Tuning your clip

R

rule9

Joined
Dec 27, 2013
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45
This subject is of primary significance for Emerson knives but can easily be used for other clipped knives as well. The force the clip exerts on the handle and therefore the material of your pants pocket is usually very extreme for the wave feature to be used easily. By bending the spring out to where it just touches the handle was for me still too tight. I bent it again until it was 1/16 of an inch off the handle and it was much better. Not only does this make the wave function smoother and quicker but it also saves the pants pocket from premature wear and more importantly it allows me to slide the knife up in the pocket without deploying the blade with the wave when I just want to take the knife out of my pocket.
My only concern was would it easily come out of my pocket in the sitting position and the answer is no since the folded edge still keeps enough "grab" to hold the knife in.
Now I understand if a police officer or Spec Ops person has a wave feature they might still want the maximum force since they will be running with all their gear and they don't want to lose anything.
For me the main purpose of the clip is to keep the knife from dropping too deep into the pocket- I have never had a knife fall out of my pocket. If you have had a knife fall out please tell me what the conditions were, like upside down at a job site etc.

so I have made a small chart for not only Emerson knives but this issue is also important for some custom knife makers that make their own clips and the clips are either too tight or too loose or just plain bad designs and don't function well.

0=straight from factory -no gap (big time pants yank)

1= 1/16th inch gap (little pants yank)

2= 1/8th inch gap (no pants yank, max deployment speed)
 
That's an interesting chart and observations. I think the clips are kind of like the pivots, in that the makers set them tight and then it is up to you to adjust them to your sweet spot. I like my clips pretty tight, especially for the knives I carry at work. The ones I carry when I'm not at work, I don't won't falling out either. I have quite a few pimped knives that I don't want to loose. I think most people at in the same boat, nobody wants to loose a $150-$200+ knife because of loose pocket clip. The only time I have had a knife come out of my pocket was when I was carrying it left handed and the seatbelt caught the clip as I was getting out of the car. It bent the clip so much that I didn't carry the knife for the rest of the shift for fear I might loose the knife during my shift. I carried a backup knife that day, until I was able to fix the clip that night.
 
I don't like for the clip to be out of contact with the scale, as is can be too easy to snag and also noisy. Just my preference.
 
Had to tweak the clip on my Kershaw-Emerson CQC8 to get it open enough so I could get it over the seam of my jeans pocket. I have had a clipped knife get tugged out (by a seatbelt), however (fortunately I noticed it), so most often I carry my knives in a secure pocket.
 
I like my clips tight. I lost a knife when it got snagged on the seatbelt of a Blackhawk when I was jumping out, I'm sure that crew chief didn't mind though
 
I set all of mine so there is a just barely noticeable gap between the clip and the scale.

~John
 
I do the same. Just a hair of space visible between the scale and clip, and it works like a charm. Not too much, mind you. I'm probably in the 1/16th camp.

I've never lost one yet, it comes out and goes in easily too.

I never understood why some actually sand the grip underneath the clip, when the same reduced friction can be obtained by simply bending the clip out a bit with your fingertip, carefully.

Doesn't ruin the finish on the G10 if you decide to have the clip mounted on the other side someday.
 
I just got a new to me used EKI knife where the clip is too far away from touching the scale for my "not loosing it" comfort. The clip has to be removed for this adjustment, right? Are the clip screws usually in so tight that it's easy to mess them up getting them out?
 
I have lost pocket knives while working in the woods on a few occasions. They had fairly tight clips but I assume that they got caught on a branch and pulled out. I can only guess that is what happened because if I had noticed it they wouldn't have been lost. I like to keep my clips pretty tight even if they tear up my pockets.
 
natchezz said:
I just got a new to me used EKI knife where the clip is too far away from touching the scale for my "not loosing it" comfort. The clip has to be removed for this adjustment, right? Are the clip screws usually in so tight that it's easy to mess them up getting them out?
Click to expand...

The clip screws shouldn't be hard to remove. The previous owner may have used loctite. If they are stuck, heat the screws using the tip of a soldering iron or really hot water (boil a cup in microwave). Also make sure to use a tight fitting #1 philips screwdriver. Once the clip is removed, clamp the screwhole area with needlenose pliers or adjustable wrench and bend it. You can lay the clip on a table or something flat for reference of how much is bent or needs to be bent.
 
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On my Emersons, I sand down the g10 area where it meets the clips. This will slightly loosen the retention but it is still snug and also lessens the wear on my pants fabric. They will still shred pants pockets but I think it takes a little bit longer.
 
I keep my clips tight as I only utilize them for better grip on the knife while opening/closing...for me that's their primary function. Without clips, many, many folders would be too narrow and not optimal for opening with one hand.

90% of my pocket carry is in leather slipcases or on belt. If I do use the clip for naked pocket carry I want it real tight.
 
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