Shears / scissors for cutting Dyneema

[jmh2002]

THANKS! for collating all of the information together @Seaworthy Lass

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by jmh2002

THANKS! for collating all of the information together @Seaworthy Lass

It was a team effort . Evm did the critical bit of finding Nusharp.

I think the most valuable part of my search was finding the model numbers of these from a number of suppliers. Nusharp seem to market under their own name mainly in Asia and they are rebranded elsewhere.

I was surprised to find how dramatically prices vary, not just from country to country, but from one seller to the next, and in Amazon’s case from day to day. Up to 3-4 x in some cases from marine suppliers!

The other thing I found is that sellers frequently list the specifications incorrectly. It is worth going to the supplier’s website first before making a decision.

I am impatiently awaiting the arrival of 3 pairs of new shears (one for ropework, one for general use and one for the galley) .
I have the patience of a gnat .

SWL

PS I have updated the spreadsheet.

[Pete7]

Astonishing. A sailor on a wee Scottish Island reads a forum review and decides that's for me. Asks the manufacturer in Taiwan a question and gets an answer straight away. Then orders on Amazon from somewhere in the world to cut a piece of rope that is supplied from Holland.

How did we manage before the internet

Seem to remember chatting to one rib manufacturer in the mid 1990s who was trying to build a 6m carbon/kevlar fibre re-enforced boat. The cloth arrived on a roll and despite there best efforts was a nightmare to cut into pieces. At the time the best scissors they could find just lasted long enough to produce one boat.

Pete

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Seymore

How about an electric rope cutting gun....?

Yes, Dyneema melts very easily. They will cut it with a hot knife at the store.


But for tapering splices, the LAST thing you want is a melted lump of plastic creating a stress riser. You want smooth, tapered, and even frayed.


So yes, you can use a hot knife for dead ends, such as after the diamond knot, but not for cutting tapers.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Two new shears have arrived .
The Nusharp ones will be replacing my 3 year old D-Splicer D-16 scissors.
The Knipex ones will be for general use.

All have one blade with micro serrations (necessary to grip slippery line or fabric) and one sharp plain blade.

These are my first impressions:

Nusharp 956 520 (branded GTC Kevlar scissors for Fibre Optic)
Compared to my old D-16 pair, which is probably Nusharp 951:
* Blade material is identical (high carbon alloy HRC 60-62)
* They are chunkier & sturdier than the D-16.
* Although shorter, the blade length is the same.
* Unlike the D-16, the bolt is removable so that the non serrated blade can be sharpened.
* The handles offer a more comfortable grip, but the holes are not big and larger paws may not fit as well (I put three fingers in one of the D-16 handles).
* The weight is heavier, but is still lightweight (85 g vs x 57 g).
* No problem slicing cleanly through single braid UHMWPE although it needs two cuts for 8mm and several for 14 mm. The D-16 is fine to 6 mm, but 8 mm needs 5-6 cuts.
* They were £17.17 through Amazon uk, less than half the price of a D-16 pair. Fantastic value!

They look like they will be perfect for me for cutting UHMWPE .


Knipex Electricians’ Shears 95 05 155 SB
* Blades SS with an HRC of 56, so edge retention is likely to be worse than the Nusharps.
* Bolt is removable, as it is for the Nusharp 956 520.
* Not marketed for kevlar, although others online with similar blades are. While new they are cutting through UHMWPE, but not nearly as easily or cleanly as either Nusharp.
* Chunky blades are razor sharp and cut through cable ties with ease. Cord, tape, cardboard etc slice through like butter.
* They are notched for wire cutting.
* Although reasonably lightweight @ 110 g, they feel super sturdy with a very comfortable moulded grip. Nicely made.
* They come with a tough plastic holster and can be clipped to a belt or cable tied to an object.
* I picked them up at the bargain price of €12 from Amazon de.

