Clip-o-nomics

V

Vee3

Joined
Oct 16, 2006
Messages
82
Having just recently come back into knives after many years of not paying any attention to newer designs, I'm kind of surprised at the wide acceptance of clips on so many of them. They're obviously quite useful (Carrying a large folder in a pocket would be a pain without one), but after handling many I feel they are very uncomfortable in the hand compared to knives without them.

I mean, here you have a boat-load of knives with beautifully erganomic handles of fancy-feeling material, then a chunk of bent sheetmetal that doesn't allow your hand to fully contact them is stuck smack-dab in the middle. That's kinda odd to me (?) Maybe I'm too "old school." (We used to carry big ones on our belts for the most part). If "bigger is better" now (That seems to be the trend), I guess a clip is the best way to go. I suppose it's a compromise between erganomics and practical pocket carry.

If a pocket clip somehow became practical for use on handgun grips, I don't think many would accept them no matter how well they worked.

Oh well - I'm not too fond of all these new-fangled clip dealies, but I like many of the knives a lot. I wish more of the neat designs were a bit scaled-down and made with a slightly stiffer closing mechanism for comfortable and safe bottom-of-pocket carry.
 
I'm not a big fan of belt-clips either, for the same reasons. One nice thing about them that I've noticed, the clip is usually secured to the grip material itself with 2 or 3 simple hex screws. So if you really like a particular knife, except for the clip, it's dirt-simple to remove without harming the knife one bit; it's not a structural part. The clip and its screws can be retained for later resale, etc. If you're really anal about it, put a drop of super glue in the empty screw-hole so it doesn't fill up with gunk, and the edges of the hole don't get chipped.

I carried (sometimes still do) a Buck 110 (surely one of the heavier folders around) in my back jeans pocket, under my wallet, for many years. Never had any problem getting to it quickly, nor did the weight pull my pants off. I didn't like to advertise my "armed" status with a belt sheath, and I never once wished I had a clip on it.

I do have a $20 Craftsman lockback utility knife (quite solid, by the way, I'm very pleased with it) which I carry by the clip on my belt at work. I use it VERY often, but not for more than several seconds at a time, so the clip doesn't have a chance to wear on my hand. In this case, I find the belt clip useful. But if the clip fell off for some reason, I'd still keep and carry the knife.

IMHO belt-clips are generally more of a fad than a true design improvement, and will fade away with time like all other trends.

Good grief, I think I used up my monthly allotment of parentheses in one post...
 
You must be an old fart.:D
(I mean that in the best possible way.)

Most people have gotten used to and appreciate the clip. The best designed ones have clips you hardly notice or feel. I think Boker or some other brand just came out with a knife that has a clip that retracts when you open the knife. (Perhaps another poster can help me point out the exact knife.) And you can still get good knives that have no clip.

Notice that nearly all of the knives that have clips have screws that allow them to be removed. Even the clips that don't swap to the other side for left-hand carry still come off. Knife manufacturers know that there are still people out there, like you, who don't care for them and give you the option to take them off.

If that doesn't work for you, companies like Case and Schatt & Morgan, etc. are still making nice multiblade pocket knives. (I'm still looking for a nice Congress myself)

Bladeforums has a very diverse crowd. You will soon meet many people with many knife suggestions that'll make you happy. With or without clips.:)


[Oh, by the way, they DO make clips for handguns. It's called Clipdraw. Look them up for laughs.]

.
 
Hi Vee,

In 1981 a new knife company caled Spyderco invented the use of a pocket clip (among other things) attached to the side of a knife for convenient carry and access.

By 1990, most of the industry had picked up on the pocket clip idea and now it is almost universal in the industry.

Some clips are better than others and some research will be necessary on your part to "catch up".

Hope that helps.

sal
 
Each of my three new pocket folders has a clip. Each knife is a different size, different blade geometry, different handle design and different handle material. Tho I initially had the same concern--that the clip would get in the way or be uncomfortable, I find I don't notice the clip on any of the three of them in using the knife.
 
I have a box full of clips. The first thing I do with a new knife is remove the clip.
 
I think the clip is genius. For me, the slight drop off in ergonomics is more than made up for by easy access, especially if you are balanced on a ladder or in some other precarious position. Plus it allows for extra pocket space for keys, phones, lights etc.

