Wood pocket clip for folder?

timcsaw

timcsaw

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Not sure if this is the best forum for this question... if not, perhaps a mod would move it?

I'm working on a new folder and would like to try to make the pocket clip out of wood. Has anyone ever done this?

I'm thinking ash. I would think that it would work as long as it was cut properly (cut and shaped so that it wouldn't split with the grain of the wood under load). I have a few ideas but hope that one of you "old hands" might offer some advice.

Thanks.
 
Try a wood that is hard to split. Elm perhaps? I dunno. It'll be awfully thin and weak. Maybe use thin gauge metal and epoxy some veneer onto it?
 
Bois D'Arc (aka:Osage Orange) or Hickory. Both are very hard, strong, springy wood...used to make bows.
 
Bamboo might make a good clip. Using a metal spring such as titanium with epoxied on wood slabs like inlay could work.
 
65535 said:
Bamboo might make a good clip. Using a metal spring such as titanium with epoxied on wood slabs like inlay could work.
Click to expand...

Thanks all for the insights and suggestions... but... a wooden pocket clip 'aint gonna' cut the mustard so far as I can see.

I've tried the following woods; Red Elm, White Elm, Ash, Black Walnut, Yellow Birch, Oak, Maple, Ironwood, Ebony, Ambonya?, Bamboo, Hickory, Apple and Cherry...

I've cut these with the grain, across the grain, quarter sawn etc. and nothing seems to have the necessary strength when brought down to the necessary, "thinness". I'd cut these into pieces approximately 1.5 times the thickness of a wooden match (which is actually a bit too thick for a proper clip), and about 3 to 4 times the width of a wooden match (which is about right for the knife I'm working).

For any interested, I had the best "success" with the closed grain woods (elm, maple etc) and yellow birch seemed to come closest to working.

I guess there is a reason I've never seen a folder with a pocket clip made of wood eh?:D

===================

So I'll ask a (few) new question(s) here and start a new thread as well; How the heck do I make my own, custom shaped, metal pocket clips? What steel/metal do I start with? Do I need to heat/heat treat the material to create the "spring steel" effect?

Frankly, I wouldn't mind something similar to those wire clips used on some of my Spyderco's (De allara).
 
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