Looking for some comments good or bad on the latest and greatest fisherman's pliers that are on the market (Accurate, Donmar, Van Steal, Orvis etc.). I need to give the wife my Christmas list and I like to put items on there I would like to have but would NEVER spend my own money on. I've always used a pair of cheap stainless needlenose that cost me all of $8 and they do the job. My last pair is now in six feet of water....

Hey there jeff the Donmar are very good! acually you cant go wrong with any of those brands only real difference is price tag :btu:

Price is no object it's my wife's.........

Price is no object it's my wife's.........

then get the VS !! :humpty:

I've used the Donnmar pliers for a 2 seasons now. The pliers function is great, although I'm not impressed with the cutters. They have only been used for braid and mono and don't cut braid at all any more. I would think they should be able to last indefinately if you're not cutting metal.

-spence

i've used manley's for the last 10 years. i can usually get about 5 years out of them before the cutter and spring erodes away too much. they run to whopping $30 or so, give or take. i've cut braid and mono, but the area where i need them most is cutting hooks. i've cut too many hooks out of fingers, hands, and fish w/o thinking twice about them failing. 6x vmc's, 4/0 trebles, 10/0 umbrellas, etc. and, still able to cut braid and mono. maybe take a dremel and lightly brush the cutter up at the end of the year. and, if i lose them, oh crap, $30. i go buy another pair. i carry a second pair of needle nose just for dehooking hooks in smaller fish that are deeply hooked. i simply have no reason to jump to donnmar, orvis, or van stall -type pliers. my .02.

These are supposed to sell for around $20. I used their regular floating pliers this fall and they cut braid without effort.
http://www.xtools.us/

Bernzy

I think the Orvis titaniums are a steal for the $, I have been very pleased with them so far. The cutters work great on braid, fluoro and mono. I wouldn't use them to cut hooks I have a pair of heavy electrical pliers for that.

I've used the Donnmar pliers for a 2 seasons now. The pliers function is great, although I'm not impressed with the cutters. They have only been used for braid and mono and don't cut braid at all any more. I would think they should be able to last indefinately if you're not cutting metal.

-spence

This is my 3rd season with the donmar's. i love them. this season they started to not cut braid so good, so i will replace cutters this winter. I don't understand your logic, spence. Do your kitchen knives stay sharp forever if all you cut is tomatoes and lettuce, and no metal? For the $$, they are the best. 3 seasons of hard saltwater use and no rust anywhere.

This is my 3rd season with the donmar's. i love them. this season they started to not cut braid so good, so i will replace cutters this winter. I don't understand your logic, spence. Do your kitchen knives stay sharp forever if all you cut is tomatoes and lettuce, and no metal? For the $$, they are the best. 3 seasons of hard saltwater use and no rust anywhere.
Yea, but I wouldn't consider that hard use...not in a few seasons. I believe they will replace the cutters under warranty...but the website is down. I can't find anywhere that sells replacement cutters for the 950's online.

And my kitchen cutlery is razor sharp...but even if you use a knife just for tomato and lettuce it should stay sharp for a while...

-spence

If the Orvis pliers hold up like VS pliers then they are without a doubt the best priced corrosion resistant (proof?) pliers on the market.

As for VS pliers, very few things on the market can truly be billed as saltwater proof. By proof I mean if you start using them in spring, submerge them on every trip, never wash them, and use them late into the fall you will still not have any corrosion on them. I simply haven't found anything else quite like that, be it a pair of pliers or otherwise.

I don't have as much experience with the other pliers listed. I do have a couple sets of Abel pliers; OK plier but useless in the surf. Get a good belt and always keep whatever pliers you get on a lanyard. The reason I mention a good belt is because a friend of mine's pliers are SOMEWHERE in the depths off PJ...

Donmars are a good set too; I have seen the center bushing on them fade though resulting in the jaws not meeting perfectly which means they stop cutting braid as well as they used to. Whether that is what has happened with Spence's pliers it's tough to say. I had a set of Abel's tied to the line winder at work and we got a year out of them before they stopped cutting braid well. Once they started fading they quickly reached a point where they wouldn't cut at all. That was commercial service though.