For easy access both from the cockpit and pilothouse for general purpose use (including cutting wire and slowly cutting UHMWPE) the holster has been strapped to one of the the SS poles at the companionway (there is a sharp heavy duty knife on the other pole).

It is always hard buying tools without seeing and handling them, but I am very happy with both purchases for the intended use of each .

SWL

PS I will photograph all three pairs together tomorrow in daylight hours for a side by side comparison.

[jmh2002]

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

Two new shears have arrived .

I think your level of excitment (not to mention thoroughness) is aptly represented by that icon.

I might be mistaken, but think I really can you see jumping up and down like a kid a christmas

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by jmh2002

I think your level of excitment (not to mention thoroughness) is aptly represented by that icon.

I might be mistaken, but think I really can you see jumping up and down like a kid a christmas

Yep. Santa arrived early .

It was bucketing yesterday (it sure can rain here!), so a dinghy ride and 1.5 hour return walk sloshing through deep puddles on a muddy track left me looking like a drowned rat. Do you think I could sensibly wait for today’s better weather?

I did resist ripping off the packaging at the post office, but I was busy snipping away at dyneema while still in dripping wet weather gear once back on board .

[Seaworthy Lass]

The two UHMWPE cutters side by side:

D-Splicer D-16 pair (very likely Nusharp 951)
Full length: 160 mm
Cutting length: 42 mm

GTC Kevlar scissors for Fibre Optic (Nusharp 956 520)
Full length: 138 mm
Cutting length: 42 mm

[Seaworthy Lass]

And a profile view (blade material is identical):

D-16 blade thickness 2.3 mm

Nusharp 956 520 blade thickness 3.3 mm
Note the sturdy construction includes a large removable bolt enabling easy resharpening.

The latter are shaping up to be twice as good at less than half the price .

[PickleB]

Originally Posted by jmh2002

THANKS! for collating all of the information together @Seaworthy Lass

I'd like to add my own thanks to Seaworthy Lass for her research and write-up. I'm after some shears / scissors for Dyneema and this has prompted me to join the forum and follow this thread.

I too have done a little research into these products and their pricing. I think I've spotted a similarity between the D-20 and the Clauss 8" titanium bent Kevlar shear 19592.

I must say that prices appear more reasonable in the US (aren't they always) but Amazon.co.uk does offer up some alterhatives. I've ordered B07VL2RY8D just to see what they are like...they're cheap enough for this skinflint.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by PickleB

I'd like to add my own thanks to Seaworthy Lass for her research and write-up. I'm after some shears / scissors for Dyneema and this has prompted me to join the forum and follow this thread.

I too have done a little research into these products and their pricing. I think I've spotted a similarity between the D-20 and the Clauss 8" titanium bent Kevlar shear 19592.

I must say that prices appear more reasonable in the US (aren't they always) but Amazon.co.uk does offer up some alterhatives. I've ordered B07VL2RY8D just to see what they are like...they're cheap enough for this skinflint.

Hi PicklesB
Welcome to CF .

Great minds think alike :

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

I ended up ordering these from Amazon UK for £3.43:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

£3.43 for something repeatedly advertised as suitable for kevlar sparked my curiosity (particularly since this model is available from several suppliers for nearly three times the price), so this is the third pair I ordered. They will always come in handy, if only to replace a pair of the scissors on board that are on their last legs.

I am looking forward to seeing how well they cut while new, although I think the edge retention will not be great for anything other than a small amount of dyneema work.

After all this hunting online I have come to the conclusion that anyone can’t go wrong buying one of the six pairs Nusharp manufacture for kevlar (all the same blade composition). They seemed to have cornered the market for this type of blade quality in a cutter. Their cutters have been re-branded by many companies and are available from dozens of suppliers worldwide at a fraction of the price D-Splicer sell them for if you hunt around. The sturdier versions they manufacture are more likely to be suitable for professional use, but even their lightest weight model (I think available in the US for around $12.50) is excellent for anyone mainly working with diameters of single braid UHMWPE less than 8mm.

