Carrying a modern folder in my pocket (no clip).

Status
Not open for further replies.
BMCGear

BMCGear

Gold Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2014
Messages
6,910
I've come to the conclusion that I would like to get away from pocket clips. I don't need anyone posting the benefits of them as I am already aware as I have carried them for years. My issues have been tearing up my pants, as well as furniture, coming unclipped or bending the clip, scratching items they come in contact with, and not liking the clip in the palm of my hand. Usually I carry a larger knife so I recognize that I'll down size some for easier pocket carry. I don't want to go traditional though because I don't want to lose one hand opening. Who else is doing this successfully? I imagine that 3 oz or less with a 4 inch or less handle close to ideal for pocket carry.

Leaning towards a small Sebenza or mini grip possibly? Something along that size and weight.
 
Last edited:
Well, on the cheap side I regularly carry a Cold Steel Tuff Lite loose in my pocket. Just don't feel much need for a clip on a knife that small. It replaced my Spyderco Dragonfly which was just a bit too small for my hands. I will say I prefer FRN or a relatively smooth handle material if I'm carrying loose in the pocket so it doesn't tear up/get torn up by the other stuff I throw in my pockets.
 
Insipid Moniker said:
Well, on the cheap side I regularly carry a Cold Steel Tuff Lite loose in my pocket. Just don't feel much need for a clip on a knife that small. It replaced my Spyderco Dragonfly which was just a bit too small for my hands. I will say I prefer FRN or a relatively smooth handle material if I'm carrying loose in the pocket so it doesn't tear up/get torn up by the other stuff I throw in my pockets.
Click to expand...

I have thought about a mini grip as well.
 
I'd say any knife with good blade retention would be an easy no-clip carry option. Lockbacks are a no-brainer for that route - I don't know if I'd trust a linerlock/framelock, though.

Axis locks, piston locks, captive bearing locks, and button locks would also be safe options.

I've never really had an issue with clips damaging things or suffering anything but minor scratches. Maybe you should just be more aware of your body relative to your environment...? I'd be too worried about a knife falling out of my pocket, honestly.
 
bluemetalchurch said:
I have thought about a mini grip as well.
Click to expand...

Maybe a leather slip for in pocket carry would suit you? I've seen some very handsome ones that seem like they lend themselves well to quick retrieval and would help protect something like the Sebenza you mentioned. I've thought about one myself, but the knives I carry loose aren't nice enough to justify one. ;)
 
Comeuppance said:
I'd say any knife with good blade retention would be an easy no-clip carry option. Lockbacks are a no-brainer for that route - I don't know if I'd trust a linerlock/framelock, though.

Axis locks, piston locks, captive bearing locks, and button locks would also be safe options.

I've never really had an issue with clips damaging things or suffering anything but minor scratches. Maybe you should just be more aware of your body relative to your environment...? I'd be too worried about a knife falling out of my pocket, honestly.
Click to expand...

It's not that this happens often or on a regular basis but over the years of carrying a pocket clip things have happened. Some clips are also sharper/more prone to getting caught on things than others. I tore a whole in my chair at the house which bums me out and made me rethink if a clip was really "worth it".
 
I've been carrying the Spyderco Vallotton on and off without a clip for a little while now. The handle on that knife demands it go clipless.

The handle gets scratched on keys a lot and it's annoying when you have to re-orient the thing when you sit down and the knife is laying across your leg instead of parallel with it, and I certainly don't recommend climbing or doing any activity where the contents of your pockets might fall out, but it is fun going clipless sometimes.
I currently have ideas about sewing off a section of my pocket to separate the knife from my wallet and keys, if I did that it would probably be perfect 99% of the time.
 
I carry a ZDP/CF Caly 3 in pocket at work. One consideration is that the closed back design keeps coins/keys/etc. from ruining an edge.
 
bluemetalchurch said:
I've come to the conclusion that I would like to get away from pocket clips. I don't need anyone posting the benefits of them as I am already aware as I have carried them for years. My issues have been tearing up my pants, as well as furniture, coming unclipped or bending the clip, scratching items they come in contact with, and not liking the clip in the palm of my hand. Usually I carry a larger knife so I recognize that I'll down size some for easier pocket carry. I don't want to go traditional though because I don't want to lose one hand opening. Who else is doing this successfully? I imagine that 3 oz or less with a 4 inch or less handle close to ideal for pocket carry.

