Let's talk about pocket clips

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fastone052

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Feb 3, 2015
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I have to talk about something that's been bothering me. I see knives being made where the pocket clip, not only has no tension, but the pocket clip is not even in contact with the handle scale. Pocket clips are mainly used to hold the knife in the pocket AFAIK. Why would the pocket clip not at the very least be in contact with the scale? Don't they want their knives staying in someone's pocket?


In fact I own a few knives where the pocket clip does not come in contact with the handle and anytime I need to get on the floor to do anything, play with the kids/animals/do something work related...that knife either falls out of my pocket or is on the verge of falling out.[in some cases I can take the pocket clip off and bend it to the proper tension but not always] Can anyone explain the logic behind this?
 
Never had that problem, but I have had the reverse issue - a couple pocket clips where the tension is so high it's hard to get it clipped.
 
I prefer deep carry clips but I find all my knives have clips with perfect tension. Never had that problem either.
 
I mostly have inexpensive knives.. $20-$100. and i have not had any with this problems.

I dont think any knife manufacturerer would purposely do that.
 
icon_177826_4.jpg


Here's a picture to show what I'm talking about if I didn't explain it well enough.

Also be aware that my intent is not to bash any makers who do this. I'm just looking for some insight.
 
Actually I prefer my pocket clips loose as mentioned above. That way they don't fray your pockets, but are normally tight enough to stay put (unless you are doing handstands/headstands/cartwheels/etc.)
Rich
 
I don't believe that I've ever encountered a loose clip that hasn't been monkeyed with after market.
 
I've never had that problem ... I have had a couple odd clips that were hard on pockets because they were too tight ... I don't recognise the knife in the picture but you may try contacting the manufacturer and getting a replacement if it's a problem ... especially if it came new that way.

just my 2 cents worth JJ
 
fastone052 said:
icon_177826_4.jpg


Here's a picture to show what I'm talking about if I didn't explain it well enough.

Also be aware that my intent is not to bash any makers who do this. I'm just looking for some insight.
Click to expand...
Do the knives you experience this on have milled titanium clips? All my knives have spring steel clips and they all touch the scale. But I have noticed a few knives with titanium clips that stand off like that.
 
Never had that problem. Most of mine have come with the clip too tight and I adjust it to the sweet spot.
 
I have sprung clips that got caught on something. I also carry clipped knives in places that vary in the thickness of the materials to which they are attached. The solution is quite simple. Remove the clip from the knife and clamp the base in a vise. Bend the clip one way to tighten, the other to loosen. You must exceed the elastic limit (overstretch) to create a new position with appropriate tension. A little bend and test is usually necessary, but you can make every clip perfect.
 
Only sprung clip I've had with this issue was an SnG. As stated above, it is common for milled clips to sit off the scale some.
 
tiguy7 said:
I have sprung clips that got caught on something. I also carry clipped knives in places that vary in the thickness of the materials to which they are attached. The solution is quite simple. Remove the clip from the knife and clamp the base in a vise. Bend the clip one way to tighten, the other to loosen. You must exceed the elastic limit (overstretch) to create a new position with appropriate tension. A little bend and test is usually necessary, but you can make every clip perfect.
Click to expand...

I do this too, so I always have perfect clip tension.

Notice how the clip lays flat. This will be very light tension.
G9HJbAs.jpg


Clamp it in some vice grips with leather. Slightly bend the clip downwards.
lF5dxr9.jpg

AXCqCIO.jpg


Or you can use a book. Press on top of the book with one hand and press down on the clip with your other one.
CL0oVp9.jpg


Now you can see how the clip lies on a flat surface. This will put more tension on the clip against the knife handle.
lPER0Al.jpg
 
Milled clips and stamped clips can be bent (adjusted). The ones that are hard to adjust are non-metal clips like Carbon fiber. They must be heated to change their shape (tension).
 
fastone052 said:
I have to talk about something that's been bothering me. I see knives being made where the pocket clip, not only has no tension, but the pocket clip is not even in contact with the handle scale. Pocket clips are mainly used to hold the knife in the pocket AFAIK. Why would the pocket clip not at the very least be in contact with the scale? Don't they want their knives staying in someone's pocket?


In fact I own a few knives where the pocket clip does not come in contact with the handle and anytime I need to get on the floor to do anything, play with the kids/animals/do something work related...that knife either falls out of my pocket or is on the verge of falling out.[in some cases I can take the pocket clip off and bend it to the proper tension but not always] Can anyone explain the logic behind this?
Click to expand...

The top of most any pocket will have a folded and sewn cuff, a hem, on the edge of the fabric. This is like three times thicker than the fabric in the garment because of the folding. The clip only needs to catch on this hem; it doesn't need to grip the fabric at a single layer thick.
Don't judge the clip by the gap or no gap.
Try it on the range of pockets (material thickness variations in your clothing) and if it is too loose adjust the clip. If it is too tight . . . you got it . . . adjust the clip.

Far and away the "problem" I have with clips is that they are too tight. Occasionally after adjusting a clip for my thickest pocket paterial there is a slight gap; as I recall the easiest way for me to describe the gap, in past threads, was that it was three thicknesses of printer paper.

I have learned the hard way that the best way to adjust a clip is to remove it from the knife, bend it and put it back on. Yes this can be time consuming. Better this than pulling one (or more than one) of the mount screws out of the threaded holes on the knife.
 
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For example; two clips of different length and spring force.
The short one shown in this first photo was much stiffer and required it to be adjusted with a gap to be able to get it on and off my various pockets without too much effort (and yet it was still overtly hard to get off some of my pockets).
IMG_3317.jpg

The same knife with a longer clip (made by the same knife maker) was much easier to get on and off a range of different thickness pockets and yet it required no gap.
IMG_3391.jpg
 
My guess is that the milled clips are stiffer because thicker and so the maker leaves a gap so they won’t wreck pockets.
 
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