Casey Lynch Short Clip vs. MXG Gear Short Clip

[RadioactiveSpyder]

Uhh, there’s no “might” have increased the hole size. He DID. I’m not home right now but I could very easily prove that with a single pic. Perhaps I should copy and paste the exact conversation he and I had regarding this change, since you apparently are not convinced.

I will also reiterate again that MXG blatantly copied the style of Casey’s clips years ago, without contacting him or crediting him at all with the design.

You guys can debate this but it basically comes down to whether you prefer the original Lynch version or the (basically counterfeit) MXG version. Apparently folks don’t really care about that, but I sure do.

[Fixmeister]

Slightly off topic, but... I just received my sandwashed titanium Lynch Para 3 clip that has the relief design for the lanyard hole. I really wanted to like this clip. Fit is perfect and it wasn’t difficult to install like some of the horror stories I’ve heard, but in the end... I went back to the original clip.

I swim upstream since a prefer tip-down carry on both my Para 3 and PM 2s. I find it awkward to walk my way down to the pivot and prefer to spin the knives once out of pocket. And with the Lynch clip on the Para 3, there was a hotspot at the clip (back of knife) that wasn’t there before. Deal breaker for me. Your results may vary. I’ll keep it for now, but it won’t get used. Same with my MXG.

Tom

[Alchemy1]

Not trying to plug my channel at all, but I had some of the same issues as you all described. Casey sent me VERY detailed written instructions within 24 hours and I turned that into a video. I was surprised such a video didn’t exist. Even if it was from Casey.

https://youtu.be/zOpNaI2p-BU

[lonerider1013]

cheapo option... I took the clip off an Ontario rat 2. If I only used the two side holes (2 screws not all 3) it fits on the para3. It is not as nice as a spyderco clip but it is shorter in length, black as opposed to silver, and allows the knife to sit 1/4 lower in pocket.
Course i'll probably get a proper low pro clip when I get $...
Lonerider.

[kodai78]

I have tried both. I bent the Lynch clip pretty badly (my fault). However it’s thinner stock makes it more fragile. I also had trouble with the screws. I found installation of the MXG product easier and the clip itself more durable.

[Bdubs808]

https://www.bladehq.com/cat--Lynch-Northwest--2120
In stock now

[Deadboxhero]

MXG short clip baby.

[RadioactiveSpyder]

Maybe MXG can copy his pry bar too.

[Bdubs808]

Maybe MXG can copy his pry bar too.

Holy cow! How did you obtain such artsy Lynch swag? I have one of the prybars too, though it's plain gray titanium.

[KnickKnackCity]

^ Thats a really nice set. I had no idea about the MXG situation. I have clips from both and like them equally for different reasons. I wonder if Casey had tried to patent that design prior to MXG producing theirs. Either way it makes me think twice about who I order aftermarket accessories from.

[Xander3Zero]

I'd like to point out that MXG has like another dozen or so clip designs for various Spyderco models. So its not like they only have that one clip design that looks similar to Lynch's.

Sure MXG's design looks very similar to Lynch's, but there are really only so many ways to "design" a deep carry clip that interfaces with the handle scales. I'm not picking sides, but this is the market we live in; if Lynch wanted to make sure no one mimicked his design, he probably should have sought after a patent before releasing it to the market.

Of these two similar looking designs, I prefer MXG's because it doesn't hang over the edge of the scale and stays within the footprint, but that's just my opinion.

[Rutger]

The hole in the clip is not patent worthy. It's just a simple solution to a problem that anyone can think off and has probably been used before in other products/industries. The rest of the clip design is way different.
I'd love to see more competition on the Spyderco deep carry clip market to get the prices down. It's a lot of money we have to pay for a little piece of metal.

[Liquid Cobra]

I'd like to point out that MXG has like another dozen or so clip designs for various Spyderco models. So its not like they only have that one clip design that looks similar to Lynch's.

Sure MXG's design looks very similar to Lynch's, but there are really only so many ways to "design" a deep carry clip that interfaces with the handle scales. I'm not picking sides, but this is the market we live in; if Lynch wanted to make sure no one mimicked his design, he probably should have sought after a patent before releasing it to the market.

Of these two similar looking designs, I prefer MXG's because it doesn't hang over the edge of the scale and stays within the footprint, but that's just my opinion.

This is pretty much how I feel. While I think it’s possible that MXG saw Lynch’s clip and copied it, it is also possible that they came up with a very similar idea. It’s happened before.

