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Spirit Pocket Clip

J-sews · 67 · 24419

us Offline J-sews

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Spirit Pocket Clip
on: March 07, 2007, 03:17:55 AM
STOP!
If you are not already seated, I'd advise you to sit down before reading any further. I wouldn't want anyone to pass out and fall down from the shock of what I'm about to say.......

I FINALLY GOT AROUND TO PUTTING A POCKET CLIP ON THAT VIC SPIRIT!!

No kidding! (I first started talking about and planning this project over two months ago........sheesh!) Anyhow, here's how the whole thing went:

After first buying a couple of pocket clips from KnifeKits.com, I went through a bit of head scratching and pondering, trying to figure out how to best proceed. Modifying the shape of the clip to fit the Spirit was easy, but how to best attach it? I was reluctant to drill and tap holes through the sides of the handles, because of the cutouts and notches in the plier-head bracket below. Due to the arrangement of the holes already in the pocket clips, there was no good location on the Spirit that would not result in a tapped hole being "half in and half out" of an edge in the plier-head bracket underneath.

So I finally gave up on the idea of using one of the KnifeKits pocket clips, and instead decided to commit an act of blasphemy and use a Leatherman Charge clip on my Victorinox!  :o

Below is what I started with, a brand new Spirit and an extra Charge/Wave/Surge clip:



First I carefully machined off the head of the plier pivot rivet until it was perfectly flush. Then a #4-40 hole was drilled and tapped right down the center of the rivet. (Don't try this with a hand drill, you'll never keep the drill bit going straight and square. Put the Spirit in a good drill press vise with padding and make sure it is sitting exactly level. Drill the hole with a drill press or milling machine at low RPM's.)



Here's what it looked like at this point. The hole is about 5/16" or 8mm deep.



Then it was time to modify the Leatherman pocket clip. The two pictures below show the clip "before" and "after." Grinding off the excess wrap-around metal, then contouring and rounding the end are the obvious things to do. However, the real key to this whole project was to leave a small lip of the original metal hanging down.....



The real bane of mounting a pocket clip is to somehow keep the darn thing from moving and pivoting. On many knives I see, this is accomplished by using two or oftentimes three mounting screws. Not an option here. So I left the little "hook" of metal hanging down, then positioned the mounting hole so that the hook of metal is clamped tightly against the top edge of the Spirit.



The last step was to obtain a nice stainless button head Torx screw, which I bought from KnifeKits. It was a bit dull, so I polished the head of it up to match the finish of the pocket clip and the Spirit.



Then I put a drop of Locktite on the screw and tightened 'er up. Here's what she looks like:



Another angle.



And yet another. (I'm soooooo proud.)


~Bob
In order to be certain of having the right tool for every job.........one must first acquire a lot of tools


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: Spirit Pocket Clip
Reply #1 on: March 07, 2007, 03:22:24 AM
Bob, my first born is on his way to you for one of those.....

Or he would be if I had a first born!

Gorgeous work!  With your talents, you could run a machine shop or something!  :laugh:

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


us Offline J-sews

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Re: Spirit Pocket Clip
Reply #2 on: March 07, 2007, 04:08:16 AM
Hardy har-har!



(Thanks!)
In order to be certain of having the right tool for every job.........one must first acquire a lot of tools


Offline Tom Munch

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Re: Spirit Pocket Clip
Reply #3 on: March 07, 2007, 05:07:04 AM
I want one too.  What will it take?

Tom


us Offline prime77

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Re: Spirit Pocket Clip
Reply #4 on: March 07, 2007, 09:09:49 AM
Great work Bob, I want one too.
"


us Offline Swiss Man

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Re: Spirit Pocket Clip
Reply #5 on: March 08, 2007, 02:19:55 AM
I raise Def offer and throw in a grandchild. ;)  Very good work I am impressed. :D


us Offline J-sews

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Re: Spirit Pocket Clip
Reply #6 on: March 08, 2007, 03:15:35 AM
Thanks for the feedback gentlemen! (And hopefully the next project I do won't also take two months!)
In order to be certain of having the right tool for every job.........one must first acquire a lot of tools


us Offline J-sews

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Re: Spirit Pocket Clip
Reply #7 on: March 08, 2007, 03:21:26 AM
I want one too.  What will it take?.......

What will it take? It will take a WHOLE LOT of sucking up to Def, that's what!

I'm donating the Spirit (brand new, only taken out of the clam pack to have the clip added) to Multitool.org, with the suggestion to Def that he offer it up as the next free contest giveaway.

(of course, knowing Def, he might just decide to keep it for himself......) ;)
In order to be certain of having the right tool for every job.........one must first acquire a lot of tools


us Offline Mike

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Re: Spirit Pocket Clip
Reply #8 on: March 08, 2007, 03:34:10 AM
I wasn't sitting down when I read this. Someone, please call a medic for me. I'm cold, so very cold.

NICE JOB J-sews!!!!! No kidding, that would be just the ticket for the Spirits. I know that would be a sweet addition to mine as well.
mike
« Last Edit: March 08, 2007, 03:38:21 AM by mike »
Common sense ..... so rare, it's virtually a super power.


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: Spirit Pocket Clip
Reply #9 on: March 08, 2007, 03:35:08 AM
I win, I win!

Oh wait, that was premature... 

Ok, the first one to acurately guess the number I am thinking of wins... ready?  Set?  Go!

21

ALL RIGHT!  I win!  That was it exactly! :P

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


us Offline Mike

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Re: Spirit Pocket Clip
Reply #10 on: March 08, 2007, 03:37:51 AM
AH-HA! It wasn't 21 it was 19 ... I WIN! ;)

mike
Common sense ..... so rare, it's virtually a super power.


