Reviews
Beaver Aquasnips
Beaver have a reputation for producing 'cheap and cheerful' kit that may not be suitable for the most demanding diver so how do these shears perform?
Firstly I do use these shears but and its a big but I change them every year, not because they loose their cutting edge but rather that the central pivot which acts as the fulcrum is hardened steel which rusts.....quickly....lots!
Rusty, rusty, rusty fulcrum and staining on the blades.
I have tried various methods of extending the life of the fulcrum, from washing in large amounts of fresh water, drying and greasing to simply leaving it and to be honest I would say a quick wash is the most you can do, the extra work with grease/WD40 etc did not appreciably add to the life f the shears.
I find that these shears are great, they quickly and easily cut through monofilament fishing line of approximately 80lb breaking strain with no problem, they will also deal with all gauges of braid, although the thinner strains can be a little awkward as its so thin.
I have not used these to cut wire traces, so divers who are going to dive channel wrecks I would recommend to check out how they deal with wire, and also the extra forces required to cut wire means that the state of the fulcrum really does need closely monitoring!
As for cutting monofilament netting, well they are certainly up to the task, however I would suggest that the trilobite cutter would be more suitable for this type of work.
The shears are supplied in a 'velco sealing' small pouch with a plastic D ring at the top, the pouch is very good but I would suggest that you burn a hole in the bottom or cut it to ensure that water will drain away and not accelerate the rusting process.
I have not yet bothered taking a pair of shears which have 'died' and replacing the fulcrum with a small stainless steel bolt and lock-nut, its probably just laziness on my part but really I should to see if I can improve them and extend the life.
In summary a product that works but have a life of a season and that's it, there may be better products on the market but the low cost of these with an RRP of £8.33 (and actual price of closer to £5) means I use them and accept the high turnover.
Richies rating 6/10: use them and accept a low life!
Firstly I do use these shears but and its a big but I change them every year, not because they loose their cutting edge but rather that the central pivot which acts as the fulcrum is hardened steel which rusts.....quickly....lots!
Rusty, rusty, rusty fulcrum and staining on the blades.
I have tried various methods of extending the life of the fulcrum, from washing in large amounts of fresh water, drying and greasing to simply leaving it and to be honest I would say a quick wash is the most you can do, the extra work with grease/WD40 etc did not appreciably add to the life f the shears.
I find that these shears are great, they quickly and easily cut through monofilament fishing line of approximately 80lb breaking strain with no problem, they will also deal with all gauges of braid, although the thinner strains can be a little awkward as its so thin.
I have not used these to cut wire traces, so divers who are going to dive channel wrecks I would recommend to check out how they deal with wire, and also the extra forces required to cut wire means that the state of the fulcrum really does need closely monitoring!
As for cutting monofilament netting, well they are certainly up to the task, however I would suggest that the trilobite cutter would be more suitable for this type of work.
The shears are supplied in a 'velco sealing' small pouch with a plastic D ring at the top, the pouch is very good but I would suggest that you burn a hole in the bottom or cut it to ensure that water will drain away and not accelerate the rusting process.
I have not yet bothered taking a pair of shears which have 'died' and replacing the fulcrum with a small stainless steel bolt and lock-nut, its probably just laziness on my part but really I should to see if I can improve them and extend the life.
In summary a product that works but have a life of a season and that's it, there may be better products on the market but the low cost of these with an RRP of £8.33 (and actual price of closer to £5) means I use them and accept the high turnover.
Richies rating 6/10: use them and accept a low life!
Recommended suppliers
Latest Photographs
