Side Cutters, Clippers

[Ramshackle_Curtis]

Can anyone recommend any decent clippers/side cutters? Ive been using the citadel ones: excellent shape, awfull materials. They break and go blunt on plastic!

So yes, Im after some the same shape but that are good.

[revford]

You can get a pair in B&Q for about £2 or £3, they've been great so far.

I think I've had to replace them once in the last 10 years.

[Ramshackle_Curtis]

Really? Ok I will go and check that out, there is a B+Q just by where I work...

[Hammers]

Depends on the precision you need. Unfortunately the good ons are quite expensive.

[Ramshackle_Curtis]

Price is not object, my man, quality is what Im after. Please further this thread with suggestions of where I might pruchase such said quality items?

[JollyBob]

I think both Heresy and Antenociti's Workshop sell clippers. They'll be a bit more expensive than the B&Q ones, but should be good quality.

Edit:

Not sure if these are exactly what you're looking for at Heresy (scroll down a bit):

http://www.heresyminiatures.com/tools.htm

And at Antenocit's:

http://www.barrule.com/workshop/scratch%20builders%20paradise/tools%20outils%20werkzeuge.html

Antenociti's site appears to be running very slowly for some reason, but stick with it, they have all sorts of useful things you didn't know you needed.

[Hammers]

A good side cutter is a tool where 1) the edges of the side cutter is of high quality tempered steel so it keeps its edges, 2) after ccontinued use the edges stays closed with a flat plane

I have noticed that the semi-rubbish tools I've bought are fine for nipping plastic parts from their sprues but wear out when used on brass and white alloy.

Since I am in Sweden I cannot direct you to a specific chain of stores but look for them in professional stores (where guys with gnarly hands and insulated coveralls shop) not in DIYs (where you find guys like me in shorts and sandals). A good one costs about Euro 40 in Sweden.

[Dewbakuk]

Curtis, have you been into GeeDee's? They sell (or did when I last looked for some) a vaiety of clippers, ranging from £5-6 to £40-50. Not the cheapest of places but should give you an idea of the quality types. You can then look online for the ones you chose at a better price.

[aecurtis]

These may be more of a challenge to order from the UK, but from my experience with both figures and model railroading, the best cutters in the world, bar none, are made by Xuron in Saco, Maine, the next town over from where i grew up!   

MicroMark list them currently at "sale" prices; periodically, they have them for even less than currently listed:

http://www.ares-server.com/Ares/Ares.asp?MerchantID=RET01229&Action=Catalog&Type=Product&ID=81048

The micro shears and angled micro shears make good sprue nippers.  the track cutters make a perfect clean cut, if you make your own brass rod spears and the like.  The plier set is a good buy, of you have a use for all of them, but as you can see, you can buy them individually..

I've cut literally thousands of javelins and spears from brass rod, and my one pair of track cutters still seems like new.  These are *very* durable tools.

For very small parts on sprues, the MicroMark despruing tweezers work exceptioannly well:

http://www.ares-server.com/Ares/Ares.asp?MerchantID=RET01229&Action=Catalog&Type=Product&ID=82393

Allen (A Somewhat Organized Curtis--on a good day...)

[Ramshackle_Curtis]

I just ordered 2 sets of clippers from http://www.gaugemaster.co.uk

I phoned them and the guy there recommended the german made Faller "special" side cutters. I ordered them and also some Xuron XU410T High Precision Shears.

When I have tested them out I will write some comments up!