MXG is a faceless company to me, so I don’t have any feelings positive or negative about them. They make a product that I really like. Casey Lynch however is an amazing guy that stands behind his product 100%. I just received some clips from him in the mail and the personal touch’s to the shipment are just incredible. That he would take the time to do that for no reason other than to make me smile is just so great. I’m a customer for life.

[Liquid Cobra]

The hole in the clip is not patent worthy. It's just a simple solution to a problem that anyone can think off and has probably been used before in other products/industries. The rest of the clip design is way different.
I'd love to see more competition on the Spyderco deep carry clip market to get the prices down. It's a lot of money we have to pay for a little piece of metal.

Simple solutions that make people say “well I could have thought of that” are often the best ones. That doesn’t make them trivial or not worthy of a patent. It’s funny to me that you feel this way while posting on a Spyderco forum. The Spyderco opening hole is the most simple and elegant solution there is to opening a knife. It’s also one Sal thought to patent. :rolleyes:

Edit: also, do you really think the price on these clips is high? $18 for a custom piece of titanium seems reasonable to me.

[Liquid Cobra]

Now down to the products. I just received some clips from Casey Lynch, and while they are awesome there are some things I noticed that could use fixing. Maybe someone with more experience with his products can tell me if this stuff is normal.

Three things I noticed that weren’t so great on my Lynch clips...

1: The anodization does not cover the entire clip. The underside is plain titanium while the top is all blue. Would be nice if the entire clip was blue. The MXG version I have is.

2: The edges of the clip are very rough and unfinished. Not a deal breaker by any means but something worth pointing out. My MXG clips are all smooth. The overall finish on the MXG is better as well.

3: This one I didn’t photograph, but on both of the Lynch clips I received, the mounting portion of the clip was bent in too far. This made getting the screws in very difficult as they didn’t want to catch the threads in the knife because the titanium wasn’t flush to the scale. I eventually got it in but it was a bit of a pain.

Another thing I’m not so keen on is how the Lynch clip sticks out over the butt of the knife. I can’t compare this to MXG as I don’t have one installed on a PM2, so it could be a problem on both, I just don’t know.

So which do I prefer? Well, I guess I would have to say I prefer the MXG clips because of the things I just mentioned but also aesthetically I think they match the overall look of Spyderco better than the Lynch clips do. I guess it’s how round they are. That’s a personal preference of course. The MXG clips are $23 so they are more expensive but a couple extra bucks doesn’t bother me. If anything I think Casey should probably charge a bit more for his as I felt like I was getting the better part of the deal.

If I had to chose one over the other?.. I wouldn’t. I like both. I’m going to stick to MXG on my Para 3’s and Lynch on my Para 2’s. I like the diversity.

Here are some pics:

[Deadboxhero]

Well said Man.

Now down to the products. I just received some clips from Casey Lynch, and while they are awesome there are some things I noticed that could use fixing. Maybe someone with more experience with his products can tell me if this stuff is normal.

Three things I noticed that weren’t so great on my Lynch clips...

1: The anodization does not cover the entire clip. The underside is plain titanium while the top is all blue. Would be nice if the entire clip was blue. The MXG version I have is.

2: The edges of the clip are very rough and unfinished. Not a deal breaker by any means but something worth pointing out. My MXG clips are all smooth. The overall finish on the MXG is better as well.

3: This one I didn’t photograph, but on both of the Lynch clips I received, the mounting portion of the clip was bent in too far. This made getting the screws in very difficult as they didn’t want to catch the threads in the knife because the titanium wasn’t flush to the scale. I eventually got it in but it was a bit of a pain.

Another thing I’m not so keen on is how the Lynch clip sticks out over the butt of the knife. I can’t compare this to MXG as I don’t have one installed on a PM2, so it could be a problem on both, I just don’t know.

So which do I prefer? Well, I guess I would have to say I prefer the MXG clips because of the things I just mentioned but also aesthetically I think they match the overall look of Spyderco better than the Lynch clips do. I guess it’s how round they are. That’s a personal preference of course. The MXG clips are $23 so they are more expensive but a couple extra bucks doesn’t bother me. If anything I think Casey should probably charge a bit more for his as I felt like I was getting the better part of the deal.

If I had to chose one over the other?.. I wouldn’t. I like both. I’m going to stick to MXG on my Para 3’s and Lynch on my Para 2’s. I like the diversity.

Here are some pics:

[Xander3Zero]

From those pics, the anodizing finish looks a lot better on the MXG. Gotta say I wasn't too keen on the blue G10 PM2/Para3 but it looks really good with the matching clip!

