Shears / scissors for cutting Dyneema

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by 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.

Very useful feedback. Thanks.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by 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: ....

It is good to hear user reports, even if they are only first impressions. It all adds to the knowledge base .

Originally Posted by PickleB

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.

I have not found who manufactures the D-Splicer D-26 & Ascend 10” (Nusharp don’t seem to carry this model). A rival Taiwanese company?

Edited to add: Masters seem to be a mini version of the D-20. I suspect the image and product don’t match, as I have not seen anything like this anywhere else.

I am keen to hear if you think the Miller and Tait are the same when examined closely (and if they cut equally well when you try them out). Minor variations are hard to see from photos.

It is a bit like being on a treasure hunt . I will update the spreadsheet tomorrow.

SWL

[unluckycharms]

I've been using Jameson fiber optic shears (they look identical to your photos) for a few years, at the recommendation of an FAA parachute rigger friend of mine. They've been playing with this stuff far longer than we have....

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

....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)

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by unluckycharms

I've been using Jameson fiber optic shears (they look identical to your photos) for a few years, at the recommendation of an FAA parachute rigger friend of mine. They've been playing with this stuff far longer than we have....

Thanks for the info.
The use of UHMWPE is quickly becoming more widespread for all types of applications and it is very useful knowing what cutters function well as alternatives to the vastly overpriced ones marketed for the marine industry.

The Jameson shears have a small notch in the photo I have found. Do yours? They look the same as a Nusharp 946 that are listed as a “high carbon stainless steel with molybdenum & vanadium” with an HRC of 58-60.

I am just updating my spreadsheet to include these and the models Pickles found and I will post this shortly.

SWL

[Seaworthy Lass]

The updated spreadsheet includes several additional models.
I have amended the listed blade materials to be exactly as described. These are all very vague. In have not found the exact % composition for any of the alloys.

Prices are just what I have seen with a quick search, so better bargains can probably be found. They differ dramatically between different companies and different suppliers. Prices include tax, but not delivery.

I know copies of items are frequently produced (only close inspection allows these to be differentiated), but when one company lists several different models of kevlar cutters, all that look identical to those manufactured by Nusharp in Taiwan, some of which are actually stamped “Nusharp”, to me it seems likely these all come from the same source.

Very little information is given about the country of origin, but when it is, Taiwan is listed. I think if these products were actually manufactured by the US or UK or EU company that has branded them as their own, then they would be making this known rather than keeping silent.

In the spreadsheet I have listed groups of models that I think are probably the same. Make up your own minds .

I have learned a lot with this exercise. I hope the spreadsheet is useful to anyone looking to buy scissors / shears capable of cutting UHMWPE.

SWL

Open the photo in a new tab to read it easily:

[unluckycharms]

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

Thanks for the info.
The use of UHMWPE is quickly becoming more widespread for all types of applications and it is very useful knowing what cutters function well as alternatives to the vastly overpriced ones marketed for the marine industry.

The Jameson shears have a small notch in the photo I have found. Do yours? They look the same as a Nusharp 946 that are listed as a “high carbon stainless steel with molybdenum & vanadium” with an HRC of 58-60.

I am just updating my spreadsheet to include these and the models Pickles found and I will post this shortly.

SWL

Hi SWL,

Yes, mine have the notch though I have only used the standard cutting portion of the blade. The model is '32-60', and they can be found on Amazon US under 'Jameson 32-60 5-1/2 Inch Fiber Optic Scissor Shears'.

I am seeing a lot of synthetic rigging lessons learned by sailors now, which are already well-known in the parachute manufacturing / rigging arenas; similar to what you've pointed out with commercial chandleries and the proliferation of UHMWPE fibers outside of the recreational boating space.

[Seaworthy Lass]

I made the comment earlier that I suspected anything advertised as being suitable for cutting fibre optic cable (this has a kevlar sheath) could be used successfully for cutting dyneema.

Well, I wanted to test this out, so apart from the cutters I bought that I was quite confident would be good (one of the Nusharp Kevlar cutters with an 60-62), I bought two specified for cutting fibre optic cable and these have just arrived.

