Ever remove clips and thumbstuds for comfort?

H

holymolar

Joined
Aug 8, 2011
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I recently removed the clip and thumbstud from my SOG Twitch I for deep pocket carry. The thumbstud is too close to the frame to use and I don't need a clip for such a small knife. Much more comfortable now. Don't know why I didn't think of this before. Anyone else do this kind of thing with some of your knives?

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part of the reason I turned towards traditionals is because of the things you mentioned here. great mod btw
 
What did it take to remove the thumbstuds from your Twitch? I've put off removing them from mine, because I didn't know how easily they'd come off. I have the Twitch I, Twitch II and the XL (a.k.a., the small, medium and large). My main issue with thumbstuds is, sometimes they get in the way when sharpening a blade.

I've gravitated towards traditionals also, for much the same reason. It is convenient to be able to put on or remove the clips & such, but I never liked the look of the empty screw holes left behind. Makes a knife look like it was left unfinished, and leaves me on the fence, trying to choose between maintaining the look of the knife, or opting for better ergos/carry.
 
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I like thumbstuds, but I remove the clips as soon as a knife comes out of the box.
 
To OP: Clip removed for comfort, as it usually digs into the palm, got in the way to the fingers, etc.
Thumbstuds removed for ease of sharpening, especially if the angle needed cannot be achieved due to studs causing spine to raise too high.

To David:
Usually I just twist them off using two pliers. However, this is on cheaper knives (Sanrenmu, etc.) that has the studs screwed together. If it is pressed, I have no idea how to do that.
To take them off gently, loctite has to be heated and the pliers' jaw be lined with rubber, leather, etc. to prevent the studs get damaged in the process.
If the jaw's grip slips, the blade might get scratched (if coated) by the pliers' jaw as well.
 
The thumbstuds on this Twitch I were threaded together. I used two needlenose pliers to remove them. Not much room for the pliers so I had to finesse it at first. But, once the thumbstuds loosened, they just screwed off using my fingers. There was no loctite on the threads.
 
Chris "Anagarika";10602768 said:
To David:
Usually I just twist them off using two pliers. However, this is on cheaper knives (Sanrenmu, etc.) that has the studs screwed together. If it is pressed, I have no idea how to do that.
To take them off gently, loctite has to be heated and the pliers' jaw be lined with rubber, leather, etc. to prevent the studs get damaged in the process.
If the jaw's grip slips, the blade might get scratched (if coated) by the pliers' jaw as well.
Click to expand...

holymolar said:
The thumbstuds on this Twitch I were threaded together. I used two needlenose pliers to remove them. Not much room for the pliers so I had to finesse it at first. But, once the thumbstuds loosened, they just screwed off using my fingers. There was no loctite on the threads.
Click to expand...

Thank you both. :thumbup:

I might have to re-visit this with one of mine. I've always thought these were pretty cool little knives, and very solidly built. Sort of a shame I haven't carried or used them much.
 
One other thing I'm reminded of, regarding reasons for removing the thumbstuds.

I had a friend who was a paraplegic, in a wheelchair. He carried a thumb-studded one-hand opener for a while, until the stud got snagged inside the pocket of his jeans. The blade was partially pulled open, and he got stabbed in the leg by the tip. Being paralyzed below the waist, he didn't feel or notice it immediately, until he saw the expanding bloodstain on his jeans. That scared the both of us quite a bit. Not all thumbstudded blades are prone to this, obviously. But it really emphasizes how important the design & placement of them are, on a knife. I've noticed the tendency on some knives, for the stud to drag and sometimes snag the pocket. Sometimes the stud is just a little too tall and sticks a little too 'proud' of the handle, or the finish on it (knurled in particular) is prone to grabbing the fabric of clothing. Combined with a relatively weak detent, which won't hold the blade closed, that's a dangerous combination sometimes.
 
I've often removed clips and especially the thumb stud on the clip side as I find this always tends to hang up when getting the knife out of my pocket. I only remove the clip if I've decided to carry the knife in a belt pouch. I don't like clips showing when I'm "going out", but use them around the home place when wearing jeans or work pants. Somehow they just don't go with dress clothes.

BTW, if you're looking for a nice, inexpensive set of torx and other drivers, Advanced Auto Parts sells a nice set of interchangable bits with a driver for only $6.

Rich S
 
David,

Regarding the holes left by clip removal, I simply leave the holes on the handle alone. Some people, however, plug the hole with similar material (wood, epoxy, etc).

See this from other forum's thread.

And totally agree on studs snagging ... It did happen to me, though no blood spilled :p, merely a shirt punctured (IWB carry that time).
 
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I remove the clip on most of my knives, the only exceptions are where they are good for traction like a SS Chive. The thumbstuds stay on unless it's a flipper. I removed both on my CRKT Hammond Cruiser and it's made it a much more comfortable knife.
I don't use the clip on any of my knives, I'd rather not advertise the fact that I'm carrying a knife.
 
Some of my knives are more comfortable without a clip, some are more difficult to use without a clip; usually because one side or the other is too smooth.
 
I went about taking the clip off mine, just to see what it looks like. Odd thing was, I found out mine uses METRIC hex heads on the clip screws (assuming the rest of the handle, too). Couldn't figure out why I couldn't find a hex driver to fit; turns out it's 1.5mm. I do have a set for that, but it's the first time I'd actually had to use it.
 
I've removed clips from a few folders,but left the studs on.The ones I've removed clips on I've carried in a hip sheath.
 
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