This is not where my knife belongs.

Raskolnikov

Raskolnikov

Joined
Aug 24, 2006
Messages
318
Reaching down to my pocket to retrieve my knife in order to change out the fly I had been fishing with caused an instant gut-wrenching sensation and the utterance of a mild expletive. It wasn't there.
10 minutes of backtracking the trail that I had been walking finally led me to this:
mj6ds0.jpg

A bush on a tight section of the trail had snagged my knife while I was pushing through.

I'm glad that I found it. However, the pocket clips on the Spyderco knives that I started carrying recently (2 months ago) have this terrible knack for dislodging the knives from my pockets. I bought a Salt for surf-fishing (no rust so far), and a Native to wear while at work. Usually the Salt resides in a zippered pocket in my shorts; today was actually the first time I carried it with the clip. The Native has been stripped from my person countless times by seatbelts, packstraps, and netting...it has gotten to the point that I've switched back to my previous EDC with a pocket clip that keeps the knife lower and does not snag on foreign objects (not once that I can recall in 3 years).

To cut a long story short, I'm looking for suggestions for modifications to the pocket clips. I do like the knives, but I absolutely cannot carry a knife that is so easy to loose (and I need the use of the pocket clip). If anyone has modified theirs can you please post a photo?
 
How are you carrying it? The knife is inside the pocket, right?

My knives in my pocket are under my shirt as well. I don't tuck my shirt in, so it protects the clip.

Also, I carry my knife tip-sideways. This keeps it out of the way a lot. Of course, this requires pockets that are wide enough. Here is an example:

IMGP0298.jpg
 
Yes, inside of my right pocket. I carry mine in a slightly more vertical fashion than the photo you've posted.

My current thought is to shorten the end of the clip by about 5mm, thus decreasing the size of the tab which appears to be the snagging issue.
 
I have had similar problems with a couple of clips in the past that I solved by bending the very tip of the clip down.
DSC_1002.jpg

This one is not as pronounced as some others, but it was handy. The trick is to get it close enough to the handle so it won't snag, but far enough out to hook the edge of your pocket when you want to clip it on. It can take some experimenting to get it just right.
 
STR might be able to make you a custom clip.

You could carry IWB.

You could be more careful.
 
Raskolnikov said:
To cut a long story short, I'm looking for suggestions for modifications to the pocket clips. I do like the knives, but I absolutely cannot carry a knife that is so easy to loose (and I need the use of the pocket clip). If anyone has modified theirs can you please post a photo?
Click to expand...
I agree with you completely on this subject. I have had similar trouble with my native, my salt I, and to a lesser degree my caly Jr. This is a very frustrating situation because the Spyderco knives are such superior knives in every other way, yet this style of clip is a weak point in my opinon. I will say that I just received a delica4 and the clip on it is better than the clips on the old native and salts, but still not as good as a wire clip "might" be.

Anyway, I don't have any pictures of the modifications but I took the clips off my native and salt and put the belt sander to them to round off the square corners on the very end of the clip. The end of the clip is now more of a round ball than a square. I think the square profile and sharp acute corners on the stock clip contribute to the snagging that happens. The end of the clip now looks more like the end of the clip on the knife in THG's post above (delica?). I then bent the clip down just like is shown in yablanowitz's post except with a little bit more of a severe inward angle.

I am a diehard native I fan and would like to improve the clip situation even more such that I am looking at retro fitting a wire clip off of the native III to my native I. As you can see in this picture there are little groves molded into the native III handle that the end of the clip rides in, and then the end of the clip is sandwiched between the pivot screw and the handle body. I'm considering ordering a wire clip for a native III, and putting my native I in my mill and milling those two slots in the handle to accept that wire clip. I may have to use a screw from the native III as well but I don't know that yet.

http://www.filofiel.com/tienda/images/native vg-10.jpg

Good luck
Wayne
 
1.) STR will make you a clip that probably is what you are looking for .
2.) Vadim at Vess leatherworks will make you a sheath ( either with or without clip) , horizontal or vertical belt cary or a clip on.
Basically - if these guys have children - they should marry and their progeny produce the best knife carrying system ever !
 
I have the same issue and broke the clip on my new Delica getting out of the car when it snagged on the seat belt. The only one I don't seem to have an issue with is the polliwog. I have several other brands of clip knives and have not had this issue with them. I'll have to try the bending the clip method.
 
Anyone have or can generate a comparative photo of a competitor's clip that doesn't snag on common items that they find a Spyderco clip snags?
 
zenheretic said:
Anyone have or can generate a comparative photo of a competitor's clip that doesn't snag on common items that they find a Spyderco clip snags?
Click to expand...


If by competitor you're referring to a competing knife company and not an aftermarket clip producer, I can take a photo of my SOG Trident clip when I get home from work...the part of the clip that grabs the edge of one's pocket is much more diminutive and the overall design makes the knife ride lower in the pocket. I have not had the same problems with that clip, and I had carried that knife for a much longer time.

EDIT:
Trident on top; Native on bottom.
2mdnsrb.jpg
 
Last edited:
audiopile said:
1.) STR will make you a clip that probably is what you are looking for .
2.) Vadim at Vess leatherworks will make you a sheath ( either with or without clip) , horizontal or vertical belt cary or a clip on.
Basically - if these guys have children - they should marry and their progeny produce the best knife carrying system ever !
Click to expand...



Who is this STR ?
 
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