I tried 3, 6 and 8mm braided UHMWPE (Acera & Stealth & Dyneema), both full thickness and single strands, cutting each of these 6 times with each pair and also with the pair of Nusharp that arrived last week (I had a mountain of cuttings on my lap ).
Details and results:

GTX Kevlar Scissors for Fibre Optic (= Nusharp 956 520 Kevlar Cutters)
£17.17 + free delivery from Amazon UK
High carbon alloy steel with an HRC of 60-62.
Excellent performance. All the samples could be consistently cut with one easy stroke (except the 8mm, which needed two). Even softer Dyneema and fluffy fibres from older line cut effortlessly.
I am extremely happy with these. They function exactly as sturdier versions of my old D-Splicer D-16 scissors. They look identical to the D-14 scissors available in the Netherlands.

Tait: Steel Kevlar Scissors SK100
£9.77 + £6.50 delivery from Comtec in the UK
(image looked identical to one of the Nusharp kevlar cutters).
SCISSORS THAT ARRIVED DID NOT MATCH THE ADVERTISED IMAGE.
At first glance they looked close, but no cigar. Closer inspection showed many differences.
They were hopeless. The micro serrations were tiny and over a narrow width and did not grip any of the single strands unless they were put under tension, necessitating numerous strokes or not cutting through at all (the fibres just skidded over the serrations).
It appears Tait have sourced a cheap copy of the Nusharp. It is not just European or US products that are being copied .
I have contacted the seller. They responded super quickly, requested photos of the scissors that arrived and said they would get back to me.

WLXY: WL-9011Z Scissors/Cutters for Fiber Optic Cable, Kevlar Shears
£3.43 + £0.99 delivery from Amazon UK
SS used is 3CR13 (a low end SS, but with reportedly good performance at the price point) with an HRC of 54.
Micro serrations are coarse so the grip on all the single strands was good and they could all be cut with one stroke.
Several cuts were needed for full thickness line, the number reduced if the line was under tension. 8mm would not cut at all.
These will, however, be useful as an inexpensive pair of small sturdy scissors for general use that should not rust easily so I am satisfied with the purchase.

Note: Dyneema was a lot harder to cut with the latter two pairs compared to the Acera and Stealth, as the lack of a stiff coating let the fibres slide around more easily.


MY CONCLUSION AFTER ALL THIS:

Not all kevlar cutters advertised for cutting fibre optic will work well on full thickness UHMWPE single braid.

If you want something reliable and far less expensive than scissors marketed for marine use, either source some genuine Nusharp kevlar cutters (all with the same blade materials; rebranded by lots of companies) or buy something professionals are using and recommending.

SWL

PS PickleB, did your two pairs arrive? What did you think of them?

[Seaworthy Lass]

Just reporting how the issue with the Tait scissors has been resolved:

The email response from Comtec (the seller) was swift. They apologised for the error, said the website image would be altered, and a credit is being organised.

I have amended the spreadsheet.

SWL

[oldbilbo]

Originally Posted by 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 .

I'd like to purchase a copy of the '956 520' as you featured in your spreadsheet, but cannot find such on the Amazon UK site.
Could I persuade you to share the Product Code....?


I DID find these, however.....





I'm looking to snip various weights/diameters of UHMWPE, for splicing and Best Soft Shackle work, and I also have several hundred feet of this ~7mm cabling - used, I believe, for tugging fibre-optic cables through ducts.








The core is parallel-fibre white unbraided material, while the sheath is coated loose-braided orange 'polyprop' (?) material. I'd be keen to have your thoughts on how/for what this stuff might be used on board, and how it might be knotted/terminated.


Should you care, SWL, to let me have your 'Poste Restante' address by PM, I'd be pleased to send you some to experiment with.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by oldbilbo

I'd like to purchase a copy of the '956 520' as you featured in your spreadsheet, but cannot find such on the Amazon UK site.
Could I persuade you to share the Product Code....?

