How do I bend a pocket clip to make it deep carry?

[edgecentricity]

I once saw a picture of a standard Spyderco pocket clip whose top portion (with the screw holes) had been bent over, underneath the rest of the clip, making the clip deep carry. Can't find the image now -- can anyone suggest the best way to go about doing this? I remember the person who posted the image saying something about heating the clip with a blowtorch. Would that be to make the metal more pliable when bending it?

 

[Wowbagger]

Would that be to make the metal more pliable when bending it?

Yes it would. Probably discolor the steel though and then you would have to work on it to make it look good again.

Interesting post / idea.
In theory you might get away with bending it cold. If it was just going from straight to bent over it should be good. If you had to flatten /straighten it out first and then bend it over it might crack.

Put it this way all the factory clips are bent cold by the machines.

 

[Wowbagger]

Come to think of it though this is opening a whole can of worms as far as the bolt pattern then being wrong to put back on the knife and not being able to turn the middle screw. Drill a hole in the bent over section ?

Buy a deep carry clip ?

 

[edgecentricity]

Come to think of it though this is opening a whole can of worms as far as the bolt pattern then being wrong to put back on the knife and not being able to turn the middle screw. Drill a hole in the bent over section ?

Buy a deep carry clip ?

True, the middle screw hole wouldn't be accessible, but that might not be problematic. Some clip discoloration wouldn't bother me. I found the image, by the way: https://www.flickr.com/photos/88489702@N07/19610172668/

The reason I was looking at maybe trying this instead of getting a deep carry clip is because I had my eye on a Byrd Cara Cara Rescue -- the serrated sheepsfoot blade looks great for sawing through rough stuff -- rope, fibrous plants, etc. -- and I favor deep carry clips.

I wasn't sure if the clip used on the Byrd Cara Cara knife is the same standard Spyderco hourglass clip found on the Delica, Endura, etc. -- someone over on Reddit told me it wasn't (I'd be happy to learn they were wrong!), but it looks similar to me.

 

[Wowbagger]

I wasn't sure if the clip used on the Byrd Cara Cara knife is the same standard Spyderco

Yes you have to be a little careful with the less standard knives; for instance check out the clip on the Tasman Salt.

As far as I can tell it is titanium and heat treated at that ! ! !! A magnet isn't attracted to it. If it were stainless steel it would attract at leas a little . . . right ?
Putting heat to it would kill it.

I tried to relax the clipping strength and bend out the clip just the tinniest amount. I just gave up after doing this. PS : it felt like I was just going to snap it off if I went further.
Check out the second photo taken after all this prying . . . NO CHANGE ! ! ! !

 

[wade7575]

From what I understnad mos of your stainless steel's are not magnetic at all but there are out there that are,I had this disscusion on another forum many years ago because a guy was selling part's for RC Cars and saying they were stainless steel and a memeber said he got this guys part's and a magnet would stick to them and then said the guy not selling what he claimed and then another person jumped in who was a well known welder and said said most stainless steel are not magnetic but there are some that are.

Yes you have to be a little careful with the less standard knives; for instance check out the clip on the Tasman Salt.

As far as I can tell it is titanium and heat treated at that ! ! !! A magnet isn't attracted to it. If it were stainless steel it would attract at leas a little . . . right ?
Putting heat to it would kill it.

I tried to relax the clipping strength and bend out the clip just the tinniest amount. I just gave up after doing this. PS : it felt like I was just going to snap it off if I went further.
Check out the second photo taken after all this prying . . . NO CHANGE ! ! ! !

View attachment 851039
View attachment 851040

 

[JonahSamuel]

Yesterday, I tried to bend over my Spyderco spoon clip with and without heat. Bending it cold was futile. After heating, it snapped at the fold.

 

[killgar]

Yesterday, I tried to bend over my Spyderco spoon clip with and without heat. Bending it cold was futile. After heating, it snapped at the fold.

I don't know if you can get a replacement clip from Spyderco, but Etsy sells a wide variety of custom pocket clips for Spyderco knives, including deep-carry clips. I don't know what model knife you have, so I don't know if they have a clip that would fit. Just do a search there for "Spyderco pocket clip".

 

[rpttrsn]

I would just try and purchase a deep carry clip for your knife. I make my own from SS so bending your clip could give you a problem. 400 series SS is mostly magnetic. 300 is much less magnetic. I use 316 SS which is not magnetic.

 

[RustyIron]

Yesterday, I tried to bend over my Spyderco spoon clip with and without heat. Bending it cold was futile. After heating, it snapped at the fold.

Yeah, I don't think that bending a factory clip into a "deep carry" clip is a real thing. There are plenty of junky aftermarket clips, but if you want something that will serve your needs for a long time, take a look at LynchNW or MXG Gear. Between the two of them, you're sure to find the clip you want.

 

[davek14]

From what I understnad mos of your stainless steel's are not magnetic at all but there are out there that are,I had this disscusion on another forum many years ago because a guy was selling part's for RC Cars and saying they were stainless steel and a memeber said he got this guys part's and a magnet would stick to them and then said the guy not selling what he claimed and then another person jumped in who was a well known welder and said said most stainless steel are not magnetic but there are some that are.

Many stainless steels are non-magnetic. Many or most knife stainless steels are magnetic.

I used to work at a company which made packaging machinery. Most all of the stainless on a machine was 303 or 304 which is not magnetic. I think they are cheaper. The 400 series was only used when hardening was necessary.

For spits and giggles I just took a magnet the knife sitting next to me as a worry stone. The blade was magnetic, which did not surprise me. The pocket clip was as well, which did. Shouldn't have though, I guess it's heat treated (spring steel).

"What Makes Stainless Steel Magnetic?​

• · The alloy must have iron in it.
• · The crystal structure of the alloy must be arranged in a martensitic or ferritic structure.

All stainless steel metals are a type of steel. That means their chemical composition contains iron. In most cases, stainless steel varieties with iron in their composition are magnetic. If the alloy has an austenitic crystal structure, then it’s not magnetic."

"

Is stainless steel magnetic? - thyssenkrupp Materials (UK)

The term stainless steel covers a large group of alloys that each contain different elements. The structure of the metal and alloys present determine whether it is magnetic or not. Read more here...

www.thyssenkrupp-materials.co.uk