Byrd Clips

Discuss Spyderco's byrd knives.
rivy
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Byrd Clips

#1

Post by rivy »

Anyone know if there's any where to find deep carry or even black clips for Byrds?

I've got a meadowlark FRN and my biggest complaint is the silver clip, it's shiny and non-deep carry. I guess my other complaint is that I couldn't get one of the screws out of it. I'm going to have to dremel a slot for a flat head or find some other way of getting it out now. I'm open to suggestions if anyone has them.

I wanted to swap a black delica clip onto my Byrd, but it appears the screws are off just enough to keep you from doing this...
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anagarika
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Re: Byrd Clips

#2

Post by anagarika »

Welcome to the forum!

My older Cara Cara could use Endura clip. Do they make changes? Otherwise there's plenty of after market deep carry clips offered on the web, but prices are like one Cara Cara per pcs. :eek:
Another option is to burn the clip (after taking it off) over stove to orange glow. It'll darken the color nicely.

On the clip screws, one of my newly bought Cara Cara had two of them firmly cemented. It twisted my torx driver before stripping the inner groove of the screw heads. I cut flat slot into the heads and put them into boiling water, and yet the screws metal head deformed under the flat screwdriver torsion. It just won't budge.

If you are in US, I'd suggest emailing Charlynn (customer service) and send it in for them to help. I live overseas so sending (one way) costs one Cara Cara (that's why I bought two). My other one was ok, I could take off the clip screws (before the torx ruined), but this one has the blade flat grind is flawed near spine. Since it doesn't affect functionality, and I'm that far, I live with it. If I'm in US, I'd have sent it in so they can inspect & improve from it.

Hopefully you find a solution.
Chris :spyder:
rivy
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Re: Byrd Clips

#3

Post by rivy »

anagarika wrote:Welcome to the forum!

My older Cara Cara could use Endura clip. Do they make changes? Otherwise there's plenty of after market deep carry clips offered on the web, but prices are like one Cara Cara per pcs. :eek:
Another option is to burn the clip (after taking it off) over stove to orange glow. It'll darken the color nicely.

On the clip screws, one of my newly bought Cara Cara had two of them firmly cemented. It twisted my torx driver before stripping the inner groove of the screw heads. I cut flat slot into the heads and put them into boiling water, and yet the screws metal head deformed under the flat screwdriver torsion. It just won't budge.

If you are in US, I'd suggest emailing Charlynn (customer service) and send it in for them to help. I live overseas so sending (one way) costs one Cara Cara (that's why I bought two). My other one was ok, I could take off the clip screws (before the torx ruined), but this one has the blade flat grind is flawed near spine. Since it doesn't affect functionality, and I'm that far, I live with it. If I'm in US, I'd have sent it in so they can inspect & improve from it.

Hopefully you find a solution.
Thanks for the welcome and the reply! I like the idea of burning it, I may give that a shot. I haven't been able to find byrd specific aftermarket clips anywhere though, but yes, I am sure they'd cost as much as the knife itself. I looked at a delica next to my meadowlark and it appeared that the screws were a bit more spaced out on the byrd. I had also read somewhere on one of the knife forums that someone tried to put a delica/endura clip on their byrd and the holes didn't align.

Did you end up ever getting your clip off with the one that wouldn't budge or just left it on?
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anagarika
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Re: Byrd Clips

#4

Post by anagarika »

To be clear, I have 2 of them. One I could take off the clip. The other I couldn't, still have not figured out what to do. Using soldering iron will risk the FRN melting. :o

I have not tried putting them on my Endura, but my older Cara Cara 2 the clip could be mounted on Endura.

I'll update when I try again.

Edit:
The clip (new one that I managed to take off) fits perfectly on Endura 4. Had to use Endura screws, as the screws for Cara Cara are different. Conclusion: anything fits Endura 4/Stretch will fit Cara Cara 2 FRN (except the screws).
Chris :spyder:
Spydy33
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Re: Byrd Clips

#5

Post by Spydy33 »

I've seen this one on Youtube https://youtu.be/QnfCd97uEX4
rivy
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Re: Byrd Clips

#6

Post by rivy »

Spydy33 wrote:I've seen this one on Youtube https://youtu.be/QnfCd97uEX4
Just a review? I don't see anything about the clips in that video at all...
rolandc77
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Re: Byrd Clips

#7

Post by rolandc77 »

My Byrd Crow 2 was almost perfect except for the shiny pocket clip. The shiny clip combined with the shiny thick blade made it really stick out in my pocket. This is what I did I did to transform it from almost perfect to flat out perfect: take off the clip and, holding it in a pair of needle nose pliers, heat it up with a propane torch (I used the small butane torch from Harbor Freight) just until the clip glows red. When it cools, it will have oxidized to a very attractive and permanent dark reddish blue. If you have ever tempered your carbon steel blade in an oven, you will recognize the color. Initially, I was concerned that heating the clip to this extent might ruin it springiness, so I first experimented on a Kershaw Oso Sweet (which I am not so fond of) and there was no problem, so on to the Crow.

