wire clip replacement?

[ladybug93]

before everyone jumps down my throat, i don't hate the wire clips.

i have noticed there is a difference though between the wire clip on the manix lw (which i love) and the wire clips that fold over for "deep" carry, like on the df2 and on my newly acquired spydiechef. from what i've seen, the wire clip on the manix is really strong and durable, whereas the wire clips that fold over tend to roll and shift a lot more. i don't really care about that on my df2 (even though my df2 clip rolled and shifted so much that it lost tension almost completely), but i'm definitely not too keen on it for the spydiechef.

my spydiechef is certainly not meant to sit in my sock drawer, so i don't mind some random wear and snail trails across the scales, but i certainly don't want defined wear lines from the pocket clip shifting back and forth against the scale.

anyway, i know there are the rippsgaragetech and the lynch options for replacement clips. what are everyone's opinions on their durability and value as replacement clips for the spydiechef, specifically? i don't care about deep carry, but i see that the lynch clips will carry like the stock clip and the rgt clip will ride a little higher. opinions?

thanks!


edited to remove some negativity and to add that i decided i don't care about switching the clip. after looking at the other clips some more, i'm not sure i would like them any better than this one. i'm going to just deal with the marks from the wire clip and be happy to have a sweet knife.

[RustyIron]

I have a couple Lynch wire-clip replacements on Manix LWs. I like them, but I don't think they're as robust as the original straight wire clip or a screw-style Lynch. A couple times I've had to gently push the clip with my thumb to get to to align exactly where I want it. It's not a problem that crops up frequently, though.

Of the knives thrown haphazardly into the desk drawer where I'm currently sitting, here are the clips in order of rigidity:
Spyderco stainless original
MXG Gear
Lynch screw-on
Lynch replacement for wire clip

[ladybug93]

i decided against switching the clip out on my spydiechef. i thought about asking to have the thread deleted, but i think it's still a valid conversation to be had. if you have thoughts on these clips, please share.

[Alexander135]

I've been playing with blackening titanium. So far it seems durable but I haven't had much chance to test it. It is a modified Lynch knock-off clip. The clamping force is less than a standard wire clip, but lateral rigidity is higher. Would you be interested in testing one?

I'll have to dig through my parts pile but if I have one that fits a spydiechef I'll give it to you for the cost of shipping and a promise that you will send me your thoughts on it after using it for awhile. Just let me know.

[SG89]

I used to be the biggest fan of spyderco wire clips. I still prefer them to the spoon clips no doubt, however, I hate that they roll. It's just annoying. The RGT clip i bought had zero retention and I honestly felt super ripped off bc it was like $90 i think at the time. They are cool tho, I should have paid attention to the shape/retention style before I bought it...
I only carry Lynch wire replacement clips on my wire clip knives now. I love that the prongs are flat. No rolling. It is a little tricky at first to get it installed bc you have to get the prongs to agree with the screw and scale channels. You'll see what i mean when you install one. I really love it on my para 3 lw. Also cerakote doesn't wear off like the black paint on the spyderco wire clips.

[nerdlock]

I used to be the biggest fan of spyderco wire clips. I still prefer them to the spoon clips no doubt, however, I hate that they roll. It's just annoying. The RGT clip i bought had zero retention and I honestly felt super ripped off bc it was like $90 i think at the time. They are cool tho, I should have paid attention to the shape/retention style before I bought it...
I only carry Lynch wire replacement clips on my wire clip knives now. I love that the prongs are flat. No rolling. It is a little tricky at first to get it installed bc you have to get the prongs to agree with the screw and scale channels. You'll see what i mean when you install one. I really love it on my para 3 lw. Also cerakote doesn't wear off like the black paint on the spyderco wire clips.

Thanks for the honest opinion on the RGT clips. I really wanted them because they look great and low-key and don't detract from the aesthetics of Spydercos, but I was put off by the insane price for a simple milled clip of titanium (BladesWeLove also sells a milled titanium clip which has decent retention and a very fair price, slightly higher than Lynch). Glad to know that with your report of zero retention, I won't go down that road anymore.

Anyhow, I love the wire clips on my Para 3 LWs, don't have any problem with all of them; but the Lil' Native wire clips are a different matter altogether. It's very uncomfortable in my hands. Switched them to Lynch wire clip replacements and the difference is palpable - it's more comfortable for me and provides good retention (although the experience may vary with a heavier knife and Titanium scales). More importantly they don't roll ever, like SG said.

[Manixguy@1994]

It’s all good ladybug93 , congrats buying a Spydiechef . First I have absolutely no problem with wire clips , and second I don’t have to have a deep carry after market clip on all my knives . I have purchased a Lynch standard which I experimented with until it finally found a home on my PM2 lefty . I considered their wire replacement clip but they have all worked well . My Salt Dragonfly comes loose maybe once in three months if that , no movement , rock solid . My first wire clip ever is on my Superleaf and to be truthful I was very skeptical it would work on such a large knife . I was dead wrong , switched it to lefty and I have never had to touch it . My only thing about Lynch is how much the clip bows out away from the scales compared to a stock clip , but can’t fault how well they are built . I know you use your knives and I get it wanting to keep a knife you have invested in to look nice . I have a CRK 21 that I have had for years and yep it has trails and clip wear , but solid as a rock . I can send to refinish but really what is the point ? Whatever you decide will be right , simply because it’s your knife . I will also say again a beauty too . MG2

[RustyIron]

I've been playing with blackening titanium.

