Scissor test

[Lynn LeFey]

I got the Style PS for a trip I was taking over Christmas, where I knew the TSA would be eyeballing my MT. It went through without issue. I only needed the pliers once, and probably could have gotten by without them, but the scissors were used frequently, and I was pleasantly surprised with their cutting ability.

[Lynn LeFey]

This time, I'm taking a look at a budget tool, the little MT from the Sheffield 2 Piece Mini Multi Tool Set, listed as #12707S

I'll just list it as Sheffield 12707 below in the compiled rankings.

The scissors' blade length and back spring are similar in style to the 85mm Wenger, but with a much shorter lever handle, and with some fatal flaws I'll cover below.

Out of the package, these things were pretty good cutting right-handed, and terrible left-handed.

Right handed:
Failed Nothing
Barely Adequate for Corrugated cardboard and heavy plastic.
Passed with distinction on T-Shirt
Score: +8

Left Handed:
Failed PAPER!!!, T-Shirt
Barely Adequate on Corrugated Cardbaord, Khaki, Suede heavy Plastic
Passed all others.
Score: +1

The bad performance left-handed is, of course, due to lose pivots. Unlike Wenger and Leatherman Juice series, which use the same style of spring bar as these, they didn't bevel the edges of the tools where the scissor handle meets the spring. That feature on the Leatherman and Wengers forces the blades together, even for a left-handed user. So, I took a metal file to the tool, and did the bevelling.

The results were that they improved slightly for left-hand use, and were now barely adequate for T-shirt and passed Suede, bumping the score from +1 up to +3

I will list the numbers as out-of-package below, however.

For a right-handed user, I would call these scissors shockingly good for the price of the tool. For me, though...   

So the rankings of all tested scissors to date stand as follows...

Sheffield swiss army rip-off   -3
SOG Powerlock +0
Sheffield 12010   +1
Sheffield 12707 (left handed) +1
Vic 58mm (Classic, used) +5
Juice S2 (used) +5
Wingman +6
Vic 91mm Scissors (used) +7
Crosscut (used) +8
Sheffield 12707 (right handed) +8
Micra (used) +9
Squirt S4  +10
Vic 58mm (Rambler, new) +10
Leatherman Style PS +10
Wenger 85mm +11
Wave +12
MP400  +12
Crosscut 2.0 +12
Spirit X +12
Micra (new) +15

[Landrew]

I think the Surge would have scored mightily as well.

[Lynn LeFey]

If someone cares to pony up for one, I'd LOVE to test it.

[Landrew]

If someone cares to pony up for one, I'd LOVE to test it.

I believe Walmart has a good returns policy.

[Lynn LeFey]

I was going to also mention that the video I linked to in the original post has a test with the Surge scissors, if oyu want some comparison with what I'm doing.

[Lynn LeFey]

A quick update. I just tested my new Style CS scissors. They are identical in performance to a new Micra in cutting ability, but outshine the Micra considerably in ergonomics. So far, this makes them the best scissors in the industry.

Test results
Failed nothing.
Passed with distinction on T-Shirt, 550, Paper, PETE, Cardboard, Heavy Plastic

+15


Final Scores
Old: +9
New: +15

Sheffield swiss army rip-off   -3
SOG Powerlock +0
Sheffield 12010   +1
Sheffield 12707 (left handed) +1
Vic 58mm (Classic, used) +5
Juice S2 (used) +5
Wingman +6
Vic 91mm Scissors (used) +7
Crosscut (used) +8
Sheffield 12707 (right handed) +8
Micra (used) +9
Squirt S4  +10
Vic 58mm (Rambler, new) +10
Leatherman Style PS +10
Wenger 85mm +11
Wave +12
MP400  +12
Crosscut 2.0 +12
Spirit X +12
Micra (new) +15
Style CS (new) +15

[nuphoria]

That's proper high praise!

[Lynn LeFey]

SMUFIN SMURF!!!

This WAS the review on the Gerber Mini Suspension S, but I somehow got stupid and modified it to the Vic 91mm review, instead of copying it and modifing like I intended to. So... anyway... I'll repost the review of the Mini Suspension S later.

And here it is, the one I've been waiting a long time to test... the scissors on the 91mm line, represented here by a brand new Climber (Thanks Felinevet!). These will be listed as 'Victoinox 91mm (new)' on the list below.

Test results
Failed Nothing
Pass with Distinction with Paper, T-Shirt, Suede, PETE, Cardboard
Passed everything else

Score +14

The blades have no slop, no play, and cut very well, and cut equally well left or right handed. Only marks against them is the fairly narrow handle makes cutting heavy material like Corrugated Cardboard and heavy Plastic a bit painful, it failed to get a clean single-stroke snip on 550 paracord, requiring a second half-snip, and there was also multiple snips required to pass through the khaki seam. Excellent scissors for being of the fold-out variety.

