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Clips: Love ‘em, Hate ‘em, Don’t care?

Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2018 8:55 pm
by MichaelScott
If there is one thing we can all disagree on it is clips on folding knives. Where are they positioned? Can they be relocated? Do they feel OK? Are they too big, too clunky, too long? Are deep-carry clips better than, what?, shallow carry? Wire or metal, or none at all?

I don’t like clips in general. They serve a useful but unnecessary purpose and engender much debate about their position and functions. They can enforce certain carry positions like the infamous tip up or tip down series of debates.

So, I thought I would offer the chance to vote and support your reasons here so we can settle the clip question once and for all.

(Fat chance…)

Re: Clips: Love ‘em, Hate ‘em, Don’t care?

Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2018 9:06 pm
by vivi
I prefer tip up clips for my folding knives. They detract from in hand ergonomics a bit, but the trade off in carry comfort / convenience outweighs that for my lifestyle.

Re: Clips: Love ‘em, Hate ‘em, Don’t care?

Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2018 9:13 pm
by The Meat man
I voted for the first option. For me, I find the convenience of having my knife readily accessible outweighs the ergonomics issue. At work I usually am wearing gloves and I don't like having to dig around in my pocket to find my knife.

Aesthetically I often find them unappealing, but for me it's case of form following function.

Ergonomically, some clips bother me, but only a very little bit and not enough to make me forego the abovementioned convenience.

As far as tip up or tip down, I usually just go with whatever they are from the factory. Not a big deal for me.

Re: Clips: Love ‘em, Hate ‘em, Don’t care?

Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2018 9:19 pm
by anycal
At this point, I need them.

The early days of carrying classic pocket knives are gone for me. Maybe I’ll be back one day.

Two huge benefits of a clip are easy access and comfortable carry. In terms of ergonomics, most clips these days are unobtrusive and pretty comfortable. And I don’t do heavy cutting for living, so the pros outweigh the cons. I can’t go back to no clip the way I use my knives today.

That said, I appreciate the simplicity, the symmetry, the aesthetics of a clipless pocket knife.

Re: Clips: Love ‘em, Hate ‘em, Don’t care?

Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2018 9:23 pm
by cabfrank
I didn't vote for any of the options because I don't agree with the last two, and I don't think they are a requirement. I definitely like them though, and prefer them on all my knives. You can always take them off if you don't want them, but it is much harder to add them if they are not there. If I could vote love, hate, or don't care, I'd vote love.

Re: Clips: Love ‘em, Hate ‘em, Don’t care?

Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2018 9:31 pm
by Sharp Guy
I prefer a clip but I don't think they're always necessary, especially on very small knives. For example, I wouldn't want one on a Manbug or Ladybug. I've also taken the clip off of one of my FRN Dragonflies and I just drop it in my pocket.

Re: Clips: Love ‘em, Hate ‘em, Don’t care?

Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2018 9:34 pm
by cwp
They aren't a requirement for me, but they're a valued convenience. Not so much because I want to be able to grab my knife and spring into action at a moment's notice -- I'm not likely to be springing anywhere these days -- but because I like to keep them from banging around against other things in the same pocket.

As for clip position, I don't have a strong preference. Tip up or tip down are both fine as long as the knife is comfortable, although I dislike clips that are badly offcenter. The Positron's clip is an example of how not to do it, being both offcentered and uncomfortable in the hand, but fortunately most clips don't seem to bother me as much.

Re: Clips: Love ‘em, Hate ‘em, Don’t care?

Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2018 9:42 pm
by juggler
The thing I like about clips? They're removable...

I understand why they are popular, but for me a clip just ruins the ergonomics and the design of a knife.

Re: Clips: Love ‘em, Hate ‘em, Don’t care?

Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2018 9:48 pm
by bearfacedkiller
Depends on the knife. On most my Spyderco's they are a requirement. On smaller knives they can be optional. I also regularly carry a stockman or a SAK loose in my pocket. I also carry a Ladybug or my Caplifter Clipitool loose in my watch pocket.

Re: Clips: Love ‘em, Hate ‘em, Don’t care?

Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2018 9:48 pm
by Ric
I want conceiled carry.
No clip can give me that.

So, I remove them.