Kel-tec also makes a pocket clip for their 9mm pistol. I like that, too. :D

Jack
 
I usually will look past a knife without a clip. They're one of the greatest addition to modern folding knives in general. However, I have taken the clips off of all of my knives before just to see how they feel without the clip, and they are consistantly more comfortable with the clip removed. As Sal pointed out, some knives have better designed clips than others. Many quality clips can hardly be noticed in the hand and on some knives may actually increase grip.
 
I happen to like pocket clips very much. I think that the pocket clip is one of the greatest additions to folding knives. And I DO untilize them for a variety of carry on my person. To each his own. Some clips are better than others, as Sal pointed out. I like 'em, and I keep the clips on my knives.
 
I collect both clipped and clipless knives. I've never felt that a clip interfered with gripping the knife. I don't think they're a fad, they'll be with us a very long time.
 
Another alternative is the William Henry clipcase approach -- the clip attaches to an inside-the-pocket sheath. This leaves the knife clipless, but you still get the faster access associated with a clipped knife. I really like the way it works.

- Mark
 
I have a bunch of clipped folders. I am glad the one that is attached to the tang end is the Feild and Stream made by CRKT because that knife is a piece of crap and the clip is very uncomfortable on that end of the handle. My other knives (excellent ones) have the clip attached to the lanyard end, which are barely noticeable when gripping the handle.

The SOG Auto Clip one (discontinued) is made of plastic and adjusts tension with the turn of a dial (quite nice especially since I got one and no one makes them anymore). Since it is made of tough plastic which is smooth it adds to the grip. The big drawback is that it is made for a right hander and can't be removed and put on the other side.
 
Mark J said:
Another alternative is the William Henry clipcase approach -- the clip attaches to an inside-the-pocket sheath. This leaves the knife clipless, but you still get the faster access associated with a clipped knife. I really like the way it works.

- Mark
Click to expand...

I carry my Umfaan in one of WH's clip sheaths. I really like them. I had totally forgotten about that, until YOU mentioned the clip case. It is an EXCELLENT way to carry a clipless knife.
 
I like clips, myself, because I find that they serve as a really good anchor to safely open and close the knife. I can't use my Grip nearly as proficiently without a clip because I can't feel confident on my grip on the knife without the clip. It's a big help!
 
By age, I probably count as an old fart also. (remember: the last stage before "sage" is "old fart")
But, once I discovered knives with clips, I found that I carried clipless knives far less often. I wear jeans pretty much all the time. Black for work, blue for home. Jeans have deep pockets and I carry a lot of stuff in them. Traditional knives tend to end up at the bottom of my pockets and I have to fumble to get at them.

I found that clipping a thin knife in my back pocket made it easy to grab, hard to lose, and impacted neither sitting nor standing comfort. It was also pretty discrete, especially knives with tip down carry. Didn't have fumble to grab the knife.

Since I don't use a knife for more than a few minutes at a time, holding the knife handle with the clip has never been a comfort issue.
 
Some clips are better than others...a properly designed clip lets a finger rest on the closing groove of it and it fits pretty comfortably that way. For those who don't like clips, I don't really see a loss for them either, since it takes less than a minute to remove most of them.
As a kid, I'd carry my 110 knockoff (is there any other way to carry a 110?) loose pocket, but I had to pay pretty good attention that it didn't just slip out when I was sitting down. The only time I ever lost a knife was when I was carry my D2 minigrip loose in my pocket for some reason and it fell out. It took me a month, but I found it stuck in the inner machinery of my car seat. After that, I went to 99% clipped carry, but occasionally I carry my little Lightfoot folder with a lanyard in my pocket for meetings, etc.
 
Vee, go to the knifemakers forum at this same site and look in the folders for sale by knifemakers. T.A. Davison is very active there and makes the exact type of knife your looking for. His work is beautifull and they are all (from what I've seen) classic styled pocket carry knives sans clip and other modern hubub. Deppending on what materials are used I think his prices are very low for the quality and the fact that its not a factory knife.
 
donovan said:
I think the clip is genius. For me, the slight drop off in ergonomics is more than made up for by easy access, especially if you are balanced on a ladder or in some other precarious position. Plus it allows for extra pocket space for keys, phones, lights etc.

Kel-tec also makes a pocket clip for their 9mm pistol. I like that, too. :D

Jack
Click to expand...


Yes my P40 has that too...:)
 
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