When & how did pocket clips become a thing??

H

Houlahound

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Aug 2, 2017
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Or i should say "the" thing.

Might come as a shock to some but pocket clips were never on knives for nearly all of knife history.

I grew up where every one carried a folder in a sideways carry sheath on a waist belt. Some guys (very few) carried a pocket sheath. Tradesmen carried in a vertical sheath just on the ass side of the waist. The rest just carried a folder loose in a pocket.

Fast forward to years of adult life in the city where nobody carried a knife that anyone else was aware of to present day now where it is almost impossible to buy a folder without a pocket clip. Not counting traditionals as TBH that is a minority of knife fanatics.

Trying to pinpoint when the market became saturated with pocket clips.

What were the first models, who made them and when did it become the standard.

Someone explain the timeline and evolution plz.
 
Look up spyderco's history as they were the ones who made it mainstream to good effect. Clearly, clips were a good solution for many people based on the popularity of clips. From Spyderco's website, that occurred around 1981. Market saturation would have occurred after that.

https://www.spyderco.com/edge-u-cation/about-us/

And unless you're looking in the wrong places, folding knives without clips are really easy to find. There are many models. Even better, you can simply remove most clips and voila, no clip. Clips are a great solution for carrying a pocket knife.
 
the term :"pocket" knife probably came
about once pockets became a feature
on clothing...
https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/a-mans-pockets/
http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/a/history-of-pockets/
so pocket clips of our day is an evolutionary
development of the way pocket knives
could be further carried.
for some reason perhaps as a force
of habit or tradition, folks still placed
their pocket clip folders clipped
well inside of their side waist pockets.
over time it became apparent
that clips could work on almost
every part of garments.
so with a little imagination pocket knives
were clipped on to waistbands, high cut
boots / shoes,, on straps and belts; just
as long as the clip could fit on securely.
it also became a way to discretely carry
a knife out of public view.
so much so that a clips design or
where or how it was fitted became
almost a "science" or study for folks who
craved fir the perfect carry...
https://www.bladehq.com/cat--Knife-Pocket-Clips--3618
https://everydaycarry.com/posts/20506/everything-you-need-to-know-about-pocket-clips
its quite interesting to guess or speculate
where all this would lead to.
this handy thing called the pocket clip.
sure some may bend, break or fail.
but it doesn't stop progress of developing
better clips :-)
perhaps someday science and technological
advancement might change the way we "pocket" things.
but for now let's just say that pocket clips
are synonymous with spyderco knives
which took the pioneering step to
market pocket clips on its folders
https://www.spyderco.com/edge-u-cation/about-us/
 
I broke my first Spyderco clip by brushing against a door knob; at that time the clips were molded into the handle using the same plastic material. The stainless models had metal clips but were more expensive.

Cips are a great way to allow easy access to a knife without having to dig for in in a pocket that may contain more than just a knife. They also protect your pockets by keeping it off the bottom where holes often occur.
 
fonedork said:
Another thread on this subject, where someone posted the below image of a 100 year old pocket clip:
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/first-pocket-clip.1624711/
Click to expand...

Clips have been around for a long time. Back in the day, there was a style of Bowie knife called a gamblers 'vest' Bowie. Some of the sheaths for these knives had a clip.
In moden times, Sal Glesser (re-)popularized the clip, so to speak.

Post #98
https://bladeforums.com/threads/the-gambler-vest-bowie-knife-coffin-handles.1717707/page-5
 
Back in '86 I bought a Spyderco "Workman", which was all stainless with an integral SS clip. Great knife, my grandson has it now. It was the first knife with a pocket clip I ever owned, I later had an Endura with the molded that broke much too easily. Although Spyderco did replace it.
 
I was born in 1995 so I can't remember not having pocket clips or Spyderco :D
A world without Spydercos and pocket clips....must've been rough :p

Kidding, I've been carrying around a very basic, orange handled, Case Sodbuster Jr. this weekend; I purchased it from a truck stop, of all places :eek:
First time I ever really carried/ owned a Case knife. To be honest, I'm humbled by just how much knife, super steel, pocket clip, etc. you just plain ole don't need most of the time.
I'm one that constantly bumps and snags my pocket clip so it's been nice to have that out of the way.

I enjoy carrying my SOCOM Elite Auto with my Case Sod-buster Jr.
Blending of the old and the new and it covers the most amount of tasks.
Both definitely have their place and one or the other doesn't make the other obsolete.
 
Pocket clips? My grandfather thought my first knife was high tech because it was obsidian. In his day everybody had to make do with flint.
 
Houlahound said:
Err no, but from your age you probs think life without a smart phone and social media was rough...... hint, it wasn't.
Click to expand...
I was joking, as in I know it wasn't rough without "modern convenience".
I don't appreciate you talking down to me.
I'll remember to stay away from you to avoid further conflict.

By the way, Blade Forums is the closest thing I have to social media. No facebook, instagram, whatever.
Edited: we resolved things.
 
Last edited:
Sal gave us the pocket clip.
Lynn gave us the Western tanto.
Ernest gave us wave deployment.
Chris gave us perfection.

Nice.
 
Korean Hog said:
I was born in 1995 so I can't remember not having pocket clips or Spyderco :D
A world without Spydercos and pocket clips....must've been rough :p

Kidding, I've been carrying around a very basic, orange handled, Case Sodbuster Jr. this weekend; I purchased it from a truck stop, of all places :eek:
First time I ever really carried/ owned a Case knife. To be honest, I'm humbled by just how much knife, super steel, pocket clip, etc. you just plain ole don't need most of the time.
I'm one that constantly bumps and snags my pocket clip so it's been nice to have that out of the way.

I enjoy carrying my SOCOM Elite Auto with my Case Sod-buster Jr.
Blending of the old and the new and it covers the most amount of tasks.
Both definitely have their place and one or the other doesn't make the other obsolete.
Click to expand...

I agree that 99% of the time, a simple knife is all you need. Could get plenty done with my ole 2012 Endura 4 lol.
 
Korean Hog said:
I was joking, as in I know it wasn't rough without "modern convenience".
I don't appreciate you talking down to me.
I'll remember to stay away from you to avoid further conflict.

By the way, Blade Forums is the closest thing I have to social media. No facebook, instagram, whatever.
I don't care how old you are. You're a prick.
Click to expand...


I agree with pretty much everything you said here, no need to take offense tho I didn't intend to be offensive.

Peace and stay safe.
 
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