Making a pocket clip with recycled metal

[@samgriffin5354]

You handled breaking that first clip much better than I would have, I probably would have thrown the knife across the room!

[@Simplelittlelife]

Hahaha, I was surprised how well I handled it. I think because I was so shocked and confused that I just sort of stood there and stared 😆

[@s1smac360]

Lol... I would have gotten right on the phone with BM and just ordered one lol

[@toddfuss]

Really great video Jeremy. Not only does it show making a part you need instead of just buying it, it also shows working through failure. A lot of channels try to portray “all perfect, all the time” when we know it doesn’t work that way. Again, a really great video.

[@Simplelittlelife]

Thank you Todd! I do appreciate that. I think I’m guilty of not showing enough of the fails and struggles so trying to work at keeping it more real. 👍

[@jbmetalworks4661]

Dude that's the first kind of tutorial I've found on making a clip...that's awesome

[@TheOneAndOnlyApebrains]

This is bloody brilliant, man. These are the sorts of videos that make KZbin one of the most valuable human developments of the last century. Good on ya for your creativity, perseverance, and dedication to filming and sharing the pursuit of something so small, but so damned helpful.

[@synthgal1090]

Maybe I'm tired as hell but the "pssh wssh" with the zoom in and out cracked me the hell up.

[@chrisosh9574]

I wanted a spring clip for a belt pouch, I had a couple of cheap springy stainless kitchen knives laying around in my workshop so tried making a clip out of one of them. More or less the same heat treat as you used and luckily it worked first time. Now old thin kitchen knives are my go to for clips.

[@01Tubee]

Great video. Thanks for taking the time to share this. I did learn a few things that I know I can use later. Be blessed!

[@paul_schuette]

Thanks for shaing! Cool project.

[@Simplelittlelife]

Thanks. And thank you for watching. Much appreciated 👍

[@ChinqMiau1]

Thanks for sharing. Super cool little project.

[@Simplelittlelife]

You’re welcome and thank you for watching 👍

[@KnathansKnives]

That came out great! That first clip surprised me when it broke!😧 Appreciate the tips and instructions! I'm a fan of using brass for my pocket clips, although not the strongest material but fun to work with! Thank you again! 🤜💥🤛

[@Simplelittlelife]

Thank you! I was too. I thought I was done and had the video wrapped up for first coffee break in the morning 😆. Oh I bet brass would look sharp! Might have to give that a try. Thank you for watching! I appreciate that. 👍

[@KnathansKnives]

@@Simplelittlelife Ha! I guess coffee first on the next one🤔😁 You're very welcome, I enjoy watching your videos(very informative) and I'm getting more confident in trying to create my first fixed blade because of your videos! Also, the Chunky Monkey and Crooked Finger are my favorite blades that you created, awesome work! 🤜💥🤛🍻🍻

[@marcmmclellan]

I finally made a successful pocket clip. Mostly due to this video. Great video!

[@bunberrier]

I like things that have a story. They are more than mere items. This knife now tells you ( and us) the story of learning some lessons in metal shaping whenever its viewed.

[@supermoon1430]

Heavy duty pocket clips are a must I hate the cheap crap they put on flashlights and knives now they don’t hold up or have good tension. great job on this it looks great and functional.

[@Keith_the_knife_freak]

That was a very interesting project.. thank you so much for sharing.

[@Simplelittlelife]

Right buddy! Thank you for watching 👍

[@ichitaka05]

Thanks for sharing this info. I was looking into making custom deep pocket clip for my Kershaw Launch 4.

[@callumjames4737]

Awesome love it when anybody recycles in inventive ways. Also like the way you thought the heat treat of a saw blade worked

[@Simplelittlelife]

Hahahaha! Thank you 👍

[@delta7_actual]

Great video! Been looking for some tutorials for this, everything seemed too complicated with crazy bending tools to get the shape of the clip. You kept it simple!

[@original5065]

Nice little project. I did a similar project to replace some simple springs in my victorian door catches. I also 'tested' the first one to distruction before tempering it properly. Doh!