Another good thing about the Orvis pliers is that when I purchased them I inquired about the warranty and was told lifetime replacement or refund on them. Can't beat that!

I just sold a pair of the big VS pliers only because I wanted a pair with more needlenose-type jaws for easier access to hooks deep in a fish's mouth. The big VS jaws are very wide & blunt, but powerful. Other than that those pliers were very good except that after 2 years in the surf the cutters lost their edge in cutting braid cleanly.

I bought a pair of the Orvis because they are titanium like the VS, have carbide cutters like the VS, have nice long jaws & a better angle on the jaws for leverage & de-hooking, and like ITS said above have a lifetime unconditional Orvis warranty.

Spence, I researched the Donnmars & I think the problem you are having is that the 950 Donnmars have the scissor-type jaws not really made to cut braid cleanly while the other models (800, 850, & 880) have the anvil-type jaws made to cut braid.

I'm on my 3rd season with a $6 pair of cheapo plyers i bought from captian don..

still cut braid like butter :smokin:

Hooks?? havent crossed that road yet :hihi:

I've been using the $15 Shimano 9" pliers all season.Can't beat'em for the price.
Bought them at Pete's shop upon his suggestion.

I own two pairs of the spring-loaded smaller Donmar 850's.

Donmar 850's offers good value (about $80.00 with Cordura case) and the anvil style blades are replaceable. I've done that and my old Donmar 850's cut like new. These pliers are not strong enough to cut through a heavy duty hook but they cut everything else.

These are the pliers I carry on my surf belt. They are not too big or too heavy and if I lose them I'm not out two hundred bucks.

These are supposed to sell for around $20. I used their regular floating pliers this fall and they cut braid without effort.
http://www.xtools.us/

Bernzy

Bernzy how have the Xtools pliers held up against corrosion? I was going to look into these.

Bernzy how have the Xtools pliers held up against corrosion? I was going to look into these.

Possibly the best braid cutters on any plier. Just don't ever try and use the pliers to remove a big treble, you'll destroy the jaws.

They are working on a plier with metal inserts in the jaw that is supposed to come out soon, could be a GREAT product if it actually holds up in service. To be honest, not counting their cutters, the current ones don't.

These are supposed to sell for around $20. I used their regular floating pliers this fall and they cut braid without effort.
http://www.xtools.us/

Bernzy

Bernzy,

I actually just got a new winter catalog from Melton Tackle and those new X-Tools pliers are in there for $99.

Bernzy,

I actually just got a new winter catalog from Melton Tackle and those new X-Tools pliers are in there for $99.

Bad info I guess. :blush:
Here's where it came from.
http://www.tackleunderground.com/index.php?page=9

As Pete G said, they don't work very well at trying to wrench out a big treble, but the cutters work better on braid than anything else I've tried.

Bernzy

Thanks for all the great info. Has anyone used the Accurate pliers?

Bernzy,

I actually just got a new winter catalog from Melton Tackle and those new X-Tools pliers are in there for $99.

I did a web search and found them for $75.23

JoeP is right about the Donmars, the sissor type (which is what I have) don't cut braid very well even when new but cut just about everything else, including heavy wire with ease. But I doubt they could go thru a 6X trebble hook. (I have a pair of bolt cutters for that) The are very good rigging pliers though. You can also send them back and they will rebuild or replace your pliers for 30 bucks. (My buddy has done this on his) If I were to buy a new pair I would get the anvil cutters.

I have a pair of sharp sissors when am working with braid at the bench but on the boat or beach I clip it with a pair of sharp nail type clipper that I found at a fresh water tackle show.

PS get the lanyard and clip it to your belt!

Those Xtools pliers cut braid with ease but do nothing else. IMO they should not call them pliers. You can't use them as pliers, they are plastic and they bend and twist if you try to grab a hook with them.

i've been using the accurate's since the start of the season. no problems to date. the jaws and the cutters are titanium, the grips are anodized aluminum, the spring that keeps them open seems to be sealed, (i see a little grease where they join) smooth as butter. if you've ever held one of their reels in your hands you know what their build quality is like. totally modular, every part is replacable. sometimes with large bluefish i wish they were just a little longer. not cheap, but probably a 10+ year tool if not more. way less $ than vs

Thanks for all the great info. Has anyone used the Accurate pliers?


