies actually think about us knife users.
I'm always wary of sticking out by looking 'tactical' and generally pants that cater to knife users (5.11, Tru-spec, etc) don't help me blend in.
This is one of the main reasons I avoid belt sheaths, the other being speed and easy of accessibility doesn't compare to pocket clip carry.
If I could find a company that makes a pair of ordinary looking jeans that are comfortable and have stealthily reinforced pockets they would have a new lifetime customer!
I add one or two small rubber "O" rings(can be found at your auto parts store) and slide them around the clip, and push them to the top. The top of my pocket should now rest on the rubber instead of the metal clip.
Another excellent idea! I'll be giving this a try for sure!
You can also put an iron on denim patch inside your pocket where the handle material is with some stitching for added strength.
This is a great idea! Although I may go one step further and order some abrasion resistant fabric and have it sewn into the inside of my jeans between the pocket lining and the denim.
If I actually do this I think it will merit it's own thread so I can update with progress as the jeans wear.