[@Simplelittlelife]

Hahaha! Right on. I like putting it that way. “Just had to test it to destruction to make sure it was what I thought it was” 😆👍

[@scherlfirearts7142]

That was really informative and interesting to watch 👍

[@hughbuchanan9048]

I’ve made a lot of springs with 1095 and O1 steel. Parts tempered at 400F snapped immediately. Parts that were tempered at 550F “sprang” repeatedly for an uncountable number of cycles. At this temp, the parts will acquire a lovely deep blue oxide layer that is durable. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the English manufactured armor that was tempered to a deep blue color. This armor possessed a springiness that made it really tough.

[@davidmccormack4826]

I want to thank you fella... I recently came across your clips and I must say I enjoy them.. good wholesome material and full of information.. I will soon begin my journey of knife making... A wonderful trade do to trading teaching my hobby to a fellow who will teach me is hobby in return.... My only gripe so far about your content is I'm running out of it...lol keep up the good work and the good content 😊

[@WorkingViews]

I really appreciated the process. Came out great. Any heat treating is better than none. Annealing, baking it in an oven at 200-300 degree for an hour or so, is also a good bet with common tool steel for low stress parts.

[@MrSoloun]

Good vid, I've seen several vids with high carry clips but few with the deep carry due to the issues with the tight bend I think :) I made one of these for a knife I carry most days but used thin stainless... 4 attempts later I have an extremely ugly looking clip that has worked for the last couple years :) Thanks for sharing this.

[@heyallenify]

I have the same knife, and have replaced the clip once already. I think I'm going to have to make one myself the next time, if only for the experience in doing so, and to be able to tailor it to my preferences.

[@liquidminddesign1367]

Awesome! I have a phone stand project I'm working on that will require me to make a little spring clip. The fact that you showed the issues you had is going to save me soooo much time and frustration. I really appreciate it!

[@rendtech]

I make ceramic tools in the same way using small rulers from the hardware store. To prevent cracks and harden the curved section I line the hidden surface with a 2 part epoxy. It gives it a good support and I have not had one break.

[@lenwhatever4187]

I personally prefer a belt pouch to a pocket clip but found the video interesting anyway. Surprising how much thought goes into it.

[@the_sharp_carpenter]

Perfect little clip. And a great learning curve on stress risers and heat cracking.

[@NuManXplore]

Cool video, always glad to see a new upload from you! Props for showing the clip failures along with the success.

[@TheDeerInn]

There is so much to learn about all the different alloy metals and their properties for treating. It's great that you found something that works and were able to get the knife back into working quick draw action again!!! Thanks for the tips. I made a flexible knife out of a larger sawzall blade and so far it holds a good edge, I tried not to temper it while making the shape.

[@JonathanHolt1988]

4:13 I appreciate that squirrel moment where he had to make the sounds for the camera zooms 😂

[@paulacreman5342]

Brilliant and simple, thank you for sharing

[@ValhallaIronworks]

The first one definitely broke because it wasn't tempered - needs a nice blue temper! But other than that, this is frikkin awesome. I love the idea of making something so functional out of scrap materials!

[@buffalojones341]

Glad you went with the DIY-able fix!

[@grandprixgtpjy]

Great video the clip came out perfect! I broke two benchmade standard deep carry clips and one bugout deep clip. But the bugout clips still are the best in my opinion 👍🏻 Oh btw they were kind enough to send me replacements at no charge.

[@madass1980]

I made a pocket clip recently out of a n old bandsaw blade. Worked pretty good. To get the hole drilled I heated it up with a torch to soften the steele. Wich wasn't as easy as I thought because that thin piece cooled down so fast it air hardend 🤷‍♂️🙈 but I got it done and it worked like a charme 👌

[@robbyb4959]

I have in the past broken so many clips on knives and never even thought about rebuilding it thanks J. really enjoyed this one, best regards Bob.

[@mikeymartin4751]

Very cool video and final product is awesome. I've actually been looking into making me some custom knife clips.

