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Spyderco sent this out in their newsletter today. We often debate about tip up vs tip down vs deep carry etc. that I though this was some good insight into how they design and place a clip on different models of their knives.
A Deeper Look at Pocket Clips
Since Spyderco pioneered the concept of mounting a pocket clip on a folding knife 35 years ago, clips have come a long way. We have also learned a lot about how to make clips work best on knives of various styles, sizes, and handle materials to offer maximum versatility, convenience, and durability. Although their function is deceptively simple, there are many details to consider when choosing a clipboth during the design process and as a consumer.
One of the most basic clip decisions is whether it should be tip-up or tip-down. While some consider this purely a matter of personal preference, actually, the knifes design, its size, and its relationship to your hand size all have a lot to do with which approach works best. Fans of tip-up carry generally prefer it because it allows you to grip the knife, draw it, and open it one handed without having to adjust your grip. When the knife is carried all the way to the back of the pocket, tip-up carry also helps keep the blade safely closed by placing its spine against the back of the pocket. This is less important with knives that have strong self-close mechanisms, like those with back locks.
Tip-down carry works best for large folders like the Military Model. If large, long-handled knives are carried tip-up, when drawn your hand grips the handle close to the butt endtoo far from the blade hole, flipper tab, or thumb stud for an immediate one-handed opening. With tip-down carry, you grip the pivot-pin end of the knife and ultimately end up in a better position to open the blade, but only after adjusting your grip after the draw. Tip-down carry also works well with some specialized one-hand opening methods that initially grip the blade instead of the handle.
One often overlooked aspect of pocket clips is their attachment point on the handle and its effect on the height of the knifes ride in the pocket. Some users have a strong preference for deep-pocket carry that conceals the knife as much as possible. Typically this is achieved by attaching the clip as close to the end of the handle as possible and works even better with foldover style clips like those found on the Dragonfly 2 and the popular Sage series. For smaller knives, this style of carry still allows a full grip on the knife prior to the draw and leaves the hand naturally positioned for a one-handed opening. However, when longer knives are carried deep in the pocket, its difficult for an average-sized hand to grip deeply enough to allow a fluid draw and opening without having to adjust your grip midstream. To some users that may not matter, but it still helps to understand that knife size, clip mounting position, carry height, and individual hand size all have an effect on carry convenience and accessibility.
Some Spyderco knives feature reversible clips or even four-position clips that allow the clip mounting location to be easily changed to support different carry preferences. Popular models like the Delica, Endura, and Para Military2 have four-position clips that allow tip-up or tip-down carry on either the left or right side. While this allows you to experiment with different carry styles to find the method that works best for you, please remember to add a drop of Loc-Tite or similar thread-locking compound to each clip screw to make sure they stay in place.
Spyderco is extremely proud to have pioneered the use of pocket clips on folding knives. But like everything else we do, being revolutionary isnt good enough. As we continue to make our clips, our knives, and everything else we do even better, its the evolution of revolution that counts.
A Deeper Look at Pocket Clips
Since Spyderco pioneered the concept of mounting a pocket clip on a folding knife 35 years ago, clips have come a long way. We have also learned a lot about how to make clips work best on knives of various styles, sizes, and handle materials to offer maximum versatility, convenience, and durability. Although their function is deceptively simple, there are many details to consider when choosing a clipboth during the design process and as a consumer.
One of the most basic clip decisions is whether it should be tip-up or tip-down. While some consider this purely a matter of personal preference, actually, the knifes design, its size, and its relationship to your hand size all have a lot to do with which approach works best. Fans of tip-up carry generally prefer it because it allows you to grip the knife, draw it, and open it one handed without having to adjust your grip. When the knife is carried all the way to the back of the pocket, tip-up carry also helps keep the blade safely closed by placing its spine against the back of the pocket. This is less important with knives that have strong self-close mechanisms, like those with back locks.
Tip-down carry works best for large folders like the Military Model. If large, long-handled knives are carried tip-up, when drawn your hand grips the handle close to the butt endtoo far from the blade hole, flipper tab, or thumb stud for an immediate one-handed opening. With tip-down carry, you grip the pivot-pin end of the knife and ultimately end up in a better position to open the blade, but only after adjusting your grip after the draw. Tip-down carry also works well with some specialized one-hand opening methods that initially grip the blade instead of the handle.
One often overlooked aspect of pocket clips is their attachment point on the handle and its effect on the height of the knifes ride in the pocket. Some users have a strong preference for deep-pocket carry that conceals the knife as much as possible. Typically this is achieved by attaching the clip as close to the end of the handle as possible and works even better with foldover style clips like those found on the Dragonfly 2 and the popular Sage series. For smaller knives, this style of carry still allows a full grip on the knife prior to the draw and leaves the hand naturally positioned for a one-handed opening. However, when longer knives are carried deep in the pocket, its difficult for an average-sized hand to grip deeply enough to allow a fluid draw and opening without having to adjust your grip midstream. To some users that may not matter, but it still helps to understand that knife size, clip mounting position, carry height, and individual hand size all have an effect on carry convenience and accessibility.
Some Spyderco knives feature reversible clips or even four-position clips that allow the clip mounting location to be easily changed to support different carry preferences. Popular models like the Delica, Endura, and Para Military2 have four-position clips that allow tip-up or tip-down carry on either the left or right side. While this allows you to experiment with different carry styles to find the method that works best for you, please remember to add a drop of Loc-Tite or similar thread-locking compound to each clip screw to make sure they stay in place.
Spyderco is extremely proud to have pioneered the use of pocket clips on folding knives. But like everything else we do, being revolutionary isnt good enough. As we continue to make our clips, our knives, and everything else we do even better, its the evolution of revolution that counts.