Leaning towards a small Sebenza or mini grip possibly? Something along that size and weight.
Click to expand...

I loathe pocket clips.

I think you're heading in the right direction in terms of size. Like, you I like larger knives. I find that as handle length goes up, the more I need the knife to be flat. My Buck 500 Duke and my Case Sodbuster (both flat) carry better than my Opinel #9 (round). Flattening the Opinel helps a bunch.

Weight also matters. I can pocket carry the Case Sodbuster but my Buck 110 is just a bit too heavy.

Note, I can deal with knives in the 4 1/4 range and suspect you can too!!
 
Cynic2701 said:
I carry a ZDP/CF Caly 3 in pocket at work. One consideration is that the closed back design keeps coins/keys/etc. from ruining an edge.
Click to expand...

Hadn't thought about that. But it would be easy to ruin the edge of a Sebenza in pocket.
 
I have a clipless Mini Grip in my pocket as we speak. Never had a problem with it opening on me. I also carry my PITS, Spy-DK and a slew of traditionals loose in pocket and I've never had a problem with any of them either. I got bit one by my Higonokami but I really could/should have seen that one coming.
 
I've carried a ZT0770 (aluminum handled) loose in my pocket. I've done it with a few other knives, as well; but, as Cynic said - coins, keys, etc can contact the edge. What I've found to be a bigger problem is a coin or key getting alongside the blade (knife wedge closed, blade scuffed/scratched)
 
In pocket, I toss in a Dragonfly with no clip if the pocket is deep. Otherwise, a Subcom is my loose knife of choice because it is so wide and flat that it really stays put and hidden. It isn't that hard to make a pocket insert for larger knives though. Cut out a back jeans pocket to make a sleeve of cloth, open at one end. Trim it down to half its length, glue in a thin, stiff piece of plastic across the length to keep it flat. Clip the knife in, or leave it loose, choose the place you want it to ride and glue the cloth down at the sides to make a pouch around it. I can carry a Yojimbo or Manix 2 vertically like this, they stay in the right place and the insert blurs the outline too. When I draw them out the drag of the denim and the width of the insert keep it in the pocket, never had an issue with it coming with the knife. It's a lot cheaper than getting one of the nice leather ones, and the hardest part of making it was the wife snickering about "arts and crafts" as I was hot gluing everything together.
 
Try canal street cutlery's pinch air lockback in bone linen. At $75 its a gorgeous no clip option.
 
As per an other thread on the subject of pocket clips; I loathe pocket clips fastened directly on smallish knives and/or flashlights as well. The way ahead is the much smaller suspension clip IMO.
 
I've carried my Native 5 LW in pocket and it just disappears, it's got great retention so the blade has no chance of opening up, and it's a great size for general utility.

I've also carried a Svord Peasant in-pocket, but the spur on the back of the blade makes it a little bigger in-pocket.
 
BitingSarcasm said:
In pocket, I toss in a Dragonfly with no clip if the pocket is deep. Otherwise, a Subcom is my loose knife of choice because it is so wide and flat that it really stays put and hidden. It isn't that hard to make a pocket insert for larger knives though. Cut out a back jeans pocket to make a sleeve of cloth, open at one end. Trim it down to half its length, glue in a thin, stiff piece of plastic across the length to keep it flat. Clip the knife in, or leave it loose, choose the place you want it to ride and glue the cloth down at the sides to make a pouch around it. I can carry a Yojimbo or Manix 2 vertically like this, they stay in the right place and the insert blurs the outline too. When I draw them out the drag of the denim and the width of the insert keep it in the pocket, never had an issue with it coming with the knife. It's a lot cheaper than getting one of the nice leather ones, and the hardest part of making it was the wife snickering about "arts and crafts" as I was hot gluing everything together.
Click to expand...

I'm having trouble picturing this. Do you have pics?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top