Blackening? Black? What's your process?
I've anodized a couple titanium clips in a sort-of-rainbow gradient. It was more of an experiment to entertain myself, and it turned out to be a lot of fun.

[kobold]

I am too cheap to spend money on aftermarket pocket clips, mostly because I don't use them as intended anyway. I carry everything at the bottom of my pockets, or IWB at most in the summer. If they are not ergonomic or flimsy, I take them off.

[Alexander135]

I've been playing with blackening titanium.

Blackening? Black? What's your process?
I've anodized a couple titanium clips in a sort-of-rainbow gradient. It was more of an experiment to entertain myself, and it turned out to be a lot of fun.

Yes black or very near it. I currently have two clips that I have blackened. One is hard to tell if its a very dark brown that is almost black or not. The other looks black, maybe with a slight blue hue. If I remember, I'll post a picture of them next to a black FRN Spyderco as a color reference when I get home.

The process is simple but tricky to get it very black. Here's essentially my process:
Clean titanium with a degreaser.
Heat titanium with propane until it's red, basically as hot as I can get it, quench in room temperature canola oil. Keep the oil room temperature and keep repeating this process without touching the piece or getting anything on it.
This generally takes 5-10 cycles, maybe more depending on how well you heat and quench it.
I gauge when I'm done by when the piece doesn't seem to be getting darker and the piece is no longer shedding material (oxide?) when quenched.
The surface finish you start with is about the surface finish you will have in the end, if not a little duller.

I'm not sure what this creates, but seeing as titanium does not anodize black, and this only happens in a non oxygen environment, I think it's a kind of titanium nitride that you end up creating.
Lastly the titanium that I have used this process on is TC4; other alloys might behave differently.

[RustyIron]

Heat titanium with propane until it's red, basically as hot as I can get it, quench in room temperature canola oil.

Thanks!

[Alexander135]

Heat titanium with propane until it's red, basically as hot as I can get it, quench in room temperature canola oil.

Thanks!

No problem. If you try it, let me know how it works out for you.
Here's two examples. Both started out as the same color of grey titanium. The one on the left is a wire clip version and is complete. The one on the right is not complete and needs to be degreased, have the oxides removed, and probably needs another 2-3 heat+quench in oil. The oxides are being stubborn and not coming off when quenched so I'll probably wire brush them off.

[ladybug93]

nice!

[resonanzmacher]

I've been playing with blackening titanium.

Here's essentially my process:
Clean titanium with a degreaser.
Heat titanium with propane until it's red, basically as hot as I can get it, quench in room temperature canola oil. Keep the oil room temperature and keep repeating this process without touching the piece or getting anything on it.

I've heard that quenching in WD40 gives a nice black look. Who knows -- everyone uses WD40 for everything except the one thing it's really good for, which is displacing moisture. But if you have an extra can lying around you might want to do a comparison run just to see.

[Oloung1]

No problem. If you try it, let me know how it works out for you.
Here's two examples. Both started out as the same color of grey titanium. The one on the left is a wire clip version and is complete. The one on the right is not complete and needs to be degreased, have the oxides removed, and probably needs another 2-3 heat+quench in oil. The oxides are being stubborn and not coming off when quenched so I'll probably wire brush them off.

These look good! I've looked high and low for darkened Ti deep carry clips before and just gave up looking. For most vendors, it was just much more efficient to have the Ti coated.

[kennethsime]

I can't comment on the Spydiechef specifically, but I had a similar problem with my Para 3 LW. I put a Lynch clip on it maybe 6 months ago and haven't had a problem since.

I don't mind the wire clip, but I like the Lynch clip better.

[Alexander135]

These look good! I've looked high and low for darkened Ti deep carry clips before and just gave up looking. For most vendors, it was just much more efficient to have the Ti coated.

Thanks. It's not too hard to find and get consistent results with anodizing, but blackened titanium is rare. I think this is due to how little info there is on it, and how tricky it can be to get a consistent finish. I know of several sellers on AliExpress that sell black titanium items, but I assume that they are just coated with something like enamel paint.

[ladybug93]

These look good! I've looked high and low for darkened Ti deep carry clips before and just gave up looking. For most vendors, it was just much more efficient to have the Ti coated.

Thanks. It's not too hard to find and get consistent results with anodizing, but blackened titanium is rare. I think this is due to how little info there is on it, and how tricky it can be to get a consistent finish. I know of several sellers on AliExpress that sell black titanium items, but I assume that they are just coated with something like enamel paint.

you never know what you're gonna get there.