(Quick review of the Gerber Mini Suspension S: Passed EVERYTHING but Corrugated Cardboard wit hdistinction, and passed Currugated Cardboard right handed, somewhat less effective left-handed)

Sheffield swiss army rip-off   -3
SOG Powerlock +0
Sheffield 12010   +1
Sheffield 12707 (left handed) +1
Vic 58mm (Classic, used) +5
Juice S2 (used) +5
Wingman +6
Vic 91mm Scissors (used) +7
Crosscut (used) +8
Sheffield 12707 (right handed) +8
Micra (used) +9
Squirt S4  +10
Vic 58mm (Rambler, new) +10
Leatherman Style PS +10
Wenger 85mm +11
Wave +12
MP400  +12
Crosscut 2.0 +12
Spirit X +12
Gerber Mini Suspension S (lefthanded) +13
Victorinox 91mm (new) +14
Micra (new) +15
Style CS (new) +15
Gerber Mini Suspension S (righthanded) +17

[Gareth]

That IS a little surprising.   Keep up the good work Lynn.

[Lynn LeFey]

The scores for the Gerber Mini Suspension S are posted above. I messed up and overwrote my review.

So... here are my thoughts again.

Test Results (Right Handed)
Passed EVERYTHING but Corrugated Cardboard with distinction
Passed Corrugated Cardboard.

Test Results (Left handed)
Barely Adequate for Khaki
Passed 550 and Corrugated Cardboard
Passed everything else with distinction (Paper, T-Shirt, Suede, PETE, Cardboard, Heavy Plastic)


These scissors are the best I've tested so far for right handed users. While there are ergonomic issues with the mini suspensions, use of the scissors isn't really where that issue comes into play. The deployed tool has large handles with big flat areas for a very comfortable gripping surface.

They showed a little preference to right over left handed use, but not a huge difference I've seen in many other scissors.

I have to say I was really shocked at how well they performed.

[Lynn LeFey]

Gerber Dime Scissor test

Results
Barely adequate for Corrugated Cardboard and Heavy Plastic
Passed everything else

Score +7

Tested side-by-side with the Vic Rambler, these are not quite as smooth or as clean in cutting on all materials tested, so their score is just a bit lower. However, the wider purchase for the thumb makes cutting heavier material more comfortable. These are a very competent little pair of fold-out scissors, and likely quite up to regular day to day use. They showed no difference in performance used right or left handed.

Sheffield swiss army rip-off   -3
SOG Powerlock +0
Sheffield 12010   +1
Sheffield 12707 (left handed) +1
Vic 58mm (Classic, used) +5
Juice S2 (used) +5
Wingman +6
Vic 91mm Scissors (used) +7
Gerber Dime +7
Crosscut (used) +8
Sheffield 12707 (right handed) +8
Micra (used) +9
Squirt S4  +10
Vic 58mm (Rambler, new) +10
Leatherman Style PS +10
Wenger 85mm +11
Wave +12
MP400  +12
Crosscut 2.0 +12
Spirit X +12
Gerber Mini Suspension S (lefthanded) +13
Victorinox 91mm (new) +14
Micra (new) +15
Style CS (new) +15
Gerber Mini Suspension S (righthanded) +17

[AimlessWanderer]

Lynn, you really need to get hold of a Paul Chen Multitasker 
This thread just wouldn't be complete without it 

[Lynn LeFey]

I graciously accept your offer to send me a brand new Paul Chen Multitasker for testing. 

I will consider it. It appears there is some support for the Surge, as well.

[colt 1911]

Great work, good info Lynn.

[Lynn LeFey]

Thanks Colt.

Okay, so I've done a good, wide selection of scissors across the industry to gather some information. One of the things I thought I'd do, instead of just assign straight numbers is to try weighting these scores in various ways, since some scissors performed better at some tasks than others.

Light Duty Only
The first thing I wanted to do was just try scores based on the lightest/easiest materials... paper, PETE, and cardboard (the non corrugated kind). Most scissors are perfectly adequate. The Sheffield 12010 and 12707 (used lefthanded), and the SAK-alike would fall into the sub-par category. The scissor based keychain size tools and the fold-out scissors on SAKs would fall into the very good category, and all other scissors would be in the average category.

'EMT'
If I look only at the scissors' ability to cut the middle three materials, T-Shirt, Khaki Seam, and Suede (which I think of as 'EMT' cutting), something very strange happens. Many of the scissor-based tools drop in rankings (Micra and Crosscut) and the MP400, Wave, and Spirit, and Wenger 85mm climb to near the top. Moreover, the little fold-out scissors on keychain tools really shine, for their size.

Heavy Duty
If I look only at the heavy materials on the list (Corrugated Cardboard, Heavy Plastic, and 550 paracord) then scissor based tools again take over the top of the list. Along with them, the Vic 91mm and Wave make strong showings. A little surprisingly, the Wenger scissors do very middling. To no surprise, the tiny fold-out keychain scale scissors all do poorly here, but a bit shockingly, we see the Powerlock, Juice, and Wingman down at the bottom with cheap knock-offs. This category has me a bit troubled, because honestly, some of these cutting duties would likely fall to a blade in the real world. I give this category least importance.