Offline Tom Munch

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Re: Spirit Pocket Clip
Reply #11 on: March 08, 2007, 04:46:27 AM
So seriously, Bob, would you do another for a price?


Offline Tom Munch

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Re: Spirit Pocket Clip
Reply #12 on: March 08, 2007, 04:49:26 AM
The other obvious question is: 

Can the rivets on SwissTools be swapped out to screws on all 4 corners?


us Offline J-sews

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Re: Spirit Pocket Clip
Reply #13 on: March 08, 2007, 05:00:01 AM
Tom,
I'd better hold off answering your first question until I check with MTOrg management on a couple of things.

Regarding your second question though, yes, the rivets could be replaced with screws on all four corners! (You read my mind.) Just think of the possibilities that will open up! I'm already thinking ahead about reviving another long overdue project of mine....... 8)

Link:  http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,215.0.html
In order to be certain of having the right tool for every job.........one must first acquire a lot of tools


Offline Tom Munch

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Re: Spirit Pocket Clip
Reply #14 on: March 08, 2007, 05:09:48 AM
There you go.

Just do it.


us Offline prime77

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Re: Spirit Pocket Clip
Reply #15 on: October 10, 2007, 01:09:50 AM
Bob I've been wanting to do this mod since you posted this. I think I finally gotten enough courage to do it. I have all the stuff and would like to know if you have any tips for doing it. Also how well as the clip held up over time and use.
"


gb Offline Mike, Lord of the Spammers!

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Re: Spirit Pocket Clip
Reply #16 on: October 10, 2007, 08:53:52 AM
Bob I've been wanting to do this mod since you posted this. I think I finally gotten enough courage to do it. I have all the stuff and would like to know if you have any tips for doing it. Also how well as the clip held up over time and use.
I'll be looking forward to the end results of this one :)
Give in, buy several Farmer's!!!!!!


gb Offline Mike, Lord of the Spammers!

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Re: Spirit Pocket Clip
Reply #17 on: October 10, 2007, 09:17:56 AM
 :oops: Saw it in the multitool picture thread ::)

Looking good though mate :multi:
Give in, buy several Farmer's!!!!!!


us Offline J-sews

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Re: Spirit Pocket Clip
Reply #18 on: October 11, 2007, 04:23:22 AM
Hey Prime, sorry I didn't get a reply back to you before you dove into this project! So did yours come out okay? The picture looks good. A fellow over at Bladeforums who tried the mod recently was off a bit on his hole location in the pocket clip, so now it's a bit wiggly. Hope yours came out better. Mine is still snug, although I haven't been carrying it as much recently as I'm striking up an aquaintence with my Zilla-Tool.
In order to be certain of having the right tool for every job.........one must first acquire a lot of tools


us Offline prime77

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Re: Spirit Pocket Clip
Reply #19 on: October 11, 2007, 07:12:01 AM
Everything went good. I thought that the hard part would be grinding off the rivet head and drilling the hole in the Spirit. That stuff was easy. It was drilling the hole in the LM clip that was the hard part. I remember reading about  the guys problem on BF so I wanted to make sure I made the hole in the right spot so the clip would fit right and not have any movement to it. But man drilling a hole in that clip was pain. I went through two bits and allot of swear words to get through. Then when I put the clip on I left the bend a little to long. So I had to grind some of it off. Other than that I had no problems. It was easier than I thought. Thanks Bob.
"


us Offline ducktapehero

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Re: Spirit Pocket Clip
Reply #20 on: December 28, 2007, 08:00:46 PM
That's a beautiful mod. Man, I wish I was talented. If it can be fixed with duck tape I'm good, other than that, not so much.  :think:
http://ducksrandomthoughts.blogspot.com - or follow me on Twitter- @ducksthoughts

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us Offline CQC-7

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Re: Spirit Pocket Clip
Reply #21 on: January 03, 2008, 03:21:23 AM
That is a great mod.  Hopefully I can do one like that soon.


Offline scibeer

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Re: Spirit Pocket Clip
Reply #22 on: March 06, 2008, 05:13:18 AM
That looks absolutely perfect on there!

Hope you don't mind a little flattery in the form of copying !!

I really want that clip on my Spirit.


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: Spirit Pocket Clip
Reply #23 on: March 06, 2008, 05:55:49 AM
You need some better pics?  It's a beauty! :D

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


us Offline prime77

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Re: Spirit Pocket Clip
Reply #24 on: March 06, 2008, 06:43:40 AM
I love the one I did on my Spirit.

"


Offline nezza33

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Re: Spirit Pocket Clip
Reply #25 on: May 03, 2008, 11:13:15 PM
Think i could put one of these on the swisstool ?? :multi:
J


us Offline J-sews

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Re: Spirit Pocket Clip
Reply #26 on: May 03, 2008, 11:51:04 PM
Think i could put one of these on the swisstool ?? :multi:

I can't think of any reason why not.  :)
In order to be certain of having the right tool for every job.........one must first acquire a lot of tools


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: Spirit Pocket Clip
Reply #27 on: May 04, 2008, 01:16:35 AM
Just be prepared to trip over your waistband! :P

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


spam Offline scrappy

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Re: Spirit Pocket Clip
Reply #28 on: May 04, 2008, 05:37:05 PM
that is amazing.


Offline nezza33

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Re: Spirit Pocket Clip
Reply #29 on: May 24, 2008, 07:29:48 PM
Just be prepared to trip over your waistband! :P

Def
At the moment i carry my swisstool on my belt and i dont find it that heavy.
J


 

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