[@Simplelittlelife]

Thank you so much! I appreciate that. It’s surprisingly fun and I think you might enjoy it 👍

[@mikeymartin4751]

@@Simplelittlelife I will definitely keep in mind the bend radius

[@normferguson5209]

Awesome and Excellent vid!always wanted to make afew clips for some of my knifes. Thank you for the inspiration. 😁

[@danielmeecham464]

Absolutely Great video! I need a few clips for my Cold Steel pocket knives, but I didn't like the idea of simply ordering them and not trying to make clips for them. I thought the saw blade would've worked. What you showed here is exactly the way I thought it would go for me. I wasn't sure what little piece of steel to start with though. I'll be trying now with by the end of the week. Trial and error Man, and it`s usually a lot of fun to boot! Thanks again!

[@texastwosteppin1680]

Bless you and thank you

[@yossshooter1198]

Loved this lil project!!!

[@ffdtower1]

Well done with great explanation and instruction. That's a skill in and of itself.

[@Simplelittlelife]

Thank you very much, I appreciate the kind words. Cheers 👍

[@tattoosteveneo]

The reason the saw blade didn’t work was how those are made. They are extremely hard. You have to heat them up super hot and then let them cool very slow and even then they snap sometimes. Pretty cool design. For a even deeper carry you could always add more length before the bend.

[@nwindfelder]

As a new hobby knife maker your video have guided me more than any others! As simple as this project was you teach a ton of good fundamentals! Thanks for making these great videos! Looking forward to the next one! PS... I’d love to see a cleaver style build!

[@bravo_the_broken4003]

I love every aspect of this video! Benchmade would send you a new clip for free, but this is 1000% better

[@Simplelittlelife]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate that. Cheers 👍

[@RUNANDGUN87]

Really cool video concept. tbh, I'm making this comment before you finish so you may say this, but in case you weren't aware... The single best thing about benchmade is their warranty. They'd have happily sent you a new clip free of cost, as they've done for me multiple times in the past. You make great videos though so keep being cool and informative Edit: just finished the video, and despite you being able to get a free replacement, this looks like a really fun project, and honestly I learned a good bit from this.

[@KnifeCrazzzzy]

Awesome and comical sir! Thank you 🤙🏻

[@paulwilson8673]

Made a clip for my Leatherman once. Used a stainless hose clip. Worked a treat👌🏻

[@oldredcoonhound2182]

Lol, when you pulled out that Sawzall blade I thought to myself thats, not going to work that stuff is to brittle. But nice job, when you screw the thing on , use thread lock. I have a little buck that the screws used to keep coming loose.

[@Robert-xp4ii]

11:35 LOL I thought we were near the end so I just knew you had nailed that clip. I was shocked to see it snap off but was wondering when you heated it up and bent it. I don't know much about forging but wondered how that would work. We continue with the video... Great finished product!

[@troyschonke6304]

Well done sir, I do believe I'm going to have to fab a deep carry clip for my buck 110's now:)

[@rcarvalhocutelariaartesana7087]

That's the spirit... never give up! 😎👍🏻👊🏻

[@Simplelittlelife]

Thank you!

[@hambycustomknives2825]

Nice work!

[@jacobwall33860]

Love how that turned out such a good project I might have to pick up some more map gas to give this a go for my para 2!

[@Simplelittlelife]

Right on! Thank you. It was fun and aside from the fails, it was easier than I thought it would be 👍

[@jacobwall33860]

@@Simplelittlelife hey failing is what makes us learn and the end result turned out great! I take a lot of inspiration from you and your work ethic. I started watching you when I was 17, 5 or so years back and you got me started on knife making and just building in general! I just picked up a flux/mig welder from good ol’ crappy tire and am going to try build a welding cart and than a propane forge! 🤞

[@Simplelittlelife]

Right on man, that is so cool to hear. I can rarely believe that what I share really makes a difference but it’s great to learn that it actually does. Thank you for watching my videos. I do appreciate it 👍

[@jesinu]

Really cool, thanks for taking us throught the process. Was the third iteration also using the metal from the putty knife?

[@kimjess4313]

That clip that broke... Maybe because of the quench and no temper? Or was it just the saw blade?

[@Simplelittlelife]

Yes I think so. 👍

[@mitchellmacdonald1116]

Working with thin stock can be hard because it basically air quenches itself. Because its so thin, it cools pretty quick after you heat it, thus becoming hard and brittle.