Another thing that I am liking about MXG is that they have a pretty decent website where you can order directly from, and you don't have to wait eons for them to come in stock at dealers.

[Rutger]

The hole in the clip is not patent worthy. It's just a simple solution to a problem that anyone can think off and has probably been used before in other products/industries. The rest of the clip design is way different.
I'd love to see more competition on the Spyderco deep carry clip market to get the prices down. It's a lot of money we have to pay for a little piece of metal.

Simple solutions that make people say “well I could have thought of that” are often the best ones. That doesn’t make them trivial or not worthy of a patent. It’s funny to me that you feel this way while posting on a Spyderco forum. The Spyderco opening hole is the most simple and elegant solution there is to opening a knife. It’s also one Sal thought to patent. :rolleyes:

Edit: also, do you really think the price on these clips is high? $18 for a custom piece of titanium seems reasonable to me.

I know about the Spyderco patent and that is a whole different thing. With the clip we need to reach the screw holes and there are only so many ways to do so. Make a hole or taper in the clip. A hole to reach a screw is a common engineering solution.

And yes i think $18 is a lot. These clips are mass produced (stamped) and the material cost ain't that high. Just compare this amount of money to a full knife. I tend to value stuff more as an engineer and not by my disposable income/feeling.
I also noticed the rough edges on his clips and the poor anodization. These look like cheap Chinese products. Casey should be ashamed to ask this much while delivering such low quality. With high profit margins of course he can provide great service, throw in some useless swag and send out replacement clips/screws etc. I did a quick search and you can get the exact same clip from China for $4.99 including shipping... I like to support USA/EU made and everyone is allowed to make some profit, but these differences are getting big considering the quality. The MXG looks to be much better made, but even they are pricey. I think competition is good for the consumer. I think Spyderco could make a better deep carry clip for less money. Benchmade even gives em for free.

[Liquid Cobra]

The hole in the clip is not patent worthy. It's just a simple solution to a problem that anyone can think off and has probably been used before in other products/industries. The rest of the clip design is way different.
I'd love to see more competition on the Spyderco deep carry clip market to get the prices down. It's a lot of money we have to pay for a little piece of metal.

Simple solutions that make people say “well I could have thought of that” are often the best ones. That doesn’t make them trivial or not worthy of a patent. It’s funny to me that you feel this way while posting on a Spyderco forum. The Spyderco opening hole is the most simple and elegant solution there is to opening a knife. It’s also one Sal thought to patent. :rolleyes:

Edit: also, do you really think the price on these clips is high? $18 for a custom piece of titanium seems reasonable to me.

I know about the Spyderco patent and that is a whole different thing. With the clip we need to reach the screw holes and there are only so many ways to do so. Make a hole or taper in the clip. A hole to reach a screw is a common engineering solution.

And yes i think $18 is a lot. These clips are mass produced (stamped) and the material cost ain't that high. Just compare this amount of money to a full knife. I tend to value stuff more as an engineer and not by my disposable income/feeling.
I also noticed the rough edges on his clips and the poor anodization. These look like cheap Chinese products. Casey should be ashamed to ask this much while delivering such low quality. With high profit margins of course he can provide great service, throw in some useless swag and send out replacement clips/screws etc. I did a quick search and you can get the exact same clip from China for $4.99 including shipping... I like to support USA/EU made and everyone is allowed to make some profit, but these differences are getting big considering the quality. The MXG looks to be much better made, but even they are pricey. I think competition is good for the consumer. I think Spyderco could make a better deep carry clip for less money. Benchmade even gives em for free.

Couldn’t disagree more but I’ll leave it at that.

[awa54]

My MXG deep carry clip https://www.mxggear.com/collections/par ... co-para-16 arrived today, it installed on the S110V Para 3 without a hitch, they even include two sets of screws, the shorter set is the correct length to compensate for the fact that the MXG Ti clip is a bit thicker than a stock Spyderco steel clip.

The fit and look are excellent, I was buying less for full concealment of the knife than to keep the Para 3 from feeling like it might tip out of my pocket (in an absolute sense the P3 doesn't stick up out of a pocket very far, but proportionately a fair amount of weight is above the top of your pocket with the original clip in tip-up position), so as much as I like these clips I won't be rushing to put them on my other Spydercos, but if/when I get more Para 3s there will be a clip ordered at the same time as the knife ...once I saw how this clip fit my Blurple P3, I immediately ordered a black one for the St. Nick's P3.

It'll get carried tomorrow, today I have my British Blades Urban equipped and I wasn't going to switch off of that... What a great little knife, made even better with a set of Cuscadi scales!