If your clip is painted or you're worried about scratching it, you'll want a cloth or some masking/duct tape to wrap around the clip to protect it. The vice grips aren't ideal, but work in a pinch. Here I have pictured a set of vice grips and a set of pliers. If you're going to be re-bending your clip, you'll also need two sets of pliers. These are also great for working on electronics. At work we have a nice set from Crafstman (pictured), but here's my favorite $6 Torx multi-driver, from Husky. They allow you to apply pressure and turn at the same time, which I feel offers a more positive engagement and prevents stripping of either the bit or the screw. Philips: Size 000-0, with 00 being common (this is what our example Kershaw uses). Here are some common sizes: Torx: T5-T10, with T6 and T8 being the most common (these are what my Spydercos use). Some older knives, like Emersons, or the Kershaw Whirlwind I'll be working on, use a Philips screw, and yet others will use small Hex/Allen screws. Most modern pocket knives from reputable companies such as Buck, Spyderco, Kershaw, Benchmade, or Cold Steel will use Torx screws to assemble their knives, including the clip. So whether your clip is loose, bent, or simply in the wrong position, read on to learn how to fix it! While most reputable knife companies will sell you a new clip and screws for fairly cheap, it is often quicker (and sometimes easier) to simply re-bend the clip. While mostly considered this an obvious improvement over the original plastic integral clips, they still snag from time to time, and this can cause a clip to loosen up over time or get bent totally out of shape in some situations. Some manufacturers put in the extra effort to drill multiple screw holes into their pocket knife scales, giving you the ability to reposition your clip in order to carry your knife on the left- or right-hand side, as well as in tip-up or tip-down carry position.

Ever since, manufacturers have used metal clips which screw on, and can be removed or replaced. Unable to replace the clip without replacing the whole knife, you were pretty much out of luck if you wanted to secure it to your pocket. While some of these knives are still around, many were lost when the clips eventually snagged on something or other and broke off. When Spyderco introduced their ClipIt pocket knives in the 1980s, they used what they called an integral clip which was made of plastic, and was formed as a one-piece extension of the handle scale.

G clip torx screw