[@stevenA44]

I think this is the exact video I have been looking for. I want to make some belt clips for some of my radios and this seems to be the way to do it. Thanks for making this video. I am wondering, would the side panels for a computer case be good for this or not?

[@Simplelittlelife]

Glad it was helpful! I don’t think that still would have enough spring characteristics in it but it might. Might be worth trying.

[@burgknife758]

Great video i was just getting ready to do this with some scrap titanium i have 👍

[@rendtech]

Great video, thanks.

[@genefowler1847]

I enjoyed this

[@kova1577]

11:27 feels bad man. After all that work and turning a old and dull saw blade into something functional it instantly breaks when you think you’ve achieved something. I’m sure that took a good couple of hours to grind and get decent proportions. I do admire what you were doing, not like he’s even going to see this or read this comment, but anyway I do appreciate seeing people reuse things like scrap metal and finding a different use for them while giving it some work to make it look good or passable.

[@Simplelittlelife]

Thank you so much! I really do appreciate it. I hope you have a great day! Cheers 👍

[@johnwilliams242]

The creative mind will always find a way to git-r-done....

[@xJCole22]

Should be called the Sid clip, because it looks like Sid from ice age before you put the bend in it 😂

[@Simplelittlelife]

Hahaha yeah 😆👍

[@ylknifes2336]

Nice Video 👍🏼 to give you a little advice: next time bending something, clamp it in a little deeper in the vice (vertically) then it won’t bend completely :) Greeting from Germany

[@RainyDayForge]

Fun stuff!

[@wekoweko71]

If I was your neighbour I would cut your grass for a month if you made me one for my Mini Dozier. Your clip is much nicer than some originals because of your great attention to detail and that gun blue. Well done.

[@TrojanHorse1959]

Great video and idea to use a Sawzall blade or a putty knife blade, thank you! I think the heat treating and equalizing of the metal is the key to making it work. P.S. I've also used some of the metal banding straps sometimes found on palleted material.

[@SmokeandSteel]

I dont know if this would have prevented your first clip from breaking but you should have done a few normalizing cycles on the steel before your quench. After the heating and bending, the grain structure on the metal becomes inconsistent and is prone to weak spots. In all likelihood there could have been a microscopic crack in it that normalizing wouldn't have fixed but still not a bad process to get into when heating and working steel like that.

[@Simplelittlelife]

It could also just be garbage steel🤦‍♂️ Maybe that’s why it’s called a bi-metal blade. Junk steel main portion, better quality steel for the teeth. Pretty sure that’s what it is.

[@johnfitzgerald4628]

The Foredom clamp is brilliant - do you have any more details on that you might share. Thank you. Crom blades.

[@pichidchaichaikeeree3399]

Good job

[@mathiasly4231]

Really nice bro

[@Blakehx]

Nice, thanks for sharing! I’ve got an old SOG I may have to try this on! Btw, what do you use to sharpen knives? I suck at it... can’t seem to get a good sharp edge no matter what!🤦🏻‍♂️

[@Simplelittlelife]

Thank you for the kind words and for watching! I have a playlist on my channel with all the different methods that I use. I constantly change it up just because I get bored doing the same way over and over. Mostly I cycle between the wicked edge WE130, TSPROF K03 and the paper wheels 👍

[@skullfracture2]

I've emailed SOG three times about a clip for my Spec elite I, no response. I guess I'll be making my own clip🤷‍♂️

[@calebkeel6119]

That clip is screaming for the homestead logo on it...

[@Simplelittlelife]

Hahaha! Yeah I was thinking that but I was wanting to make sure it’s going to last for a little while first. 😆👍

[@calebkeel6119]

@@Simplelittlelife well obviously the addition of the E will add a minimum of 50 years to its lifespan! Good work though as always, I would have been way to lazy to make my own!

[@scott_hunts]

This is like one of my projects.

[@jonathandough7409]

Future reference, reheat the whole worked surface before the final quench 😅😬 that first bend air cooled too long while you played with it 🙃😭 ot looked so good too lol

[@Mikey1951ful]

Some loctite on those screws would be a good idea.