BTW: The Harbor Freight butane torch is a wonderful tool. It will produce a very fine, pencil point flame that can be directed to the center of those screws that Loctited too tight. The heat will soften the loctite and they will come right out!
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sal
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Re: Byrd Clips

#8

Post by sal »

Hi Roland,

Welcome to our forum.

Thanx for the info.

sal
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SpyderEdgeForever
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Re: Byrd Clips

#9

Post by SpyderEdgeForever »

Roland welcome to the forum. The Byrd knives are great, I have a Cara Cara and Rescue and they are excellently-made and useful.
C99c
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Re: Byrd Clips

#10

Post by C99c »

rolandc77 wrote:My Byrd Crow 2 was almost perfect except for the shiny pocket clip. The shiny clip combined with the shiny thick blade made it really stick out in my pocket. This is what I did I did to transform it from almost perfect to flat out perfect: take off the clip and, holding it in a pair of needle nose pliers, heat it up with a propane torch (I used the small butane torch from Harbor Freight) just until the clip glows red. When it cools, it will have oxidized to a very attractive and permanent dark reddish blue. If you have ever tempered your carbon steel blade in an oven, you will recognize the color. Initially, I was concerned that heating the clip to this extent might ruin it springiness, so I first experimented on a Kershaw Oso Sweet (which I am not so fond of) and there was no problem, so on to the Crow.

BTW: The Harbor Freight butane torch is a wonderful tool. It will produce a very fine, pencil point flame that can be directed to the center of those screws that Loctited too tight. The heat will soften the loctite and they will come right out!
The torch is a good idea. I both "pre-heated" my clip screws for removal and changed the color of the clip on my Cara Cara 2 with a Bic lighter while holding it with a Leatherman not long after I bought it.
I don't necessarily like my clips to be solid black, but I really don't like extra shiny ones.
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BLUETYPEII
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Re: Byrd Clips

#11

Post by BLUETYPEII »

Doe anyone know what size the clip screws are on the Cara Cara 2. Specifically metric or standard, and thread pitch. I am attempting to do a small customization so I need to find replacement clip screws that are a little longer ( like 2mm ) than the standard ones
40 Spyderco knives in 11 different steels,
1 Byrd and 30 “others”
nugi
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Re: Byrd Clips

#12

Post by nugi »

Tried putting an endura clip on a byrd hawkbill. The holes seemed to line up right but the byrd clip screws wouldn't fit through the endura's clip holes
Wire clip me. Wire clip now. Me a wire clip needing a lot now.
ZenDog
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Re: Byrd Clips

#13

Post by ZenDog »

Hi guys. I realize this thread has aged, but wanted to add my two cents. I would also welcome a deep-carry stainless option. I mention stainless because I'm not entirely sure if the clip on my Byrd Meadowlark 2 is stainless because it picked up corrosion around the mounting screws. I've since unmounted, cleaned and polished most of it out. Wished I had some 'before' pics but I'm brand new to the forum. I'm one of 'those guys' that sweat a lot and live in the deep south, not to mention I subject my knives to a lot of tough environments with freshwater fishing and some salt-water snorkeling. I'm usually good to follow-through with rinsing and oiling any of my equipment after activities, but I guess my clip got overlooked. Am I alone in this experience?
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defenestrate
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Re: Byrd Clips

#14

Post by defenestrate »

ZenDog,
As far as I know, all steels used in byrds are stainless, but light corrosion happens at times - I think some of the formulas are a little less corrosion resistant and maybe a bit less consistent than most of the US/Japan/Europe steels. I have seen some light corrosion occasionally, but nothing indicating non-stainless steels.

I would probably want to rinse after any exposure to salt water, fish guts, etc. I would do that with any stainless other than maybe H1 or LC200 but would expect corrosion more on some of the inexpensive steels used on byrds.
rivy
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Re: Byrd Clips

#15

Post by rivy »

I also noticed that although the hole pattern aligns on Byrd/spyderco the screws are larger on the byrds which means we can’t use any Spyderco aftermarket clips. This is unfortunate. I wish they’d just use the same size clip screws.
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