Fishing Pliers - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

JeffH · 11-01-2005, 11:23 AM

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....

eelman · 11-01-2005, 11:25 AM

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

JeffH · 11-01-2005, 11:26 AM

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

eelman · 11-01-2005, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeffH

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

then get the VS !!

spence · 11-01-2005, 11:30 AM

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

SeaWolf · 11-01-2005, 11:36 AM

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.

Bernzy · 11-01-2005, 12:00 PM

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

In The Surf · 11-01-2005, 12:41 PM

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.

Pete_G · 11-01-2005, 04:18 PM

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.

kippy · 11-02-2005, 06:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bernzy

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.

Pete_G · 11-02-2005, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kippy

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.

JoeP · 11-02-2005, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bernzy

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 · 11-02-2005, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeP

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.

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

Bernzy · 11-02-2005, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeP

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

zacs · 11-01-2005, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spence

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.

spence · 11-01-2005, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zacs

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