Paterson Film Clips: No Longer With Metal Pins...

ic-racer · 2026-02-11T10:36:54-0500

I really love my Paterson film clips. I have had these for years and enjoy the fact that they bit into the film and don't let the film fall down when drying!

The plastic on a few of them broke, so I wanted more. I noticed that they are still available new so I bought a few.

However, I was surprised to find they no longer have the metal pins to grab the film

Original Paterson film clips (top image) and modern replacement (bottom image):

ic-racer · 2026-02-11T10:38:23-0500

I found it easy to modify the new Ilford clips with some stainless steel brads available in the USA at Home Depot and other hardware stores.

ic-racer · 2026-02-11T10:40:21-0500

The plastic pins are lopped off and holes drilled for the stainless steel brads.

Finish off by gluing with CA glue.

The CA glue holds the pins very tight. In fact, I was able to repair the broken pins on my original Paterson clips with CA.

AERO · 2026-02-11T10:45:44-0500

I must find those old gramaphone needles!!

ic-racer · 2026-02-11T10:48:08-0500

ic-racer · 2026-02-11T10:53:07-0500

AERO said:
I must find those old gramaphone needles!!

Very good idea, but I was concerned they might not be stainless steel.

My first try was with non-stainless steel brads and they rusted right away. So make sure wherever the pins are sourced, they are stainless steel.

AERO · 2026-02-11T10:54:59-0500

ic-racer said:
Very good idea, but I was concerned they might not be stainless steel.
View attachment 417794

Mmm..You could well be correct...............

loccdor · 2026-02-11T11:38:29-0500

Lots of my film clips have rust, but it doesn't really deposit on the film. I assume they are stainless steel, just of a lesser quality and having seen many years.

BobUK · 2026-02-11T11:44:32-0500

I always thought "stainless" behaved just as the name implies. Some steels are STAIN LESS and not totally impervious to staining.

Nicholas Lindan · 2026-02-11T11:59:54-0500

I think these are made by Paterson. I still have a big box of the clips, so I probably won't need any more in this lifetime - but I would be pissed if a replacement set came with little plastic bumps. And I see only one clip in the set is weighted. I hope IC has forwarded this thread to the Pooh-Bahs at Patterson.

I agree these are (or, were) the best clips around. I also have some old stainless steel Kodak and FR clips that pierce the film, but they use a bent up 'arrow' of metal for the piercing, which is not nearly as effective. The FR variant is preferable as the hanging hook design lets them be clipped and unclipped from the line.

Lachlan Young · 2026-02-11T12:31:41-0500

They were retooled a while (aka several years) ago. They punch through a single layer of film ok, they're not so happy if the end has been folded back.

ic-racer · 2026-02-11T12:38:14-0500

Nicholas Lindan said:
I think these are made by Paterson. I still have a big box of the clips, so I probably won't need any more in this lifetime - but I would be pissed if a replacement set came with little plastic bumps. And I see only one clip in the set is weighted. I hope IC has forwarded this thread to the Pooh-Bahs at Patterson.

I agree these are (or, were) the best clips around. I also have some old stainless steel Kodak and FR clips that pierce the film, but they use a bent up 'arrow' of metal for the piercing, which is not nearly as effective. The FR variant is preferable as the hanging hook design lets them be clipped and unclipped from the line.

Yes, Paterson! Title corrected.

Paterson Film Clips: No Longer With Metal Pins...

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