On clips

Its a clip for me. Easy to get at and less pocket lint. I like them so much that I added one to a Fakkkniven P3GY knife that does not come with one. Did this after adding the new scales I made from Desert Ironwood.
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the only reason why i use my pocket clips is to keep my knife away from the lint floating in the folds of the pocket down below, although i do my best to de-lint the pocket every other day or so, i don't really like pocket clips beyond that, sometimes they are polished and gaudy (manix 2) and call attention to the owner which may or may not be a good thing depending on the situation
 
I lost a number of knives before buying knives with clips. I like clips and will not buy a knife without a clip.
 
It's been interesting reading this thread. I mentioned in my first post that I don't like clips, but didn't give any details about why. Here's my attempt to sort my own reasoning out, and respond to some of the pro-clip comments.

Here are the theoretical benefits I see for clips:
B1. They give you faster access to the knife.
B2. They keep the knife from just being a lump iin the bottom of your pocket.
B3. They keep you from losing the knife.

In my experience:
B1 is true
B2 turns out not to be a benefit
B3 is the opposite of true

I find clips have the following downsides for me:
D1. They block access to other things in that pocket - getting keys in and out is a hassle if a knife is clipped and in the way. (This negates B2.)
D2. They make it much more obvious that you have a knife. (This negates B2.)
D3. The only knives I have ever had come out of a pocket were clipped - when they're just in the bottome of the pocket, they stay put. (This invalidates B3.)
D4. They make the handle less comfortable - even the very best-designed clips are more awkward than handles that don't have them (we don't add clips to fixed blades to make the handles more comfortable, for example).

All of this, for me, adds up to preferring knives without clips. Everybody elses experience and preferences will vary, of course. But quick access is the only thing I feel like I really give up by going clipless. That is just not a priority to me - it has never mattered in the slightest that I might need a few additional seconds to dig my knife out. That may matter a lot to other people, though.

-Tyson
 
Tyson A Wright said:
It's been interesting reading this thread. I mentioned in my first post that I don't like clips, but didn't give any details about why. Here's my attempt to sort my own reasoning out, and respond to some of the pro-clip comments.

Here are the theoretical benefits I see for clips:
B1. They give you faster access to the knife.
B2. They keep the knife from just being a lump iin the bottom of your pocket.
B3. They keep you from losing the knife.

In my experience:
B1 is true
B2 turns out not to be a benefit
B3 is the opposite of true

I find clips have the following downsides for me:
D1. They block access to other things in that pocket - getting keys in and out is a hassle if a knife is clipped and in the way. (This negates B2.)
D2. They make it much more obvious that you have a knife. (This negates B2.)
D3. The only knives I have ever had come out of a pocket were clipped - when they're just in the bottome of the pocket, they stay put. (This invalidates B3.)
D4. They make the handle less comfortable - even the very best-designed clips are more awkward than handles that don't have them (we don't add clips to fixed blades to make the handles more comfortable, for example).

All of this, for me, adds up to preferring knives without clips. Everybody elses experience and preferences will vary, of course. But quick access is the only thing I feel like I really give up by going clipless. That is just not a priority to me - it has never mattered in the slightest that I might need a few additional seconds to dig my knife out. That may matter a lot to other people, though.

-Tyson
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Great post. Thank you. I agree.
 
I absolutely prefer my EDC work knife with a clip and a one hand opening/closing feature.
All other folders can either be small enough to slide into my coin pocket or carried with a belt sheath.
I no longer (about 20 years) carry knives in a pocket, with the rare exception of my lounge wear :)
Yes, I carry a knife in my jammies :D
 
B2 is the absolute most important one. Unless you carry very small pocket knives, nearly all of them are terribly uncomfortable to have turned sideways pressed against your thigh all day. I carry large enough folders that this is impossible; I cannot stand it, nor the bulgy look. I want to put as much in my pockets as possible, while keeping it as smooth and comfortable as possible. Clips allow the maximum carry+comfort combinations. IMHO.
 
Tyson A Wright said:
It's been interesting reading this thread. I mentioned in my first post that I don't like clips, but didn't give any details about why. Here's my attempt to sort my own reasoning out, and respond to some of the pro-clip comments.

Here are the theoretical benefits I see for clips:
B1. They give you faster access to the knife.
B2. They keep the knife from just being a lump iin the bottom of your pocket.
B3. They keep you from losing the knife.

In my experience:
B1 is true
B2 turns out not to be a benefit
B3 is the opposite of true

I find clips have the following downsides for me:
D1. They block access to other things in that pocket - getting keys in and out is a hassle if a knife is clipped and in the way. (This negates B2.)
D2. They make it much more obvious that you have a knife. (This negates B2.)
D3. The only knives I have ever had come out of a pocket were clipped - when they're just in the bottome of the pocket, they stay put. (This invalidates B3.)
D4. They make the handle less comfortable - even the very best-designed clips are more awkward than handles that don't have them (we don't add clips to fixed blades to make the handles more comfortable, for example).