Re: Clips: Love ‘em, Hate ‘em, Don’t care?

Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2018 12:11 am
by Daveho
Depends on the lock (if present) some are more likely to bite if lose in the pocket.

Re: Clips: Love ‘em, Hate ‘em, Don’t care?

Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2018 12:34 am
by Tucson Tom
The only knives where I might do away with the clip would be a small knife that I attach a lanyard to and carry clipped to a pack or in a pack.
But even those, I leave the clip on. In the pocket, the clip is always in use. I never go loose in the pocket. Or even lose in the pocket.

I never notice them in use.

Re: Clips: Love ‘em, Hate ‘em, Don’t care?

Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2018 12:57 am
by Bloke
I voted clips are a requirement for a folding knife though they probably aren’t.

As it is I have a love hate relationship with clips. I love the convenience and I hate the unutilized holes.

Tip orientation doesn’t faze me too much at all and given the choice I position the clip so the blade is against the seam of my pocket front or back à la Military in back right pocket and the clip where it’s most comfortable in hand and I’ve not felt I need an after market clip for any knife I own.

I’ve also taken the clips off a couple of knife but found they looked strange without them and put them back on. :)

Re: Clips: Love ‘em, Hate ‘em, Don’t care?

Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2018 2:08 am
by 500Nitro
I love the Plastic clipon my Endura 1,
It fits nicely in palm and gives me something to for the palm to press against.

Got an Endura 3, metal clip unscrewed and game off, have left it off but knife feels thin,

Re: Clips: Love ‘em, Hate ‘em, Don’t care?

Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2018 2:12 am
by Brown_Recluse
For me it really depends on the role of the knife. If it's a beater that I don't really care much about then a clip is optional because I'll throw the knife in a pocket with other items and not worry about it.

With a more expensive knife (or one that I need to have easy access to) I definitely need a clip to keep the knife out of the depths of a pocket so it doesn't get all scratched up and it keeps me from having to dig around in the pocket to grab it.

I don't carry knives that I don't care about so, to me, clips are necessary.

Re: Clips: Love ‘em, Hate ‘em, Don’t care?

Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2018 2:20 am
by Pelagic
Clips are usually very helpful. If I was a normal person the spyderco clips would be perfect. However, I deal with large synthetic rope all day and single strands can catch the clip and pull the knife out of my pocket undetected. I modified the clip on my byrd and keep all my spydies in my back pocket now. I went without clips for over 10 years so I will never feel they are truly a necessity. But it's much easier when you have dirty hands and don't feel like reaching deep into your pocket for your knife.

Re: Clips: Love ‘em, Hate ‘em, Don’t care?

Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2018 6:22 am
by sonoma
I recently bought several enduras. The stainless models are too heavy to put in my pocket with out a clip.I think they are 5.5 ounces.I do carry the others without a clip.The clip does get in my way when I open the knife.So the enduras I don't carry have the clip taken off.

Re: Clips: Love ‘em, Hate ‘em, Don’t care?

Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2018 6:24 am
by Evil D
With a couple rare exceptions I won't even buy let alone carry a knife without a clip, and I grew up carrying knives that didn't have clips. I didn't start carrying everyday until I discovered pocket clips. I really don't like the feeling of carrying a knife loose in my pocket and digging it out to use it is sometimes a hassle.

Re: Clips: Love ‘em, Hate ‘em, Don’t care?

Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2018 8:34 am
by Cscottsss
Love them, to me that is part of what makes modern folders so awesome. So yeah, couldn't do without unless it's my SAK classic that stays in my coin pocket.

I couldn't stand any of my other folding knives being loose in my pocket.

Re: Clips: Love ‘em, Hate ‘em, Don’t care?

Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2018 9:30 am
by wrdwrght
Clip guy here.

I prefer carrying just one thing in the bottom of my pockets. A clipped Spydie stays out of the way when I do an RFP dive for my gathered keys.

Yet, being consistently positioned (Millie excepted...), the knife itself remains easy to grab and open with one hand in a simple motion.

Moreover, the knife stays above the pocket lint.

Leaving clips on my Spydies has not precluded me from dropping a knife to a pocket-bottom in the few restrictive jurisdictions I’ve encountered. Nor have I found these clips to be uncomfortable when actually using the knife.