Lynch Northwest Titanium Spyderco clips - a quick review

Spyderco knives - they're slim enough for my back pockets, rugged, and reasonably priced, though they can get quite spendy on the upper end of the line. I'm pretty content with their standard FRN (nylon) scale models and own at least 4 in various sizes and blade configurations.

One thing I don't care for about the the nylon scaled models, is that I routinely break off the steel pocket clips off of my Spyderco Delica, and my Spyderco Matriarch, and a few other Spyderco knives that got retired to the Gun Closet because they wouldn't stay in my pockets without clips. Spyderco makes models with deep-carry, wire clips that are tougher, but these aren't them.

I understand that it's my rough treatment that snaps these clips off - slinging my torso carelessly into vehicle seats and chairs leaves ample opportunities for the clips to snag, bend and break on something in the short time between standing and sitting. In the past, I always just dealt with it by calling Spyderco to order a replacement clip, (about $8+shipping, IIRC), but after the second time you do this, it starts to feel like an unwarranted maintenance cost on an otherwise great knife.

I started Googling about for a ruggedized alternative, and while Amazon had a few semi-anonymous resale options, I was hoping for something that had a positive review or two to its name. A little further searching led me to a long-running series of threads on Bladeforums, in which Casey Lynch of WA has been vending his excellent titanium replacement clips. There's two lengths, long and short, and a variety of finishes via anodizing and powdercoating, but for me, the real killer features were the deep carry configuration of the clips. Unlike standard Spyderco clips, the Lynch clips are shaped for deep carry, allowing the knife to be discreetly shoved completely out of sight in the pocket. The other really exciting part is that he's got a lifetime warranty in case I manage to mangle, bend or don't like the clip down the line - the first two are real, tested possibilities with my gear-mangling habits.

I ordered two long, un-anodized clips with screws, post-haste - $16 each by PayPal, +$2 shipping - and they arrived promptly in a clever little package with a handwritten "Thank you". I selected a Delica with a broken clip, and a Matriarch that had escaped being broken by virtue of it sitting on a bedside table for most of it's life. The clips install in a under a minute, provided you have the correct size of tiny Torx bit handy. They also come with a set replacement (Allen head) screws, which have a notice on the bag that they may be a bit short for FRN scales, which was a bit of a downer, as one of my OEM screw heads on the Delica is a bit chewed from being removed and reinstalled twice before. That said, all had enough "bite" for me to reuse them at least once more.

L to R - Working, Better Replacement, Reason for Replacement.

The clips are lot stronger and springier than the Spyderco ones, and I tried - cautiously - to see if I could get one to take a bend by tugging on it with increasing force after install. So far, no issues, they're just as springy as ever - and I'd had to bend Spyderco steel clips back into shape with pliers after doing the same.

After Surgery

I appreciate being able to shove the entire thing out of sight in my front pocket, cargo pocket, coat pocket, without displaying what is obviously the first inch of a serrated blade. I use tip-up carry for nearly all of these, and it's nice to be a bit more discreet.

Cargo Pocket Carry

Front Pocket Carry

Mr. Lynch has a website but it's pretty barebones and doesn't list his clips for sale, so in the meantime, that link above to the thread on Bladeforums is the best bet for more photos, payment info, and ongoing Q&A. There's always a frisson of excitement in cutting and pasting a guy's PayPal address off of a forums thread and throwing $34 his way with a note and shipping address, but everything worked out fine and I'm pretty happy. I foresee a second larger order of replacement Lynch clips in the future for all my remaining Delicas and Enduras, because I'm a uniformity lunatic, but between the titanium, the deep carry shape and the warranty, I think they're a very sound purchase.

(Standard disclaimer As usual, this review was not solicited or paid for, I buy all my own gear, etc.)