Review Pocket Clip construction: The Good, The Better, The Best?

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KegNot

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Nov 18, 2021
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I like smooth scales on a knife, with minimal disruptions like screws or holes or cutouts. I also like when the pocket clip can be switched to the other side. For lefties and left pocket carry, when I already have one in my right pocket.
So my least favorite version is the sunken pocket clip (The Good). Like on the CJRB Feldspar or the Civivi Baby Banter:
CJRB%20Feldspar.jpg


I like the on-top version better (The Better). Like on the Civivi Elementum Button lock and many more Civivis:
Civivi%20Button%20Elementum.jpg


It doesn't bother me that the scale side of the clip is sticking out a bit, as long as it has sunken screws:
Civivi%20Button%20Lock%20Elementum%20Pocket%20Clip%20Attachment.jpg


The Best, imho? Working the pocket clip under the scales, like Civivi did with the Stylum:
Civivi%20Stylum.jpg

The downside is that you have to take the scales off, or maybe disassemble the whole knife, to switch the pocket clip. Well, you can't have everything, can you?

What's your favorite pocket clip construction?
 
Everything Spyderco makes. The standard clips and wire clips I like equally. Stays secure, easy to remove. Can’t ask for more than that.

Cold Steel clips are way too tight.
 
I like a pocket clip that will hold through a shaking that I wouldn't survive!

Not that I intend to climb into a running cement mixer, but when I'm 85+ feet above the ground with 20 pounds of tools and a ladder, I try to reduce the number of things that I have to worry about.

Cold Steel pocket clips, if anything, are little dainty for me. I like Emerson clips, but one of the best I ever encountered was the CRKT/Lightfoot M1.

In general, wider paddle-style clips seem to be easier to use, and less likely to get bent out of shape, even when they're relatively thin material.

Part of the reason I like Emerson's clips though, has nothing to do with the clip. A lot of what goes into keeping your knife where you left it is the friction of the handle slab material.
 
I chose 'The Good' and 'The Best' from your choices. Minimal hot spotting.🤏

All knives with deep carry clips should be designed with the lowest profile in mind to increase grip comfort.
 
I really hate loosing knives -not proud of breaking them -but HATE loosing 'em ! A number of my more slab sided knives have Niteize Eclipse self locking clips installed on 'em. These will not come loose unless you press the release tab on 'em. They have issues : a.) not made in years -I buy more whenever I run across them. b.) I buy more because eventually the Eclipse will fail and I then have to replace them on the knife it's on . c.) black -pretty much invisible next to my black jeans d.) the early metal version may last for awhile - the later plastic version may only last for a couple of months. After the spring fails on the plastic clips you are left with a nice discrete deep carry black clip-but without the locking tab -no more secure than any other pocket clip. The best clip stock on any of my knives is what's on my G&G Hawk original MUDD knife -like everything about this knife -it's great for use with gloved hands (a necessity for the season we have now entered here).
 
I really like the Spyderco deep carry wire clip, personally. The round steel really digs less than standard clips. They invented the pocket clip, and it's nice to see that they keep making it better.
 
I've had the Spyderco wire clips become dislodged... (Just a bit loose?) I just don't trust them.
The BM Bugout's deep pocket clip seems to do a nice job of settling the knife deeper into my packet: yet still offer easy retrieval.
CRK's clips seem to have the right amount of pocket-holding tension in them... but they're not deep carry!
 
My 2 cents: I personally prefer pocket clip with second spring point, as the one Microtech usually puts on their knives. As far as I know, Sebenza also have a model with such clip.
The thing is, when you pinch the clip to draw the knife out of the pocket, you're applying additional pressure to the spring which technically makes the draw harder.
When you have second spring point, even if you pinch the knife over the top portion of the clip, the second spring point reminds relatively untouched and the draw in my experience
is much easier. For this mater I also like non deep pocket clips, because they don't dive you room for grasping the knife's pommel/clips. Knives with great room for holding when draw off the pocket are
the Hissatsu, most Microtechs, most Spidercos. I'm not in any case against the deep pocket clips but when they are not designed well ( for my purpose) I tend not to use them.
Lots of people are going for the obvious with the deep pocket clips - they hide the knife. It's up to people's priorities. My priority when I carry a knife is fast deployment, over concealment.
Unfortunately, those deep pocket clips are much slower when deploying the knife, unless you have some kind of fob attached, which in most cases defies the concealment thing...
The only deep pocket clip that I personally like is the Linch (?) Titanium Clip for Spyderco, the one with the round hole for the 3 screws, picture below.
It keeps the knife hidden but in the same time the round hole serves the purpose of the spydie hole it is very easy to grasp and draw the knife out.

uaxFdN.jpg
 
I kind of like the recess arrangement because it utilizes only one screw. The first knife has a lip on one side View attachment 1686824View attachment 1686825which immobilizes the single screw clip. #2 has a recess which also allows the single screw. #3 has a screw that goes all the way through the knife to retain the clip. #4 has a reversible clip which is held by the groove in a sliding pin which is held in place by a C clip on a swinging spine. The blue knife has clip which holds the knife together.
 
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I just put an MXG Deep Carry clip on my Manix 2.
When they said "deep": they weren't kidding!!
 

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While Lynch makes my favorite aftermarket deep carry clip, they still leave the screws proud which becomes a pocket destroyer pretty quickly. I used to get hung up (no pun I promise) on have a deep carry clip - of which ProTech does it perfectly. I don’t care much about that anymore, CRK makes a just about perfect clip.
 
I've got a WE Vapor; they did a nice job of recessing the screws in their clip. No pockets are ever getting harmed...
 
I like Spyderco spoon clips. The wire ones I've had get "twisted"?? Where it is attached to the knife scales. Don't like that. I usually take those off and put a regular clip on the knife. My right pocket knife though (main knife) I just put down in my pocket with nothing else. It's too easy to lose a nice knife using the clip.
 
I second the clip on the ZT 0562CF. Very nicely done. Usually not a deep carry clip fan but this one is well done. Next favorite is the one on the ZT 0350 or Emerson clips. On top of the scale and simple.
 
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