Why the Turkish Clip?

I prefer the Turkish clip for a couple of reasons. Like others have said, I like the aesthetics of it and the way it sits low in the knife. I also prefer a blade where the tip isn’t too high (not too much belly), if that makes sense. The other thing is, when I was a kid it seemed like every cheap knife had the same standard clip blade. I associated it with cheap knives and, even though I know that’s not true, it never really went away. Here are a couple that I like.

qng6YOE.jpg


OsyiF71.jpg
 
The oddest shaped Turkish Clip main on any of my Stockman knives is the one on this Kabar 1081 Medium Stockman, my EDC for the last eight years of my ARNG career.
Kabar-1081-ARNG-1998-2005.jpg


The most slender is the one on the Ulster 58OT, from the Prince Albert tobacco tin series.
Ulster_58OT__Old_Timer.jpg


The most elegant Turkish Clip in my eyes isn't found on a Stockman pattern at all, but on the Case 6207 Mini-Trapper; necessitated by the need to access the Spey blade from the front of the trapper. Sure makes for a great looking Turkish Clip blade. OH
Case_6207_SS_Mini_Trapper_-_2011.jpg
 
Old Hunter said:
The oddest shaped Turkish Clip main on any of my Stockman knives is the one on this Kabar 1081 Medium Stockman, my EDC for the last eight years of my ARNG career.
Kabar-1081-ARNG-1998-2005.jpg


The most slender is the one on the Ulster 58OT, from the Prince Albert tobacco tin series.
Ulster_58OT__Old_Timer.jpg


The most elegant Turkish Clip in my eyes isn't found on a Stockman pattern at all, but on the Case 6207 Mini-Trapper; necessitated by the need to access the Spey blade from the front of the trapper. Sure makes for a great looking Turkish Clip blade. OH
Case_6207_SS_Mini_Trapper_-_2011.jpg
Click to expand...
Yes..... I liked mine so much, I turned it into a "wharnfoot".... 🤪 🤣

jpbg8b.jpg
 
Old Hunter said:
The oddest shaped Turkish Clip main on any of my Stockman knives is the one on this Kabar 1081 Medium Stockman, my EDC for the last eight years of my ARNG career.
Kabar-1081-ARNG-1998-2005.jpg


The most slender is the one on the Ulster 58OT, from the Prince Albert tobacco tin series.
Ulster_58OT__Old_Timer.jpg


The most elegant Turkish Clip in my eyes isn't found on a Stockman pattern at all, but on the Case 6207 Mini-Trapper; necessitated by the need to access the Spey blade from the front of the trapper. Sure makes for a great looking Turkish Clip blade. OH
Case_6207_SS_Mini_Trapper_-_2011.jpg
Click to expand...
Oddly enough while I don’t care for a Turkish clip on a stockman at all I enjoy it on a trapper.
It makes no sense to me at all which is what prompted me to make the post.
At the end of the day we all like what we like and variety is the spice of life. I was hoping someone else might have some insight that might explain my preference but it looks like it is just a personal issue.
Thank you for all the posts.
 
I tend to like them. They are are little less obtrusive on a stockman than the standard clip, and they just seem to cut and puncture well (which is a big deal for me since sometimes you need to poke a hole in something or get a cut started and a pointy turkish clip is a little less likely to fold on you when poking). They're also good for getting into tight spaces and they look nice.
 
un8RVYe.jpg

I've come to prefer it over the Full Clip, it's sleeker and if I want a broader blade prefer Sheepfoot or Spear. Anyway, the Turkish Clip may pre-date the Full or standard Clip. The Laguiole has been around a long time c.1830 and it employs a Yataghan type blade- as does Opinel- based somewhat on the Yatagan Turkish sword, the influence allegedly having been brought back by Napoleon's troops campaigning against the Ottoman (Turkey) Empire.
 
Last edited:
Will Power said:
un8RVYe.jpg

I've come to prefer it over the Full Clip, it's sleeker and if I want a broader blade prefer Sheepfoot or Spear. Anyway, the Turkish Clip may pre-date the Full or standard Clip. The Laguiole has been around a long time c.1830 and it employs a Yataghan type blade- as does Opinel- based somewhat on the Yatagan Turkish sword, the influence allegedly having been brought back by Napoleon's troops campaigning against the Ottoman (Turkey) Empire.
Click to expand...
That is an interesting piece of history. I never knew that the Turkish style might have predated the full. Perhaps that is personal bias coming to play.
I always appreciate the history which is one of the many reasons I like traditional knives.
 
A couple of favorite 'turkish-esque' blades I really like. The Kabar on the left I understand to have been the inspiration for Tony Bose main blade on the Premium Stockman. The Kabar sits on display in my accumulation while the Bose gets carried and used often.
20191004_090105.jpg
 
I prefer the slimmer long clip, Turkish clip, California clip blades to the heftier short clip standard blades. To me they seem more versatile, also generally making for a slimmer carry. Although the wider standard clip blade would seem to be a better choice for heavier cutting.
I love the clip blades on the Case~Bose WT. They have a touch of Persian clip to them!
Lotsa clips to choose from!

tWKQI4Z.jpg
 
Old Hunter said:
The most elegant Turkish Clip in my eyes isn't found on a Stockman pattern at all, but on the Case 6207 Mini-Trapper; necessitated by the need to access the Spey blade from the front of the trapper. Sure makes for a great looking Turkish Clip blade. OH
Click to expand...

Also true with the Wharncliffe version. I would definitely describe this blade as "zwoopy". (A made-up term somewhat derived from "swoop," which this blade definitely has, plus lots of belly toward the tip.)

51339639463_cb0484079c_b.jpg
 
jsg71 said:
That is an interesting piece of history. I never knew that the Turkish style might have predated the full. Perhaps that is personal bias coming to play.
I always appreciate the history which is one of the many reasons I like traditional knives.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I'm not saying it certainly pre-dates the conventional Clip, yet it might given its appearance on knives long ago. Somebody may know more for certain, but it appears to me that if for example, you look at English knives from the c.19th they are most likely to have a Spear master or some manner of straight blade- Sheepfooot, Lambfoor, Wharncliffe. In the last two decades of the c19th the Stockman began to come into vogue - particularly in the USA-and English cutlers with an eye to that vast market began to make more knives with Clip blades and so it came to be a widely popular and accepted blade as a single or on multi blade patterns. Some might infer that the Turkish or California Clip is a newer variant (A.G. Russell's picture guides to blades clearly distinguishes between the Turkish & California, his interpretation of the former is distinctly swoopy and Sabre like. Whereas most people seem to regard the Turkish Clip as a slim streamlined blade) .

Whatever, it has many fans, looks very well and has been around a long while.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top