What's up with the G-Clip on the Rock Salts

[Dr. Snubnose]

About four months ago while showing a customer a Rock Salt I had for sale in my store, the customer asked to try the sheath on, and when he did the G-Clip broke right in half. He told me when I get a new clip he would buy the knife. I called Spyderco Customer service and told them of my problem. They said the G-Clips were not made by them, they never had this problem before, and that they are not under warranty, but would send me out a new one right away...After several calls and no G-Clip being sent out over the next three weeks I finally got a replacement from Spyderco one month later. Enclosed was a hand written note saying that they would not do this for me ever again, even though I am a Spyderco dealer. The customer was bugging me every four days or so asking if I got the replacement clip and after three weeks and almost losing the sale, I took the G-Clip off my own Rock Salt and put it on the customer's Rock Salt, he bought the knife and the deal was finished. The replacement clip when it arrived went onto my own Rock Salt. The G-clip that was on my Rock Salt for over a year with daily EDC was never an issue and held up real well. As a matter of fact I love the clip and think they are great. After using the replacement G-clip for the last 3 months, yesterday it broke in half. Now I don't have a problem buying a replacement or even a few from the Spyderco store where they are sold for a couple of bucks, but I was wondering if anyone else was having this problem with their G-Clips?.....This is the second one I have seen break (snap in half) without any rough handling by the user. Doc :D

[jzmtl]

I always thought that clip is weak looking, given how long the rock salt is you can probably apply a lot of leverage to break it.

Strange thou they won't provide replacement even thou it broke before it's sold.

[Dr. Snubnose]

I always thought that clip is weak looking, given how long the rock salt is you can probably apply a lot of leverage to break it.

Strange thou they won't provide replacement even thou it broke before it's sold.

You don't need to apply any real heavy pressure to secure the clip to the belt even on the Rock Salt. So I just don't get it.
And if you read my post you will see that they did replace it...but It took a Month....the hand written note attached to the replacement was a little nasty to say the least and very unexpected....Doc :D

[jzmtl]

Yeah I know they replaced it for you, I was referring to them saying it's not covered and the note included later.

I guess it depends on how much the clip has to flex, how thick the material it will go over when clipping. Also when you move around the top bend is probably constantly under stress unlike a tek-lock, which could further weaken it.

[jabba359]

the hand written note attached to the replacement was a little nasty to say the least and very unexpected....Doc

That surprises me as well. Being handwritten, it obviously wasn't just a automatically generated response. While I've been seeing a disturbing trend with more and more posts mentioning things along similar lines, I had just assumed it was people trolling as it didn't fit with Spyderco's reputation and prior customer experiences. But that it happened to you (a well respected and established member of the Spyderco community and obvious fan) makes me give these other posts a little more credence.

With the many knives that you've personally purchased (and subsequently given many of those away to people who need them) and the great relationship that you seem to share on these forums, I'm surprised that you would receive such a note. Granted, they did give you the one clip for free, but it seemed to be begrudgingly. I hope that this doesn't become the norm.

I can't comment on the robustness of my G-clip, as there aren't many carry opportunities for a knife this size in SoCal, so mine has seen little use.

[SteelDragon]

I don't own a Rock Salt, but is the clip included when you purchase the knife? basically is it any different then buying any Spyderco with a clip on it and it breaks or what is the difference being it's on a Rock Salt? If it's attached and sold with the knife then I would be a very unhappy customer if one of my clips break and then be told that clip we sold you isn't covered. I hope thats not the case but just curious now.

[Dr. Snubnose]

I don't own a Rock Salt, but is the clip included when you purchase the knife? basically is it any different then buying any Spyderco with a clip on it and it breaks or what is the difference being it's on a Rock Salt? If it's attached and sold with the knife then I would be a very unhappy customer if one of my clips break and then be told that clip we sold you isn't covered. I hope thats not the case but just curious now.

Seems to be the case...as I was told because Spyderco doesn't make the clip, but someone else does...and they get it from them (whomever them is) sooo it's seems like they don't cover it for breakage....maybe Sal or Kristi can shed more light on this issue or explain why it's not covered...like I said it's pretty inexpensive in cost to replace, but for me it's more of a major inconvenience , since I carry the Rock Salt everyday as my primary SD knife and I won't be able to carry it till I buy the replacement. For now I had to strap on CRKT's Hissatsu as my primary, but I would prefer my Rock Salt as a primary, but if the clips are not going to hold up to use, and at any given moment it might break from normal use, I might have to re-think my needs for a primary SD knife. You have to depend on your equipment not to fail. It's kinda like a firearm in a way. I have more than a dozen Semi-automatic pistols, at one time or another for various reasons each of them has malfunctioned. Mostly due to ammunition problems. But the reality of it is, it's fine if it malfunctions on the range shooting paper targets, but it would be a nightmare in a real SD situation to have that happen. Hence I never carry a Semi-Automatic pistol for my personal protection. I only wear it when I have to for work, when teaching firearms training with it, and it is always backed up with a revolver. Now with a knife it is really a different story, as the knife doesn't malfunction unless it breaks (very rare), and if the clip broke, it wouldn't happen in a SD situation where one was drawing it from the sheath...but if the clip breaks when suiting up so to say..you are really minus that knife for carry...not as bigger deal as a firearm that malfunctions, but if you extensively train with your primary knife, and it suddenly is no longer available for you to carry, then you are depending on other equipment which you might not be quite as familiar with. And you might not be as effective as you may have to be...and that sucks.....Doc :D

[The Deacon]

Can't blame you for being upset Doc, that would really annoy me too. I could understand Spyderco asking customers, and even dealers, to return the portion of the broken clip that's screwed to the sheath. But, IMHO, the clip is part of the "package" you are buying and even has the :spyder: on it, so the customer has every right to expect it's a Spyderco item and would be warranted by Spyderco, at least to some extent.

