Once upon a time, I was working on a doll armature and in usual Tamdoll fashion, grabbed whatever was nearby to cut the wire. I had an old cutter, squeezed too hard and wrenched something in my palm…. a minor procedure at the doctor's office and a few weeks later I was relieved that no permanent damage had been done – and learned a lesson - good quality tools are important! Since then I’ve been more conscientious about what I use for each application – in my crafting I use everything from heavy-duty wire, to fishing line, to cotton threads and fine jewelry wire. Here, Stuart is going to focus on some precision cutting tools.
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Tool Tuesday - Xuron Kevlar Cutters vs. Precision Scissors
Xuron produces a wide range of pliers and cutters that quite popular amongst crafters. I wouldn't call myself a crafter, but as mentioned elsewhere, I often use Xuron tools for a number of my hobbies and for precision work.
Xuron offers such a wide range of tools that it can sometimes be difficult to choose the right tool for the task. At one point, I needed a pair of precision scissors to cut tough nylon parachute cord (paracord). I found that Xuron offered two excellent options - their 440 high precision scissors, and 9180 Kevlar fiber cutters.
The 440 high precision cutters are cheaper, shorter, and are capable of more precise cuts. Xuron's Kevlar cutters, on the other hand, are designed to cleanly cut through stronger material, and are available with either plain-edge blades, or with one plain-edge and one serrated blade. Ultimately, I opted for the serrated 9180 Kevlar cutter for its greater strength and non-slip capabilities. A few hundred cuts later, the tool is still performing as well as ever, and has never let me down.
Ideally, one could use Kevlar cutters for heavier duty cutting, and the 440 high precision shears for more delicate work. For crafting, Xuron tools are used for soft wire work, beading, jewelry making, and floral arrangements, to name a few. I also use it to trim thread and cord flush up to their knots. With regular scissors I cannot get that close due to their size. The Xuron scissors are also good for "high strength beading and fishing line".
These Xuron scissors and shears are orders of magnitude better than the imported no-name ones you'll find at department stores and certain craft shops. Aside for their great quality, they're affordable priced, AND made in the USA! The two models mentioned in this post can be found via crafting suppliers, industrial tool suppliers, and on Amazon (affiliate links):
Do you use precision scissors or pliers? If so, tell us about them! I'll talk a bit more about precision shears and pliers in a few weeks, but before then I'd like to hear from all of you!
Xuron also has a very active and friendly rep on twitter, who can answer any questions and has been known to give away tools at random times. http://twitter.com/Xuron
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