SWL

[PickleB]

^ ^ ^ ^ ^

It'll be good to get a professional opinion on those cheapy Amazon scissors.

As I continued browsing I realised that the hinge on them doesn't look up to much when compared with the heavyweight bolt on B07QQ2FPXC and the professional shears. B07QQ2FPXC being out of stock I continued looking and found Miller KS-1 scissors on AliExpress at what seemed to be a reasonable price. Then I found these:

• Miller KS-1
  
  
• Tait Tools SK100

...online in the UK. I couldn't make up my mind which I preferred and so bought them both. Including VAT and shipping that came to £32 and today I received the order form and their invoice (paid) by email. They're using FedEx next day for delivery so, Covid allowing, they should be with me quite soon.

Now I really must stop with all this retail therapy. I think the lockdown may be getting to me...

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by PickleB

^ ^ ^ ^ ^

It'll be good to get a professional opinion on those cheapy Amazon scissors.

As I continued browsing I realised that the hinge on them doesn't look up to much when compared with the heavyweight bolt on B07QQ2FPXC and the professional shears. B07QQ2FPXC being out of stock I continued looking and found Miller KS-1 scissors on AliExpress at what seemed to be a reasonable price. Then I found these:

• Miller KS-1
  
  
• Tait Tools SK100

...online in the UK. I couldn't make up my mind which I preferred and so bought them both. Including VAT and shipping that came to £32 and today I received the order form and their invoice (paid) by email. They're using FedEx next day for delivery so, Covid allowing, they should be with me quite soon.

Now I really must stop with all this retail therapy. I think the lockdown may be getting to me...

Hi PickleB

Yes, the £3.43 ones, as expected, do not have a removable bolt so one blade can’t be easily resharpened. Also, the SS used is only 3CR13 (a low end SS, but very good performance for the price) with a Rockwell hardness of 54. That is why although they are advertised for kevlar, I am dubious about how well they will work. I am hoping they are at least good value cheap snips that don’t rust easily.

————

Great sleuthing with the others .

The blade material of the ones you ordered is not well specified, but both these look like Nusharp 956 and if so, they should be excellent. They are red on Nusharp’s website, but if ordering a few thousand then different colours can be specified:

NUSHARP

I have been continuing to casually browse and to my surprise ai found that D-Splicer now offer a D-14, which looks identical to the Nusharp 956.

They are listed as €41.50 (currently approx £37) without postage. I can only find them for sale in the Netherlands:

https://www.premiumropes.com/scissors-d14

Premium Ropes comments regarding the D-14:

“The D-14 scissors are the best pair of scissors we have tested and are a high performance pair of scissors. The blades are laser cut and have an excellent grinding profile to cut through Dyneema® fibers.”

So if in fact the two pairs you ordered are identical to the above apart from the handle colour, you have done well.

I look forward to hearing what you think of them. I have started making a few new soft shackles and I am enjoying my Nusharp 956 520 tremendously (the same as the 956, but with a different handle composition).

SWL

These are photos of the the four pairs from each seller’s website:
1. Nusharp 956 (red)
2. D-Splicer D-14 (red)
3. Miller KS-1 Fibre Optic Kevlar Cutters (yellow)
4. Tait Tools Kevlar Cutter (blue)

[Benz]

^^ the upper two red ones (which look identical) were once available on the Clauss website. They are second only to the Clauss Titanium 5 1/2", which replaced them in the Clauss lineup. I wonder if Clauss re-branded someone else's, or whether these other folks are buying re-branded Clauss'. Either way, if they're anything like the ones I have that look like that, they're excellent.

[PickleB]

I think it's safe to say that most, if not all, of the shears/scissors are manufactured in the Far East and coloured/branded to order for various suppliers in the EU, US etc.

A recommendation for the Miller KS-1:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OKMaBRG1wQ

And I think these are the D-26 mentioned above but under another name: Ascend Tools 10" Shears. I've also found a brand called Master that supply some shears that look vaguely familiar...link.