Hi OldBilbo

This is the Amazon UK link, but they are currently unavailable:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kevlar-Scis...d_bap_d_rp_1_i

The Nusharp 956 is the nearly the same as the 956 520, the handle composition is just slightly different. The blade material of all their kevlar shears is the same, so I think you could go for any of their 6 models with some confidence.


This alternative UK supplier was confirmed by Nusharp:

“RS in UK is selling our KEVLAR shears, you may go to RS online shop to buy them, links as following:

5 3/4” KEVLAR scissors #951: *https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/scissors/8352719/
8” KEVLAR Shears #953 https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/scissors/8352700/
5 1/2” KEVLAR scissors #956: *https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/scissors/0487135/ ”

They are not as good a bargain as the ones I found, but still much less than the D-Splicer models.

It may also be worth enquiring further regarding the Miller KS-1 model. If this is also definitely Nusharp’s, the price is excellent.
This has a been a pair some cruisers are recommending.

Originally Posted by oldbilbo

I'm looking to snip various weights/diameters of UHMWPE, for splicing and Best Soft Shackle work, and I also have several hundred feet of this ~7mm cabling - used, I believe, for tugging fibre-optic cables through ducts.

The core is parallel-fibre white unbraided material, while the sheath is coated loose-braided orange 'polyprop' (?) material. I'd be keen to have your thoughts on how/for what this stuff might be used on board, and how it might be knotted/terminated.

Should you care, SWL, to let me have your 'Poste Restante' address by PM, I'd be pleased to send you some to experiment with.

The rope you have is not one I have come across before, and I cannot find anything that matches it online. All I can say is that it looks slippery .
Knots don’t perform well in very slippery line, but if you are tying any, try the ones that have been found to be best in dyneema and test them out by adding load using sheet winches. They may not even withstand light load.

Regarding splicing, I have no idea. I don’t have much experience with double braid other than polyester.

Thanks for the offer to send me some to play with. Unfortunately I am not in one location long enough at the moment to receive any deliveries. They were all organised in November. One big drawback of cruising!

Have fun experimenting with this. You may be able to make soft shackles with a diamond knot and use them for very lightweight tasks such as tidying lines or hanging items. We have a couple of dozen on board serving light duties such as this.

[seacap]

Might

[alaskanviking]

I cut a lot of dyneema, amsteel blue.

The sheers work good, and ceramic blades are awesome...for a little while. They dull eventually. They don't last "year's". Best to tension the line before cutting makes it easier.

Dyneema dulls things quickly. Don't use your favourite pocket knife on it. 1-2 cuts and it's dull.

Best thing I've found is get a big pack of the high carbon razor blades. Switch out every couple cuts when it gets dull. Cheaper than my dull a$$ pocket knife.

1 razor blade lasts 1-2 cuts per side. Might get 3-4 with 1/4" but it really depends on diameter. I have some 3/8", & 1/2" that can be a pain. 1-2 cuts tops before your just sawing at it. I have some 5/8" that seems to dull in one shot. I don't mean just cutting the line but that 1-2 includes thinning the line out for splicing too. I can make the razor cut more but it just gets frustratingly slower and it turns more into sawing. I had a ceramic folder that lasted a little while but it too succumbed and was too expensive to replace regularly. I did try to sharpen it but it was never the same.

[Rikds]

I have a couple of my fathers old cut throat razors. Wonderful, will cut almost anything and can be sharpened quite easily.

[Iron E]

Just wanted to say that after reading through this thread, I ran across these:

https://www.treestuff.com/clauss-ser...cing-scissors/

Don't know anything about the site, but the picture seems to match the bill

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by Iron E

Just wanted to say that after reading through this thread, I ran across these:

https://www.treestuff.com/clauss-ser...cing-scissors/

Don't know anything about the site, but the picture seems to match the bill

Thanks for the link.

The description also matches.
The review from Treestuff is promising and a rigger here on CF recommended a Clauss pair of shears, so this seems like a good find at a reasonable price.

SWL