Pocket Clip Kit How-to?

[Will_Power]

Hey all,

This may border on heresy for some of our more traditional folks, but I'd like to affix a pocket clip to a traditional locker I have (Queen Mountain Man Lockback in the zebra wood).

Simply, I like having the knife ride in one spot and not end up deep down in the depths of my pocket.

A leather pouch with a pocket clip isn't an option; I'm not interested in adding more bulk to my pockets. A belt pouch is likewise out; I want to keep the knife in my pocket and my carry configuration simple.

I'm looking at the KnifeKits.com listing of pocket clips as well as a random instructions page I found there. Still can't escape the feeling I'm not catching everything I need to.

My early assumption was that I would be able to use some small screws of some sort to affix the clip to the scales and be good to go...? How have you guys' done this?

 

[Omega Leather Works]

I'm not sure that I'll be of any help but what are you tapping into? The wood? If so that may be a little iffy. Usually when going through a material even as tough as g10 the manufacturer will go all the way to the steel liner.

For whatever reason my phone won't let me look at the links you put up, but I'm guessing that they are offering the 3 bolt "Benchmade" pattern. If I was tapping wood I'd go with that pattern, and I'd be sure to drill the holes to a size just shy of the bolts. You could disassemble the scale (if applicable) and use a tiny bit of epoxy in the holes too after you get your placement right.

Sorry I'm not more help. Do you own any Benchmade knives btw?

 

[Curtis_Lowe]

I'd probably drill and tap all the way through the brass liner. If you only attach them to the wood scales, they'd probably strip out. Little machine screws are not gonna work very well in wood alone.

 

[fishface5]

Wood is too soft for the pressure unless it's a really hard wood like Iironwood, the screws will pull loose eventually. It's not hard to drill & tap the liners but you may need to grind the screws shorter so they don't scrape the blade when it opens & closes. Also you need to choose a clip where the part that screws in is not wider then the handle, and you will need to sand that area of the handle flat or bend the clup to match the contours of the handle where you are going to affix it, but that is harder to get just right than just sanding the handle flat the match the clip.

 

[tatfiend]

Knifekits does not list the spacing of the mounting screw holes on their clips and the ones I purchased do NOT fit the clip mounting holes spacing used by Benchmade for their knives. Benchmades outer hole spacing is .340" center to center for their standard three hole clip mounts or for the two holes used to mount their deep carry clip for the Contego. I checked about four folding knife parts suppliers and only on bothers to list the hole spacing for their completed ready to mount carry clips. TOTALLY DUMB IMO. The one who does is usaknifemaker dot com. Their deep carry clips should be bolt on for Benchmade knives but I have not actuallly tried them yet.

 

[Will_Power]

Thanks for the replies so far, guys.

I'm afraid I'm fairly mechanically inept, so I may be asking some pretty rudimentary questions back in reply.

Here the link to the knife listing itself on the Queen Cutlery site: http://www.queencutlery.com/3LCZ_Mountain_Man_Lock.html

I'm not sure that I'll be of any help but what are you tapping into? The wood? If so that may be a little iffy. Usually when going through a material even as tough as g10 the manufacturer will go all the way to the steel liner.

For whatever reason my phone won't let me look at the links you put up, but I'm guessing that they are offering the 3 bolt "Benchmade" pattern. If I was tapping wood I'd go with that pattern, and I'd be sure to drill the holes to a size just shy of the bolts. You could disassemble the scale (if applicable) and use a tiny bit of epoxy in the holes too after you get your placement right.

This knife has a brass liner.

Sorry I'm not more help. Do you own any Benchmade knives btw?

No, I don't. Is that relevant in some way that I'm failing to see regarding the Knifekits clips?

I'd probably drill and tap all the way through the brass liner. If you only attach them to the wood scales, they'd probably strip out. Little machine screws are not gonna work very well in wood alone.

So, basically I would drill all the way through the scales and the liner with the screws? Make sure they are long enough to get through, but not so long as to impede or touch the blade?

Wood is too soft for the pressure unless it's a really hard wood like Iironwood, the screws will pull loose eventually. It's not hard to drill & tap the liners but you may need to grind the screws shorter so they don't scrape the blade when it opens & closes. Also you need to choose a clip where the part that screws in is not wider then the handle, and you will need to sand that area of the handle flat or bend the clup to match the contours of the handle where you are going to affix it, but that is harder to get just right than just sanding the handle flat the match the clip.

Sounds like I might be moving into more customization territory than I know if I should handle or not...

 

[Curtis_Lowe]

So, basically I would drill all the way through the scales and the liner with the screws? Make sure they are long enough to get through, but not so long as to impede or touch the blade?

First, you drill a hole, through the scale and the brass liner, with the appropriate size drill bit for the tap your going to cut the threads with. Then, you cut threads in the drilled hole with the tap. For example, you'd use a #43 drill bit for a 4-40 tap and a #50 drill bit for a 2-56 tap. If you look around you can find taps with their corresponding drill bit sold together. Don't worry about the length of the screw you can always cut or sand it to the right size. It's pretty simple, your basically following the instructions you found on the knifekits website.

 

[Squashfan]

I have only one suggestion. Try it on a cheap throw-a-way knife first. I have had to learn that the hard way in other hobbies of mine.