Reviewed by CAPT. MIKE SCHOONVELD
It wasn’t long after braided line became popular for all sorts of fishing anglers started seeing all sorts of tools designed to easily and efficiently cut braided line. Some were extremely sharp nail-clipper types (which didn’t stay extremely sharp). Some were battery powered “laser” devises – actually, an electrical spark generator or extremely hot wire which burned through the line as well as fingers and batteries.
The closest to perfection were scissors types but even with these, many were just cheap scissor blades fastened to some sort of supposedly fisherman-friendly handles. Often the friendly handles weren’t so friendly and the cheap blades seemed to chew through the line more than shear through it effortlessly.
So when the Cuda fishing tools rep handed me a pair of their 5.5″ Large Braid Shear, I was skeptical. It looked like a nice, well-built pair of scissors with a jaunty rubberized handle. It is just that but the devil is in the details. Look very close at the scissor blades and you will see “micro” serrations along the edges which are the devil’s detail that makes these shears a “cut” above all the others I’ve tried.
On non-serrated scissors-type braid shears, the line slips when you snip. Snip again and again – perhaps hold the line in place and gnaw through it or wish you had a laser-burner. The tiny serrations on the Cuda-cutters prevents the line from slipping and snip, the job is done – easily and every time!
Though they are called Braid Shears, they do a perfect job on mono or fluorocarbon line as well. Available online at http://www.cudabrand.com, Amazon.com or at many retail tackle outlets.
FISHING TOYS 