Which small folding scissors - Fiskars folding, Slip-N-Snip, or other?

HikingMano

HikingMano

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Sep 2, 2008
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I carry a Leatherman Micra on my hiking keychain for the awesome scissors. I prefer it over the sleeker Squirt because the tips of the scissors are sharper than the Squirt's blunted ones. I'm leaning towards dropping the Leatherman from the keychain though, because it's unnecessarily heavy since I most often only use the scissors.

I once owned a small folding scissors, and seemed to remember it being great. I did a little research, and it seems the best options are the Folding Scissors by Fiskars or the Slip-N-Snip Scissors, particularly the Needle Point ones for my uses.

Does anyone have any experience with either? I would appreciate any information, especially if you've owned or used both and can compare them to the micra. I don't expect to cut much more than string/small diameter cordage/thread, moleskin, duct tape, gauze, hair, and paper. If the cutting performance of either isn't as good as the Micra, I guess I'll just keep the Micra and deal with the weight. At least there is added functionality for the weight....
 
I carry my Kershaw Two-can on my keychain. Didn't even know about them until recently. Real thin and light. You can just open one side and use like a small knife to open boxes, letters, etc....

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Mahalo bruddah :thumbup: I'll look into it. Looks weird on first glance, haha.

ETA: I think I'll pass on the two can, I think I'd prefer the leverage and feel of handles rather than cutting through pressure on the blades. Thanks for the input though :thumbup:
 
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I recently picked up a Leatherman Style CS,mainly to carry when I didn't want to carry my Wave or Skeletool but I find that I've been carrying it more because of the scissors.
 
Wow, I had no idea the Style CS was keychain sized. It's not quite as light as what I'd hoped for if I got just a folding scissors, but it looks like a good option to replace the micra if the other choices don't work out. It's 0.4 oz lighter with a more useful assortment of tools. And the quick attachment is nice, as is the slanted and detachable tweezers. Thanks! :thumbup:
 
I have several pairs of the Slip N Snip scissors around the house. I love them. They cut very well and are extremely handy. They are also very well made.

They cut as well as the Micra that I have, but they do not have the number of tools. I actually prefer using the Slip N Sip scissors better for scissors.
 
Daniel, thanks for the input. Are your slip n snip scissors blades much longer than the micra's? Longer blades would be nicer to use. Also, do the slip n snips feel noticeably lighter in hand?

Thanks!
 
The Slip N Snip are slightly lighter than the Micra. The blades are pretty much the exact same length. The Micra are spring loaded and the Slip N Snip are not.

Handling them right now, the one thing that I prefer the most on the Slip N Snip are the holes for your finger and thumb which make them much easier to use.
 
Yeah, I'm leaning towards not getting spring loaded scissors because I've had to clean my micra out a few times when lint and other stuff gunk up the action. I also think having actual handles with which you can open and close the scissors gives you more strength and control in cutting, as you've said.

I haven't heard many particularly good things about the fiskars, and they look a little blunt for my taste. Daniel, one last question, if you don't mind, are the tips on the Slip N Snip just as sharp as that on the Micra, or nearly as sharp/fine? I'm assuming you have the "original" non-needle-point version.


It looks like it'll come down to the Slip-N-Snips or the Leatherman Style CS. I'm leaning towards the Slip-N-Snips because (based on one source I've found) they weigh 28g or about 1oz. The Leatherman Style CS weighs 1.4oz while the Micra weighs 1.75 oz. I don't really need the small nail file/phillips driver or the small knife, and I carry a pair of Uncle Bill's Silver Grippers on that keychain so even though the Style's tweezers are improved, I still wouldn't use them. If I really miss having a small blade, I'd be better served by adding on my Spyderco Ladybug anyway for 0.5oz more.
 
I have both models-the needlepoint and the regular. Neither is sharp at the point. They are also not a fine as the Micra scissors, but they are fine enough for most tasks.
 
HikingMano said:
I'm leaning towards the Slip-N-Snips because (based on one source I've found) they weigh 28g or about 1oz.
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I called Slip-n-snips a few days ago and they were kind enough to weight a pair for me, they came in at .064 ounces/ 1.8 g!
 
Excellent! I couldn't find a consistent and therefore believable weight online. Awesome, thanks for that info. Even better than I thought :thumbup:

ETA: Wait, 1.8g sounds extremely light. That's lighter than the Fiskars scissors which has plastic handles at 0.6oz/17g. Perhaps they added a zero accidentally?
 
The best scissors I have found are on the Victorinox Classic and its its larger siblings. The Classic's scissors are very small, but they are incredibly precise and quite suited for the things you mention ("string/small diameter cordage/thread, moleskin, duct tape, gauze, hair, and paper."). A Classic weighs almost nothing, and gives you also a backup blade, tweezer, etc. Maybe this is too small for you, but its something to consider.
 
HikingMano said:
Excellent! I couldn't find a consistent and therefore believable weight online. Awesome, thanks for that info. Even better than I thought :thumbup:

ETA: Wait, 1.8g sounds extremely light. That's lighter than the Fiskars scissors which has plastic handles at 0.6oz/17g. Perhaps they added a zero accidentally?
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Yeah, I couldn't believe it either. First she told me ".064", I asked "wait, you said point-zero-six-four" and she replied yeah. I then asked for the weight in grams and she told me 1.8g. I understand why that's hard to believe, I probably wouldn't believe myself either :). Give them a call, they have excellent CS.
 
Powernoodle, thank you but yes, I've found the Classic scissors to be too small and not robust enough to perform in the intended role. They work fine for cutting a spare thread here or there, but are too small for me when it comes to cutting a piece of moleskin or anything a little tougher easily and efficiently. That being said, I have been carrying a Vic classic in my FAK, just for an added clean small blade. But I think I might soon replace it with a fold out razor blade. I carry rescue shears in my FAK as well, so if I really want to cut something on the tougher or wider end of the spectrum, I can just use those. These small scissors are just ones I keep handy on the key chain in my pocket for quick snips or moleskin trims, that way I don't have to dig out the shears from my pack and I can keep it sharp for actual emergencies. I also EDC a Vic Rambler, so please don't think I'm hating on Vic scissors in general; I just prefer something a little more effective in this specific niche. I guess I want a small folding scissors that can handle everything short of cutting up jeans and relatively tough fabric.

TrickyVic: Haha, wow. Yeah, I might give them a call later to confirm, but I'll probably just go ahead and pick up a pair anyway.

Thanks for all the input guys :thumbup:
 
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