At one level, I don't see any difference between the clip and the Rock Salt itself. Both are "outsourced", and I imagine the sheath is as well.

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[jujigatame]

Many fine knives have been left at home because a sheath can't be counted on or does not perform as it should. Considering they're not willing to send you any more replacements I wonder if Spyderco would put you in touch with the G-clip maker directly. I hope they would be looking in to the breakage issue themselves to see if the maker is still meeting the standards they want.

[jabba359]

Considering they're not willing to send you any more replacements I wonder if Spyderco would put you in touch with the G-clip maker directly. I hope they would be looking in to the breakage issue themselves to see if the maker is still meeting the standards they want.

It's not that they aren't willing to send any more replacements, just that those replacements are going to cost money from now on .

But I would hope that if them breaking is becoming an issue, that either the manufacturer fix the problem or Spyderco source a new supplier.

[4077th]

I would recommend Blade Tech. If the quality of the clips that Spyderco is currently stocking is suspect and you have to pay out-of-pocket anyway, go with a proven product. Cheers.

[The Deacon]

It's not that they aren't willing to send any more replacements, just that those replacements are going to cost money from now on .

But I would hope that if them breaking is becoming an issue, that either the manufacturer fix the problem or Spyderco source a new supplier.

I could understand them asking for the broken one in order to replace it. Too many less than honest people in this world. They'd be replacing more clips than they've sold knives otherwise. But, unless Doc S. has left something important out of his post, or there was a major misunderstanding, refusing to replace a broken part without even examining it just seems totally wrong. Especially one that has their logo on it and, in order to be used as intended, must be flexed.

I'd agree that if breakage is common, Spyderco should work this out with whoever is making the clips for them.

[JLS]

I can't say I've had any break on me and I've had either one or two on my belt for the last year and a bit. It's not always the same one since I leave them on the sheaths, but they all get exercised pretty well.

I'd have to agree that the note sounds out of character and that I would generally expect Spyderco to back up any product that legitimately has their logo on it. Since the G-Clip is "standard issue" for so many of their knives, I would hope they'd be looking into it if it's a chronic problem.

[Dr. Snubnose]

Please understand this. I did not contact Spyderco about this broken clip..I have it, and if they want to see it I'll be more than happy to ship it out to them. The hand written note from Spyderco was sent to me with the replacement clip that broke on the brand new model I was selling in my store. ....Doc :D

[ChrisR]

Whether the clip is made by someone else is irrelevant ... it is sold as a Spyderco product (and is badged Spyderco) and if they break too often then Spyderco needs to upgrade them or get a different manufacturer, IMO. If I'd had that note I'd be livid - it seems penny-pinching and doesn't square with the great Spyderco reputation for good customer service. If they only cost a few pennies then what does it cost Spyderco to replace them, compared to the bad reputation a faulty product can cause? :confused:

[Blerv]

Agreed on all accounts. Sorry for the frustration Doc.

I guess Tec-Loc is the ticket. I wonder if they would cut you a dealer discount.

[unit]

Could you post a photo of your broken clip?

I can guess where it might fail, but photos are always nice to clear things up.

Sorry you are having trouble. Having one break and loosing a knife would be a real downer!

Thanks.

[Michael Janich]

Dear Doc:

I'm sorry for your frustration and any confusion regarding the G-Clip.

I did some checking this morning and the G-Clip is covered against breakage under Spyderco warranty. We are making arrangements to have a replacement sent to you for your EDC Rock Salt.

We think that one of our newer folks in customer service may have misunderstood and was thinking of a Tek-Lok instead of a G-Clip. That's where the "it's made by someone else and we don't warranty it" probably came from. We'll clarify the status of the G-Clip to everyone in our next staff meeting.

With all that said and acknowledging the fact that the G-Clip is a great piece of gear, I personally feel that a sheath as long as that of the Rock Salt is pushing the limits for use with a G-Clip, especially with IWB carry. It places a lot of twisting force on the clip and stresses is a lot more than a shorter knife would. You might consider replacing the G-Clip with a snap-style IWB loop made from Santoprene or a similar material--like that found on Kydex IWB holsters. The flexibility of an IWB loop would allow it to ride the twisting of the big sheath more effectively.

Again, we apologize for the inconvenience.

Stay safe,

Mike

[flash900]

Mike,
Thanks for that explanation and update.
It's a nice reminder that Spyderco pays attention to its consumers.

[Michael Janich]

I dug a little deeper and understand what happened more clearly now. With that in mind, I'd like to offer the following addendum to my last post:

Based on our warranty records, broken G-Clips are extremely rare. In the years that they have been in service, there have only been a handful of incidents of them breaking. When something like that happens, per our warranty policy, we ask that the part be sent back to us so we can examine it for manufacturing flaws or aberrations. This policy also ensures that we are actually replacing an existing part.

If any Spyderco G-Clip ever fails, contact us, follow our established warranty policy, return the broken clip and we'll send you a new one. Statistically, however, you shouldn't have to worry about it.

Stay safe,

Mike