iPliers Hobby Nippers - Review

Hey there plamo weeabs! So I finally own a pair of proper hobby nippers....I admit it - since I got into this hobby way back in 2012, I've been getting by with regular electronics store side-cutters. I ought to be stripped nude and forced to walk to a nearby hobby shop, as throngs of you angry plamo nerds shout "shame! shame! shame!" and pelt me with sprue debris. To be honest I don't really know why I waited this long to buy one, but there's no point in crying over spilled paint. These "iPliers" popped up on my facebook feed, claiming they were similar in design to those Godhand nippers I've heard so much about, and I just had to find out for myself. There's a video at the bottom showing how they work.







Click on the Read More link for the rest of this post...



I got these nippers for an introductory price at Hobby Toys Laguna, and as far as I know they're the only hobby shop that carry the iPliers in the Philippines as of writing. The nippers come in a blister pack much like any other hobby nipper in the market. A protective cap is included, though it is quite loose and tends to fall off.

The insert shows the design of the nipper. As opposed to regular side-cutters where both ends are sharp, the iPliers have only one sharp edge. The other side is blunt and is meant to only support the sprue as the sharp side slices down.

This design is very similar to the Mineshima Godhand nipper, although the iPliers lack the adjustable stopping mechanism that is featured on the Godhand. I don't own the Godhand (yet) so I can't do a comparison of the two, but the iPliers are very sharp indeed, and is able to make really clean, precise cuts.

Here is a comparison of the cuts made with the iPliers and a regular double-edged nipper that I've been using forever. The regular nippers tend to crush the plastic before actually cutting through, so they leave a rough and uneven surface with visible stress marks on the plastic. The cut made by the iPliers is much smoother, and there is a lot less stress.

What this means is that you can cut much closer to the part's surface without leaving much of a nub to clean up, reducing overall build time. Whether or not you paint your kits, this type of nipper is your best friend.

Here's a video showing how it works:




I actually used these nippers to snap together the DevilArts Providence, and I enjoyed them so much I went and bought a 2nd pair. I can't say how durable these are yet, but the most common issue I've seen about single-blade nippers in general is that the tip could chip off if you're not careful or try to cut something too thick or too hard. So far though I haven't seen any reason to doubt their durability, but I'll be keeping my old cheapo nippers for cutting anything thicker than Master Grade sprues.

Look up Hobby Toys Laguna if you want to give these nippers a try!

That's all I have for now, check back again soon, and keep building plamo!

*some photos borrowed from product info page