I was at a signing a few days ago and was able to get an answer from the man himself along with something that really surprised me.
Q: Why bypass cutters on all the tools vs flush anvil style cutters
A: A few reasons.
Bypass cutters are simpler from an engineering perspective.
They only have two planes you need to align while anvil cutters have four planes you need to get right.
Also a bypass cutter due to the shearing motion can be used as a makeshift scissor.
Q: What about the clean cut an anvil design gives vs bypass?
A: The bypass cutters on the tools give a very clean cut.
Q: True but you cannot get it as close with something like a zip tie.
A: [ I forgot the exact answer here but he seemed unsure of what I was talking about ]
Later on in the signing I was able to demonstrate for him exactly what I meant.
I had a pair of 4" klein dikes I carry with me daily for work along with my surge I carry on my belt.
At the table I showed him a zip tie cut with the surge and then cleaned up the cut with the kleins.
The surge while a straight and fast cut left a 3mm nub that can scratch you, the kleins were smooth.
Now instead of just nodding and just trading pleasantries he did something that impressed the hell out of me.
I was about to put away the kleins when he asked if he could take some pictures of it.
He then proceeded to take detailed notes and pictures of each tool side by side with the zip tie they cut.
I could see that he was genuinely interested and in how it clicked for him.
It gave me the warm and fuzzies in how he was empathizing with his customers needs and not just selling his vision of his product.
Also . . . if you ever go to a signing and need to make a decision on which tool to take, black oxide looks amazing when engraved.
He does it with a pen engraver that looks and sounds just like the drill at the dentist.
