Time for New, More Advanced Spyderco Pocket Clips

[JD Spydo]

With the talk of new C-36 Military models and other new premium folders on the immediate horizon I think it's really way past time for some newer, more advanced pocket clips. Playing with a GUNTING model the other day which by the way has one of the very best Spyderco pocket clips of all time in my humble opinion I feel it's high time to explore some more advanced pocket clips.

I would love to see something similar or even exactly alike the GUNTING pocket clip on a premium, supersteel C-36 Military model. I would also like to see them come up with some newer/better wire clips like the one they used on the Dodo models. Also to make them more difficult to dislodge from clothing by seatbelts or other heartbreakers :o

With many of the super advancements we've seen on many of the newer folders I feel like it's time to see some changes in the pocket clips. The few times I carried a GUNTING model I never ever had that clip ever fail on me. I would like to hear some other ideas for better pocket clips as well.

[ejcr98]

Make them deep carry, like Casey Lynch's or MXG Gear's.

[JD Spydo]

Make them deep carry, like Casey Lynch's or MXG Gear's.

Not familiar with either one of those. I do sort of agree on the concept of "deep carry" but for the most part the clips on my M390 Military and Stainless RESCUE models seem to be deep enough for all intent and purposes. My main problem I've had with the old generation of Spyderco pocket clips is that they tend to be vulnerable to snagging on seatbelts and thus being extracted too easily.

Whereas the one like I mentioned on the GUNTING model seemed to be much more secure overall. The concept of the pocketclip is truly a marvel idea like many of Spyderco's other innovations. But any good idea can be improved and I think that the pocket clips could use some improvement IMO.

[Hopweaver]

I actually like the current clip designs but I see your point about constantly improving. If I could make one immediate improvement, it would be the black coating. We all know the pocket clip is a high friction area. I just wish Spyderco could find a black coating that would not wear off or chip.

[Cheddarnut]

They sometimes use a nice black coating that isnt paint, i would champion that more often, or as an add on. I dont think deep carry would be such an issue to some if the clips didnt look like they had just been torn off of Donna Summers corvette.

[JD Spydo]

I actually like the current clip designs but I see your point about constantly improving. If I could make one immediate improvement, it would be the black coating. We all know the pocket clip is a high friction area. I just wish Spyderco could find a black coating that would not wear off or chip.

I think you've hit on something there>> Because if they had a paint and/or coating that would have more friction and more grip to it then the pocket clip would be less prone to slipping out of your pocket.

Actually for a pocket clip I would prefer a less slick finish or even a rough finish for more grip would actually be practical for pocket clip. I don't really care what color they would use as long as it would be functional.

[mastiff]

I actually like the current clip designs but I see your point about constantly improving. If I could make one immediate improvement, it would be the black coating. We all know the pocket clip is a high friction area. I just wish Spyderco could find a black coating that would not wear off or chip.

It's called DLC and every company needs to get on board with that. Cold Steel was DLCing their Leatherneck series for what must be around at most $5 a pop but probably more like $1 each for a 6.75 to 7 inch fixed blade that cost around $75 that went down to $70 without it. So telling me that doing it to a bunch of little clips is impossible is bull-pucky. If just one company would do it all would be forced to follow suit. I hope Spyderco ends up being the company that leads the others.

As far as clip design, that Gunting clip is, well, an eyesore. A wonky looking clip can turn a good looking knife from "I'll buy that for sure" to "I'll pass." pretty easy. This is probably one of the reasons that most companies have sort of standardized their clips along with ease and speed of manufacture. Like most things function is only one part of the design. I personally want something as understated as possible, probably why my favorite Spydie clips are the wire models with the deep carry version being my favorite.

[JD Spydo]

Now MASTIFF you really hurt my feelings :D Because I've really liked just about everything about the GUNTING and particularly the pocket clip and the unique compression lock on that model. OK I know it was truly a specialty knife and a specific purpose type knife but I still say that it was really well built and rigidly constructed unit and was probably one of the most solid/rigid Spyders ever. The GuNTING was a lot like the Stainless Handled RESCUE model in that you could probably drop it out of an airplane at a high altitude and it might not sustain much damage at all. And when I carried my GUNTING the pocket clip really worked well for me which was one of the main highlights I remember for the short time I carried it.

Granted I didn't carry it much but the times I carried it I had no problems with the clip at all. I had more problems with the hump on the blade which was really more like the horn on a Rhino than anything else Spyderco ever did.

Another older model that I thought had a really nice pocket clip was one of the first run JD Smith models I used to carry.

[i am travvy]

I really enjoy the hourglass clip that is on most spydies now. I will agree that it does catch seat belts quite easily, maybe putting a smaller gap will help that. What I'd really like to see is more models with the black Taichung pocket clips. Example would be the clip on the valotton, the finish was very durable and didn't run off like the othe black clips. What I think would be pretty neat as well would be the option to purchase different color cerakoted clips. I'll even cerakote them!! Lol

[Evil D]

JD buddy I'm normally on the same page with you but that might be the ugliest clip Spyderco ever made. What is it that you like so much about it, what makes it work better than others like the typical hourglass clip?

No doubt, clip design is probably an area that Spyderco save money on, not because they're cheap but because they use a fairly standardized design for many different models. If they had to design a custom clip for each individual model I bet we would see that difference in cost. I also see their hourglass clip as another type of trademark just like the round hole, when I see one clipped in someone's pocket I immediately know what brand knife they're carrying.

[bearfacedkiller]

I think a more durable black coating on the clips sounds like a good idea. I like black clips.