I have 2 pairs of the accurates.
When they 1st came out there was a problem with them bending very easily!
I called the company and they told me they knew of problems with them bending and were redesigning them so they would not bend.
They sent me a new (improved) pair allong with a shipping package to return the old ones.
about 2-3 weeks after returning the bent pair, they sent me the 2nd (new) pair (no charge)
I use them ALL the time and they cut anything, though I don't trust them to try to cut a hook!!!
They are great, but the Van Staals are better, but the Van Staals cost a lot more!!!

Hey Jeff if your still interested I found this coupon for Van Staal pliers.

http://tackledirect.com/fishingcoupons.html

Well I see now that that price is for the stainless not the titanium.

Hey Jeff if your still interested I found this coupon for Van Staal pliers.

http://tackledirect.com/fishingcoupons.html

Titanium will never corrode. Along with being light and very strong it is probably the most corrosion resistant metal on earth. Most of the work I do is for the Oceanographic industry and they all use it now. Some of the things are thrown in the ocean for years at a time. The only problem is the expense. It is up to $45 a pound, doubled since last year, and that price can only be quoted for 5 days and then it can change. To give you an idea a 12' long bar 1" dia. cost $1100.00 last week. Worked on a piece last week the raw stock cost $13,000 without any work being done on it yet. Nerve-racking to say the least. The price to machine it also adds cost too because it requires more time. A lot of cash for a pair of pliers. Paul

Good numbers there Professor. It definitely explains part of the price on the Van Staals.

Just saw the new Ross Pliers as well. Ross has been making fly reels for years and has apparently decided to start making pliers as well. They look like VS pliers only they are made of aluminum. I don't have a price on them yet, but it'll probably be very similar to the Accurate's. Sports Tools is also developing a similar plier. There will be more options on the market shortly in the middle price range.

I purchased a set of accurate,the large ones,washed them off once with water and w-d them once, cutters still cut braid and they work just as well as the day i purchased them, several hundred fish later. They were in and out of the water several times a week from may till now. Worth the money i'm going to get a second set for the boat.Lighter than the vs pliers and just as rugged.

Fishpond has them as well:

http://www.fishpondusa.com/barracuda.cfm


One problem with the Ross & Fishpond versus the Orvis, VS, & Accurate is the Ross & Fishpond carry only a 1-year warranty.

Last yr i went on a better pliers mission.The accurates where bendin in my hand didn't seam right.plus the handles are too close together.like pinchin ur fingers close.so i chose a pair of donmars I think 950's.they suck also.won't cut anything thicker than line.could barley get thru a skinny 3/0 siwash.so i use a pair of the 16 dollar coated shimano needlenosers.I taped a old phone cord lanyard on the handle like i used to wit all the other needle nose pliers they will cut a hook in a pinch.

Thanks for all the great info. Has anyone used the Accurate pliers?
Wahlie was using a pair of them for a little while this summer. He bent them and then they became 2 part pliers not too long after. If that kid breaks them as little as he fished this year, I doubt they would last for you.

Wahlie was using a pair of them for a little while this summer. He bent them and then they became 2 part pliers not too long after. If that kid breaks them as little as he fished this year, I doubt they would last for you.

I've even heard a rumor of a recall. I know where they probably broke and I noticed a lot of the new copies of the VS/Accurate plier have the same weakness. Time will tell...

Never heard of a VS plier bending though.

Hmmm, there appears to be those people that are very happy with the Accurate pliers and those that have had problems. I guess I would wonder if Wahlie's were old version or new version. You know $150 for pliers is crazy but $280 is certifiable.......Maybe I will email Accurate and see what they have to say about the bending issue.

Hmmm, there appears to be those people that are very happy with the Accurate pliers and those that have had problems. I guess I would wonder if Wahlie's were old version or new version. You know $150 for pliers is crazy but $280 is certifiable.......Maybe I will email Accurate and see what they have to say about the bending issue.

It's an extreme minority that has had an issue with the Accurate's. I have never actually seen it with my own eyes, I've only heard about it. Supposedly at the thinnest point where the cut is made in the metal for the cutter is where they can bend or break. If you look, it is fairly thin in that spot.