Folder Clips: Convenience or Something Else

bld522

bld522

Joined
Feb 3, 2004
Messages
7,119
A few threads have popped up recently about people losing their folders because they came unclipped. In one case, the folder was a Sebenza. It would be one thing to lose an inexpensive folder if it came unclipped and dropped out of my pocket. But if I lost a Sebenza because it came unclipped, I'd think twice before ever clipping a folder to my pants pocket again.

The kind of work I do doesn't necessitate getting to my knife in a hurry. And I don't need to advertise to anyone that I'm carrying a knife either. So if you're in the same boat I am and you keep a knife clipped to your pocket anyway, why do you do that?
 
I keep my knife clipped inside my shirt collar right behind my neck, in between my body and my shirt. That way if someone tries to rob me and says, "Keep your hands up where I can see them", or, "Put your hands behind your head", I can easily and secretively get to my knife and deploy it.

Also, no one will pay attention to a pocket clip below your neck. A shirt can move more easily, so it shouldn't fall off and become unclipped, and if it does you should know about it. I suggest you try this way out.
 
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I keep my knife in an ankle holster. If someone tries to rob me and says, "Touch your toes", I can easily get to my knife and deploy it. Then I can slice the gun out of his hand and hold him until the police arrive.
 
Strong-Dog said:
I keep my knife clipped inside my shirt collar right behind my neck, in between my body and my shirt. That way if someone tries to rob me and says, "Keep your hands up where I can see them", or, "Put your hands behind your head", I can easily and secretively get to my knife and deploy it.

Also, no one will pay attention to a pocket clip below your neck. A shirt can move more easily, so it shouldn't fall off and become unclipped, and if it does you should know about it. I suggest you try this way out.
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Interesting. Not likely it would fall out of there and if it did, it would fall down between your body and your shirt. So it's unlikely you'd ever lose it. Still, it doesn't sound like a very comfortable way to carry it. I'll think about it.
 
You guys are little more willing to defend yourselves with a knife than I am. With my luck, the perpetrator would take the knife away from me and slice me with it. :(
 
I bend all my clips slightly so the retention is very good and that it won't come out of my pocket unless I pull on it :thumbup:
 
caseguy said:
I keep my knife in an ankle holster. If someone tries to rob me and says, "Touch your toes", I can easily get to my knife and deploy it. Then I can slice the gun out of his hand and hold him until the police arrive.
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That sounds a little safer than keeping it clipped to my pocket. But I'd still be thinking about it all the time. When I carry a folder unclipped and deep in my pocket, I tend to forget it's there. And I like it that way. :)
 
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I have a natural anti knife loss body design. Everytime I reach to grab something off the ground, sit in a chair or kneel down, my belly fat reseats the knife in my pocket.
 
SpringAssisted said:
I bend all my clips slightly so the retention is very good and that it won't come out of my pocket unless I pull on it :thumbup:
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I take it you've never lost a knife by having it unclip from your pocket. Do you think you'd feel differently if that ever happened to you?
 
I had this happen to me at work. After noticing my Spyderco Pacific Salt was no longer clipped to my pocket, I searched high and low for that thing. I finally found it clipped to the seatbelt in my work truck. It was an eye-opener for me.
 
I keep my knife inside my pocket for all the reasons you mention. I usually leave the clip on the knife because it makes a good finger hold when opening the knife one handed.
 
amflud said:
I had this happen to me at work. After noticing my Spyderco Pacific Salt was no longer clipped to my pocket, I searched high and low for that thing. I finally found it clipped to the seatbelt in my work truck. It was an eye-opener for me.
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So do you still carry folders clipped to your pocket or have you decided not to do that anymore?
 
caseguy said:
I keep my knife inside my pocket for all the reasons you mention. I usually leave the clip on the knife because it makes a good finger hold when opening the knife one handed.
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That works with some folders. But the clips on others are designed in such a way that they dig into my leg, particularly when I'm sitting down. And they can snag when I try to get the folder out of my pocket. As I'm never going to use pocket clips, I prefer to remove them whenever possible.
 
bld522 said:
I take it you've never lost a knife by having it unclip from your pocket. Do you think you'd feel differently if that ever happened to you?
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I don't really know lol I ride bmx and I've ridden dirt bikes with my Shallot clipped to my pocket and I haven't lost it yet. The only draw back for putting so much retention on the clip is that it takes to hands to clip it on :p
 
I've never lost any knife but a Kershaw Leek, twice. Most pocket clips hold tightly to jeans or khakis/chinos, which is basically all I wear. I really don't think anyone will notice you have a knife. People rarely think about that. If someone loses a knife out of pocket, it's usually because they're doing something that would cause the contents of said pockets to upturn or push out. This has happened to me. If I know beforehand, I will empty my pockets. If not, I simply take time to notice that my actions might have caused things to fall out. The latter is something most people do not do, and so do not realize anything is missing until later.
 
I still keep them clipped to my pocket, I'm just more careful which folders I carry at work. The coveralls I wear are made from a much thinner fabric than denim or most other fabrics pants are made from. The knife I carry at work must have a very strong clip now.
 
caseguy said:
I keep my knife in an ankle holster. If someone tries to rob me and says, "Touch your toes", I can easily get to my knife and deploy it. Then I can slice the gun out of his hand and hold him until the police arrive.
Click to expand...

Too funny! That one had me in tears.

I'm actually more worried about losing a knife thats loose in my front pocket. I've had slipjoints slide out on their own before but never had a knife come unclipped unless the clip snagged something hard.

A clip also makes a heavier knife less obtrusive in the pocket. A lump of a larger loose knife will bug me all day.

Another reason I like clips is the safety aspect. When the knife is clipped tip up, with the blade's spine pressed against the seam of the pocket, its less likely to open accidentally.

Of course, if I'm wearing a jacket I have a spring loaded device that allows me to keep a knife in my sleeve and deploy it by turning my wrist just so. ;-)
 
Only clipped folders I carry for the past 4 or 5 years are Cold Steel...people usually whine about how tight they hold on to pockets but I love it. Some knives are simply designed better for retention than others. It's a consideration if you have an active lifestyle...thin, sleek pant material...

Often I do have one or two folders riding in the pocket unclipped depending where I'm going and what I'm doing.
 
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