Making a clip less prone to snagging on things like seatbelts would require closing the gap at the end of the clip. This would then make repocketing the knives more difficult. I have had a Spydie with a small gap at the end and I took it off and bent it a little. If you are having issues with it snagging just tweak the end a little. This is something the knife owner can easily adjust themselves.

If it is more retention that is desired then there is always the option of bending the clip to make it tighter. I have tweaked a few clips this way to make them either a little looser or a little tighter. I find that the scale material makes a difference too. Peel ply G10 can give great retention while smooth metals give less retention. There is also always the option of removing the clip and scuffing up the contact surface on the back of the clip but that can increase the wear on your pants. Tension and traction both seem adjustable.

Deep carry is nice for the aesthetic reasons. In dress clothes it makes sense for a gents folder to be discrete and classy looking but for EDC I just do not see the need. Deep carry, for me, makes extracting the knife form my pocket a little more difficult. I enjoy having a little bit of knife sticking out to ease extraction. Also, I do not feel as though I need to hide my knife from anybody. I do not care what others think of me carrying a knife and I do not want to live in a world where we feel the need to hide a basic tool.

Milled clips seem to be gaining popularity and while they do look nice and I am sure they are sturdy they are not without their downsides. They cost more to make and that adds to the final cost of the knife. They are also more difficult to adjust like I mentioned above. For this reason I prefer a stamped clip.

There is another trend I am seeing lately and that is placing a single ball bearing into a clip at the contact point. I assume this is to ease extraction and to prevent wear on pants. To me this is a little gimmicky and is totally unnecessary. It probably reduces retention and seems like a solution to a problem that doesn't exist. It is a cool idea but is basically just there to be cool. I feel as though this is best reserved for pocket jewelry.

I am not against continuing to improve and always looking for better ways to do something but at this point in time I have not seen much that is an improvement on the standard hourglass clip in my eyes. Sorry for being so long winded and this is obviously just one man's opinion. :)

[VashHash]

Not really a fan of the spoon clip on the gunting visually. Sure it serves its purpose for indexing the knife but I'm not sure that would work on the military unless you have HUGE hands. I think the spoon clip would be a step back. It's also pretty wide and obnoxious for a clip. I prefer a discreet clip instead of one I could use for soup. Did i mention its a spoon?

[carpdiem]

I'd like to see some texturing on the insides of clips designed for models with stainless steel or Ti handles. It's not necessary for models with grippier scales, but when you've got smooth metal on both sides of the pocket fabric, you lose a lot of retention.

Could be accomplished as simply as doing a rough acid wash over the entire clip or somesuch.

[JD Spydo]

Not really a fan of the spoon clip on the gunting visually. Sure it serves its purpose for indexing the knife but I'm not sure that would work on the military unless you have HUGE hands. I think the spoon clip would be a step back. It's also pretty wide and obnoxious for a clip. I prefer a discreet clip instead of one I could use for soup. Did i mention its a spoon?

OK then let's set that idea aside for a moment>> what about a more advanced wire type clip like the one on the Dodo model? Now I'm not suggesting that it be exactly like the one on the Dodo because it would have to be more rigid for bigger models. But if you do more clips similar to the ones you got now you would definitely have to change the finish on it>> because the finish they use now is just too slick to have maximum retention and just so it doesn't slide out of the pocket easy.

A lot of your titanium alloys have good spring retention and resist corrosion and not to mention that it is a very strong metal in comparison. There's just got to be something better we could implement?????

[Slumblor]

What is the difference between the wire clip on the dodo and the regular wire clip on current models?

I like the standard hourglass clip, when positioned properly. The wire clip spyderco uses is also one of my favorite clips. But of course, they each have their place. I don't mind some knife poking out of the pocket, but deep carry is nice. I'd like to see a stamped type deep carry clip. I like the benchmade deep carry clips and how it can be interchanged on most knives so users have options. I'm not sure if there is a regular deep carry clip from spyderco on any models, or just the wire clip?

[JD Spydo]

The interesting thing about the concept of a "Wire Pocket Clip" is that there are several different configurations you could do to make an ideal pocket clip. You would probably have much more versatility with a "Wire Pocket Clip" than you would with a standard steel sheet metal clip.

The properties that Titanium has leads me to believe that titanium might just be a great material for a Wire Clip. Or even a standard sheet metal pocket clip. It's springy properties and corrosion resistance and overall strength would all contribute to making a high performance type pocket clip.

I'm also leaning to believe that many of the larger folders like the C-36 Military, Chinook, K -2 and several others I could mention would probably benefit from the use of a belt sheath>> or a completely new and revamped clip system all together.

[yablanowitz]

Oh, they definitely need to start making them out of a titanium/carbon fiber laminate. They just aren't expensive enough now. They need to run the price of their knives up a little more so I can forget buying them altogether.

[knivesandbooks]

I agree with much that has been said.
More knives need the wire clip! Would have loved if the para3 came with one.
Wire clips shouldn't be black painted.
Also, Spyderco introducing deep carry clips would be fantastic.
Even if deep carry isn't offered on many knives, Spyderco could do as Benchmade does and send or sell one if requested.

[LDB]

Photos of these clips?

[mikeh99]

I'd like to see some texturing on the insides of clips designed for models with stainless steel or Ti handles. It's not necessary for models with grippier scales, but when you've got smooth metal on both sides of the pocket fabric, you lose a lot of retention.

Could be accomplished as simply as doing a rough acid wash over the entire clip or somesuch.

+1