Weighted Light Duty
If I multiply the scores of all light materials (paper, PETE, non-corrugated Cardboard) by 3, multiply all medium weight materials (T-Shirt, Khaki, and Suede) by 2, and all heavy materials (Corrugated cardboard, heavy plastic, and 550 paracord) by one, then while it looks similar to the first test, with the same bottom and top, we start to see tools like the Juice, Wingman, and keychain size fold-outs (Dime, and to lesser extent Vic 58mm and Style PS) dropping toward the bottom, and the Wave, Spirit, and MP400 moving toward the top. I tend to think this is the most 'realistic' view of how a pair of scissors will be used.

With this method used, the top third of the list looks like this...

Wave +25
Wenger 85mm +26
MP400 +26
Spirit +26
Crosscut 2.0 +26
Vic 91mm +29
Mini Suspension S (lefthanded) +30
Micra +31
Style CS +31
Mini Suspension S (righthanded) +35

Most every pair of scissors I've tested will perform light-duty day to day tasks. It seems that to a degree, which scissor is best for you depends on what you need it to do above and beyond cutting paper and snipping threads. Hopefully this information helps.

[Landrew]

I'm seeing a significant difference between the scissors on my Juice CS4 and my Juice EX6, even though they are the exact same design.  One is smooth and easy cutting, while the other is grindy and doesn't cut well.


I'm putting the difference down to quality control, but it does raise a question about the legitimacy of comparison tests. If a verdict is based on one pair of scissors from a particular tool, versus another, how can we really expect to have the same experience ourselves? Especially since one production run may vary from another?

[Lynn LeFey]

It's a fair question, and one I pointed out earlier in the thread. Ideally, I'd get three of each tool from three different production times (not three from the same 'batch') and test each.

But... I sure don't have funds for that, so it must be understood that every test I do is on a given example, and there might be variance from one tool to the next. I haven't heard anyone have Quality Control issues with Vic tools, so I think it's safe to assume scissors will test pretty similar from mine to whatever they get.

Leatherman tools might have a wider range of variance.

Beyond even that, one might carry a pair of scissors I'd consider fairly sub-par, but if they're good at cutting paper, and all you cut is paper, they might be excellent for someone. I mean, in the real world, the scissors on even the examples of the Juice I've  had will do fine for most every day to day task.

So, I do what I can, and hope folks understand there's going to be a degree of 'YMMV' in this testing.

[Landrew]

I think I may have a bone to pick with Nutnfancy. I'd rather hear feedback from several owners, over one of his tests alone. Nothing wrong with his tests, but the final word should be reserved to those with with the most experience.

[Lynn LeFey]

I'm not sure where Nutnfancy came into this... 

In the original post, I linked to a video by TheLateBoyscout, who does some decent reviews. I watch his, Nutnfancy, Cutlerylover... really whoever puts out a review on tools. Everyone has points to make, and perspectives to bring. I don't agree with all of them, but surprisingly, I often agree with a lot of them.

I find the cult of TNP more than a little annoying. And I find people emulating his style in video making to be SUPER annoying, particularly when you hear a 12-year-old saying 'Just keeping it REAL'.

I don't expect anyone to take THESE findings as anything more than additional data points. All I can say with this is that this is MY experience with the tools I've had in-hand. These are not based on someone else's opinion. I've even tried to remove my OWN opinion, as far as I could. It's a little odd to me how a tool is remembered compared to how it fares when tested side-by-side with another tool.

I started this as a way to answer something for myself: Is there a pair of scissors out there that's better than the SOG Crosscut (that I knew I'd need to replace due to 15 years of hard use). Scissors are the tool I need the most, use the most, and care about the most. Now, it's a matter of figuring what compromises I want to make to have good scissors with the best combination of additional tools possible in the lowest weight possible. Man, I LOVE MTs! Is it sick that I find this stuff fun?

[nuphoria]

Like any 12 year old know what "real" is


I had an S2 which I really didn't like the scissors on. Now I have an XE6 on the way, I'm really hoping I can learn to love them

[J Mackrel Jones]

Damn good set of tests !  Thanks Lynn

[KDX]

This is a very informative thread. Thanks for keeping it real Lynn.

[SolomonKane79]

Great thread! Someone lend Lynn LeFey a Gerber Flik please! 

[Lynn LeFey]

Here's a link to Cupboard's 'Great British MTO cable tie scissor test'. 

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,47299.0.html

[Cupboard]

Bit of a contrast between a balanced and broad ranging test with a decent scoring system to a few blokes in a field with a pile of MTs and cable ties

Good shout linking the two and thank you!

[Lynn LeFey]

While it's kind of you to say, I'd actually consider multiple people performing the same test a setup with much less personal bias. And your scoring system was the same as mine. AND I'd mentioned earlier that I'd overlooked the ip-tie test, which is another real-world test for MT scissors.


You blokes did great. Except I didn't get any beer, so... 

[CanadianLMfan]

Like any 12 year old know what "real" is


I had an S2 which I really didn't like the scissors on. Now I have an XE6 on the way, I'm really hoping I can learn to love them

Am I the only person who thinks the Juice scissors are the best?

[Lynn LeFey]

I've had a couple Juices, and the scissors were the same. Middle-bottom of the pack. I mean, I WISHED they were good, because the S2 form factor is awesome.

[CanadianLMfan]

What's wrong with your scissors?