All of this, for me, adds up to preferring knives without clips. Everybody elses experience and preferences will vary, of course. But quick access is the only thing I feel like I really give up by going clipless. That is just not a priority to me - it has never mattered in the slightest that I might need a few additional seconds to dig my knife out. That may matter a lot to other people, though.

-Tyson
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The downsides in your comments don't always hold true:

D1. Although I have found that having my knife clipped to my pocket might make things a little awkward; in the long run, it has made things easier for me. I don't have to fight to separate all the things mixed together in the bottom of my pocket. More importantly, I can access my knife and not worry about the loss of my keys. Using a clipped knife also allows me access keys without the embarrassment of a folding knife falling out of my pocket. It really just depends upon the knife.

D2. Yes, people can notice that you have a knife in your pocket because of the clip. Most people probably don't care. Chances are your knife will get noticed only if it looks out of place. Carry the right knife for the environment and you should be ok. I commonly carry a clipped knife in a medical office setting and have never had a patient say one word. However, I am careful as to what I carry.

D3. I have had non-clipped knives slide out of my pocket. Numerous times. I have also had clipped knives catch on chairs and seatbelts. I would
say this is a wash.

D4. Two knives that I commonly carry (Benchmade 531 and a Griptilian) work better for me with a clip. I don't really notice the clip and have found that it offers support for my fingers when I open or close the blade. If you find the clip uncomfortable, maybe you just have not found the right knife.

As for the benefits of carrying clipped:

B1. Speed is not an issue for me when carrying a clipped knife. If it was, I would carry an Emerson CQC-7 or something that is assisted-opening as my EDC.
Comfort and convenience are issues when I carry any folding knife.

B2. Keeping the knife away from all the other items in your pocket certainly is a benefit. At least for me, it is. One of the main reasons I use a clipped knife most of the time.

B3. A clipped knife is more secure. Well, maybe. I could argue both sides of this one. If the clip can keep your knife out of the way when you access other items in your pocket, it can be considered a security benefit. I guess. But, when I think about catching the clip on my seatbelt...


I guess it really depends upon the knife and clip. I've passed on purchases because of poorly designed clips.
 
sabre cat said:
The downsides in your comments don't always hold true
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But they do always hold true for me. Here's my opening to those again, emphasis added:
Tyson A Wright said:
I find clips have the following downsides for me:
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I tried to make it very clear that this is just my take. The comments about losing knives are really interesting to me: I've never lost a knife out of a pocket unless it was clipped, but clearly other people have the opposite experience. The clothes you're wearing, the knife you pick, the other things in your pocket, what you're sitting on or walking past, even the shape of your hip and your height: every one of these variables (and probably others I'm not thinking of) will contribute to your results here, which are obviously different than mine. Which is fine.

sabre cat said:
More importantly, I can access my knife and not worry about the loss of my keys
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I have never lost my keys while getting a knife out. But I have had my knife pop out while getting my keys out, hit the floor loudly, and open halfway. 100% unacceptable result - didn't cause an injury (or get me in any trouble), but that should never happen. And it doesn't, if I take the clips off.

Look, I get it - one of the things I liked about the 20CV/G-10 Mini Grip is that ot comes with a deep carry clip. That seemed like it would make all those other problems go away. Turns out, for me, not so much. Fortunately, I like everything else about that knife so much that it's not a big deal, and I like the ergonomics even better with the clip removed. So it works out great. If the clip does work out for you, that's great too. Everybody wins.

-Tyson
 
mendezj said:
I’m a newcomer to knives with clips. A newcomer is somewhat of a stretch but I mean to say that throughout my life of much hunting and fishing I have rarely taken a knife with a clip on the field, lake or ocean.

In any case, during the past couple of years that I’ve been regularly buying knives with clips, and I’ve noticed that I feel more comfortable carrying the knife in the bottom of my pocket. I can’t get used to the knife clipped on the upper part of my pants pocket. As a matter of fact, I just order two tabs to remove the clips on two XM-18 knives. They are rather big and heavy so I have a belt pouch for them.

Of course, I understand how very popular it is to carry a knife clipped to your pocket, but are there others that prefer their folding knives without a clip?
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Have you tried carrying it in your back pocket?

I'm not a huge fan of having them clipped in my front pockets, but it's almost second nature at this point to reach for one clipped in my back right pocket.

I switched to a front pocket wallet years ago, so the knife has the pocket all to itself. Most back pockets are set rather wide, so it's resting more on the hip. You don't really ever sit on the knife.
 
sabre cat said:
I am kind of envious that you have found what works for you.
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Well, getting there.:) It's not just the knife, it's the whole EDC setup - if you wanna carry a big knife (or 4 knives, or 5 or whatever ;)), you need less of the other stuff, or big pockets, or both. Getting my wallet and keys and flashlight and such figured out over the last few years helped clarify what kind of knife would work for me.

I recently acquired a Lionsteel Warhorse, and that seems to fit into my setup about right. Mini Grip (sans clip) still sees some use, and my old Buck 303 still sees some use, but if I had to only have one, the Warhorse would be a great choice for me. So I think I'm close to having it figured out - but not quite 100% yet.
 
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