Do you take the clips off your folders?

[Blackhawk30]

I've found that de-clipping knives can make them easier to carry in a pocket.

 

[leadcounsel]

No. I like the clip. In fact my Camilus clip broke so if anyone has a replacement they aren't using I'd be honored to receive it! Its' a 3-screw deal... 3-4 inch folder.

Cheers.

 

[Mp7]

me, too.

clipping knifes to my pants makes me feel like i´m gonna lose them easier ...

... i pocket carry, and clips don´t make any sense in there.

 

[hso]

Nope, but then it's a personal preference that is up to the owner.

 

[highorder]

leadcounsel, did you look to see if any of these will work?

 

[Leadhead]

I find the clips useful.

 

[bigfatdave]

I always removed them until I found a Gerber auto-opener that's nice and thin and wound the right spot to clip it on (outer edge of R rear pocket)

Now that knife is clipped on whenever I'm wearing pants and aren't on the way to work (I have a locking oversize SAK that's perfect for work)

 

[Thorgrim]

!!!

 

[9mmforMe]

I keep my clips on and I feel it makes for quicker retrieval. Some knives have better clips than others and they can fall out of one's pocket, but on my Benchmade the clip is very sturdy and it stays where I put it.

 

[Hammerson]

I find the clips just get in the way, at least for me. Of course, my knife is usually the only thing in the pocket it rides in, just so I don't have to fish around when I want it.

 

[Armored farmer]

I like the clip.
They keep my knife oriented in the same place, pointed the same direction. I can retrieve my knife by just putting my thumb inside my pocket instead of my whole hand. By being clipped to the top of my pocket its easier to get to when sitting/driving also.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

What gets tricky is local laws on concealed carry assuming the knife is carried as a weapon.

I have even heard of one case of a guy getting busted for have a knife clipped where it was visible and he was told by the cop if the knife had been completely concealed in his pocket it would not have been a problem. Other areas have no problem with open carry, it's concealed carry that is an offense.

I have carried knives since I was a child as a useful tool, with no thought of using them as weapons. My folder is usually clipped in my pocket. Locally the legal test is "intent" of use. My knife is a tool. On the other hand, my .38 is a weapon.

On Opening Post: the way my folder is made it is not practical to remove the clip, but it is not a big hinderance to in-pocket carry. It would be slightly more convenient for in pocket carry without the clip, but my clipless folder though tends to be left in my gear box. When I need the knife to cut string, rope or boxes, one hand is usually occupied. The convenience of the clip for retrieval clipped to the pocket outweighs the slight inconveince of the clip when carrying inside the pocket.

 

[22-rimfire]

It depends on where or how you carry the knife and the size of the knife (for me). I don't like clips in general, but they work better for carry with the larger sized pocket knives. Small ones are de-clipped.

 

[CoastieShep]

Clip stays on. I figure it's kinda like a pocket holster. Lets me know where my knife is, which is handy when I only have one hand available to grab for it.

 

[usmccpl]

If a knife has a clip on it when i buy it it stays on there. I always have some knife on me that I dont have to dig for either sheathed on my belt or clipped to a pocket. That way when I need it I know right where it is no digging through change,lighter,speed strip,pocket prybar,phone,nail clippers, and whatever else is there to find my knife when I need it.

 

[Rexster]

Within my home state of Texas, I am good to go either concealed or not. I remove the clips from some of my folders, such as the conventional ones designed for tip-up carry. I have had some unintended openings occur as the blade comes out of the pocket, so except for my Tarani Karambits, no tip-up carry for me. (The Tarani Karambits have very strong springs keeping them closed, there are no thumb studs, and the tips are buried well inside the handles.) Thumb studs make a knife more likely to open during withdrawal from the pocket. This is not parroted internet theory; I have bled to learn this.

I will not generally carry a high-end knife merely clipped into a pocket, due to the higher risk of loss. I live in an area known for dense undergrowth; the Big Thicket National Preserve is not far away. Vegetation will take your knife away from you! If moving quickly, the loss may not be noticed, and in thick vegetation, it will be problematic finding the knife even if one notices immediately. I lost a Spyderco Mariner this way, in the Trinity River Delta, back when I was poor enough for that loss to really hurt, financially. More than just vegetation can snag a clip; one time I snagged a pocket clip on the edge of a protruding wheel well.

For both of the reasons explained above, my regularly-carried Strider AR folder was de-clipped. I carry it down inside a pocket, inside an Uncle Mike's pocket holster. I have also de-clipped several Spydercos.

 

[W.E.G.]

Its not a clip,... its a MAGAZINE!!!

...err

Wait a minute.

stock reply fail notice no. 15637(b)

 

[CoRoMo]

I clip one of my knives, so the clip is essential. The other knife I carry doesn't have a clip, so it's inside the pocket. I wish it had a clip too.

 

[JTW Jr.]

No. I like the clip. In fact my Camilus clip broke so if anyone has a replacement they aren't using I'd be honored to receive it! Its' a 3-screw deal... 3-4 inch folder.

Which model folder , I can check and see if I have any spares that will work.

 

[TimboKhan]

I much prefer the clip as a general rule. For me, if I am going to carry a knife without a clip, it is going to be something classic or traditional like my case trappers. Otherwise, part of the attraction to certain knives is the clip! As much as I love Enduras, they are too big to be carried loose in the pocket, or at least they are for me.

 

[Highpower1]

I keep the clip on. I do have a slip case for my Sebenza that I will slip it into when I'm around the the more sheeple crowd. It's clip on for me!

 

[captainamerica]

I like the clip (Griptialian 551) but it didn't like my car seat while resting in my back pocket. Now I clip it exclusively in my front pocket and it likes my seat and everything else.

 

[ColdDeadHand]

Clip.
Cold Steel Recon I, 4" blade.
The clip is great because it keeps the hinge down, so little grip transition when pulling out of the pocket.