To pocket clip or not to pocket clip? It's a question many a folding knife owner has considered at one point or another. Because, as convenient as a pocket clip is when carrying the knife, it can feel every bit as inconvenient when actually using it. Florida knife maker Peak Spec has the solution, and it calls it the Apex Ghostclip. Luckily for those interested, it's more than an apparition – or at least it's getting there.
Not every little knife problem can be solved with a sharper, stronger blade or second, third ... 50th added tool. Peak Spec's new Ghostclip joins the likes of Work Sharp's swappable pivot in addressing some common issues outside the blade itself.
The specific problem Peak Spec takes aim at is the pocket clip, a feature that's quite handy when you need to secure the folding knife to a belt, pocket or pack but less than handy when it comes to gripping the knife handle. As Peak Spec identifies, clips can lead to "hot spots" that poke into one's hand and create discomfort while using the knife. They can also get snagged on clothing and scratch up other small, pocketable gear like smartphones.
The issue tends to get compounded by clips that include an upturned tip and raised main body, like the one above, which make the clip easier to slide on and off but less comfortable when using the knife. And using the knife is the whole reason you're clipping it to your pants, anyway.
Peak Spec took a swing at the issue with its original Featherlight knife, offering an optional titanium clip with a particularly flat, sleek form designed to add comfort to one's grip and prevent the scratching and snagging that come with less streamlined clip designs.
It decided not to stop there. What it really wanted was not simply a more comfortable clip but one that's there when you need it and completely gone when you don't, without having to constantly screw it on and off or otherwise install/remove it. It designed the solution for its new Apex knife, for which it's now raising crowd funding on Kickstarter.
The solution is as simple and obvious as it is elegant. Peak Spec carves out a clip-shaped recess in the Apex knife's handle and installs a spring-based deployment system. Slide the slider button back and the clip deploys for carry. Slide it back again and the clip can be pushed back down into its storage recess.
The solution appears to offer the best of both worlds: a pocket clip when you need to secure the closed knife, a smooth, sure grip when you flip the blade out to use it. Peak Spec says it's stress-tested the mechanism to 10,000 uses.
The second part of the double-retraction equation, of course, is the knife blade itself, which springs into action at the flick of the flipper on the upper spine. The 2.9-in (7.4-cm) D2 steel blade can be upgraded to M390 steel as an option. It folds back into carry form after release of the internal spring bar liner lock.
Peak Spec rounds out the 2.8-oz (79-g) Apex Ghostclip package with a keyring at the very butt of the G10 fiberglass laminate handle, allowing the knife to easily clip on a keychain. The angularly shaped attachment point also brings aboard light multitool capabilities, doubling as both a pry bar and a flathead screwdriver.
All in all, the Apex Ghostclip looks like a handy little EDC tool for anyone who's ever had an internal debate about whether or not to use a pocket clip. It's available at Kickstarter pledge levels starting at US$89 for the D2 steel variant and $139 for the premium Bohler M390 steel version, savings of over 30% versus planned retail pricing. To sweeten the pot, Peak Spec throws in an exclusive limited lifetime warranty for Kickstarters.
Crowd funders seem to be liking the dual-position clip idea, as Peak Spec's campaign has raised over $65K on a $5K goal, promising to improve Peak Spec's 3-0 Kickstarter campaign success record. The first deliveries are planned for January if all goes to plan.
Source: Peak Spec