If truth be told, I have a little cheapskate in me as well. I looked the word up. Many different origins but one says "cheap, worn-out horse". That's me!
Kevin, can you tell if the clip is spring steel? I was thinking you could fabricate the clip out of mild steel but then it needs to have spring to hold itself in the molding. Started searching for "making spring steel". I figured the clip would need to be heated then quenched but then started wondering about the dimensions of the clip changing in the process. Spring steel tends to break if try to reshape or bend too far.