[@garypotter5569]

I'm actually surprised that there isn't a website that deals in just knife pocket clips.

[@ZANDZULU]

Stainless spoon is also good when you make DIY pocket clip.

[@richterknives]

Very interesting

[@johnjones2194]

No fair man your cheating with all the fancy tools. LOL. Very nice

[@JakeMcNaughton]

I was doing some flat springs for a project with old hacksaw blades and the steel works but really needs to be tempered all the way to blue. also if you’re gonna re-harden the piece anyway, why not just heat it up and anneal to soften for the drilling and grinding processes?

[@Simplelittlelife]

The blades that I had were bi-metal blades with have decent steel for the teeth but the majority of the blades is non-hardenable steel and pretty much junk. Annealing something would be wise only if you had to. I can do everything I needed to do without annealing so why waste the time on an unnecessary process?

[@robertlunsford1350]

Is that Phil Wood you used to lube the bearings?

[@Simplelittlelife]

Indeed it is 👍

[@iamtheomega]

i did this in the 90s for a wood panel [famous maker] brand that never had a clip but my skill level was laughable, functional but Fugly with a capital F. great process documentation, all comes down to geometry..

[@user-wr6wo6vr8r]

I would’ve been too annoyed to continue after the first one broke😂 but the final one looks great

[@sudo_nym]

Aren’t sawzall blades bimetalic? Ie, made of 2 layers? Might explain the breakages?

[@Simplelittlelife]

Yeah I think you’re right. From what I remember, the body of the blade was spring steel and the tooth area was a high carbon steel. I figured I would be alright if I ground the tooth area off and ultimately I don’t think it was the steel that was the problem. I think I had heat stress in the steel and if I had spent more time heat treating it, might have been alright. 👍

[@sudo_nym]

@@Simplelittlelife Either way, Jeremy, it made for a cool video 👍🏻👍🏻👌🏻

[@urjnlegend]

Pretty sure it was the heat treat and possible quench,

[@cuttlefishlongbottomtonche3974]

Nice 👍

[@reneschaap8091]

gup dat staal is lucht hardend !!! OPA

[@kellzlefontae1510]

11:26 I died. 🤣💀

[@andyhayward1261]

Excellent video! 1 new subscriber here

[@Simplelittlelife]

Thank you. I appreciate that 👍

[@mohdzaudikhasni8829]

What steel is that?

[@78panzerfaust]

i think it's high speed steel, it seems to me recovered from an old alternative hacksaw blade the second spring should be stainless steel recovered from a spatula

[@mohdzaudikhasni8829]

@@78panzerfaust thank you sir

[@Simplelittlelife]

It’s a type of spring steel, however it certainly is not stainless. Those drywall mud knives will rust if you’re not careful and the bluing that I put on the knife will not work on stainless steel. I thought the spring element of the steel was more important than stainless steel.

[@mohdzaudikhasni8829]

@@Simplelittlelife agreed.. spring steel is better with coat. Stainless steel for pocket clip always broke

[@jaamachmal]

thx for sharing your failures 👍

[@rockstarfan886]

Pocket clips are good and bad some knives i remove the clip because i walk by things in a warehouse and it grabs it right out of my pocket anddddddd sometimes i dont notice and ive lost quite a few expensive knives

[@tuliosmart]

Cool

[@evaderknives]

Just shows persistence pays off!! Great job. Hope all is well, take it easy.

[@WhuDhat]

pretty sure benchmade will send you a deep carry clip if you ask nicely

[@Simplelittlelife]

They did that once for me but they don’t do it for free any more. I figured why not try to make my own. I’ve carried this knife 5 days a week since I made this and it’s still holding up well👍

[@13ClaytonM]

i could mass produce these with the amount of blades i go through at work

[@13ClaytonM]

lol and it broke, what about tempering it

[@alexkay1874]

Looks like you just blew the opportunity to buy a New Knife .

[@juniawanwidyatmaja1697]

When i want to change my benchmade mini grip deep carry, i ask benchmade and they send it to me (Indonesia) for free. But when content creator want to change pocket clip, they make it 😂

[@Patrick156843478]

Your thumb makes my stomach hurt I know it pry hurts everything you grab something 😂