G-Clip failure

[yowzer]

And not by breaking.

I had my Aqua Salt clipped onto my belt for a hike this weekend, and at one point, I realized the handle was upside down. The screws that hold the G-clip onto the sheath had both loosened, one to the point where the two halves came apart. All the hardware was still attached, thankfully, saving a call to W&R for a new screw, but fixing it in the field without a torx driver was impossible. I put the knife in a pocket for the rest of the trip.

Anybody had this happen to them? It's a first for me. I don't think I've even heard of the screws coming undone by themselves like that before.

To prevent any reoccurrence, I'm thinking of getting some lock tite and applying that to the threads of the screws. Might do my Rock Salt and Forager at the same time too, just to be safe.

[SQSAR]

Sorry to hear about your malfunction. Good thing you caught it before the hardware was lost forever to the trail. I've had fasteners loosen on Tec-Locks before and have taken to the habit of using locktite on all hardware. I also discreetly dummy cord them, and anything else fastened to my ruck, for a little extra (and cheap) insurance for the trail.

[TooSharp]

Yes, I have had them come loose. Once I decide on the carry position, I always put some thread locker on.

[justinl]

Yep happened to me too. A bit of blue loctite fixed the problem right up.

[Mike Sastre]

Not a G-clip failure!! More of a failure to check your equipment. Any screw can come loose over time - good idea to lock them down when items are subjected to hard use.

[Michael Janich]

Most manufacturers, Spyderco included, who make screw-style attachments for adjustable sheaths and holsters do not Loc-Tite screws at the factory. The reason is to allow the customer to easily configure the sheath to meet his needs and preferences. Once you have the sheath the way you want it, it's best to back the screws out, put a drop of blue (temporary) Loc-Tite on them, and then tighten them.

Unfortunately, this is not explained in Spyderco's current literature on its sheaths and G-Clips. I have been working to fix that and provide better educational materials to support both. Look for those in the near future.

Stay safe,

Mike

[TooSharp]

I just ordered another batch of G-Clips for some sheaths. I politely asked for a change from torx to phillips. Maybe if enough users ask we will see them converted...

[gunnut35]

They could add a hex key or torx key to the sheaths.
I have a couple of kydex holsters that have a hex key that snap onto the back of them so it makes it nice if you need to make adjustments when you dont have any tools on you.