I posted this in the gundam thread but wanted to post it here too. I'm going to add more to it here than what I posted in the Gundam section. I mentioned on the last page I've been wanting to review these...
God Hand Ultimate Nippers SPN-120
I picked up these nippers last December. I actually have three of them (shh that's a secret). Originally I bought my first pair and felt pretty lucky to snag them. If you follow God Hand on Facebook or Twitter they will post occasionally when they are in stock. They sell out fast. Super fast. My second two was a Left handed and right hand set that I got lucky and got during a New Year promotion they had. Both for the price of one.
I just want to start off saying that nippers are my favorite hobby tool. I enjoy cracking open a new model box and cutting the parts off of the trees. For years my go to pair of nippers has been the Tamiya Sharp Pointed nippers. I loved those nippers. When God Hands first came out I skipped getting them because I figured there was no way they would be an improvement to the Tamiya nippers I'd been using and at 4000yen bit pricy! It wasn't until I saw Japanese master modeler Kawaguchi-san sing their praise that I gave in. By that time however they were no where to be found. It took me a few months of trying before I finally got a pair.
Anyway onto the nippers...
These nippers are unique in that only one side is sharpened. And boy is it sharp. The sharpened side is polished to a mirror finish while the other side is just a blunt edge. This has the affect of stressing the plastic less when cutting through it. The sharpened side really just cuts through plastic like butter. You can use these nippers to cut nubs off the kit so cleanly you won't need to go back and clean it with a file/paper. Nubs on round parts will still need to be cleaned a bit. Works best on flat surfaces.
Due to the way they are sharpened however this also means that these nippers are not really ambidextrous. Not to fear though they do sell a set for lefties the SPN-120-L (the red handled ones). Though the left handed pair seems to be a bit hard to find. Which is saying something because the regular set is always sold out everywhere as well. I managed to get lucky and got both of them from God Hand directly.
There are some downsides. God Hand recommends not cutting anything larger than 3mm. Also they can only be used for plastic. And soft plastic like Bandai is best. I've heard of people breaking their ultimate nippers on harder plastic like the clear aircraft canopy parts. Bandai clear is soft enough you don't have to worry. These nippers will also more than likely get dull at some point. In Japan you can send them back to the factory for 1,000yen or so to be resharpened. How long it would take for them to get that dull I can't say. I've built about ~15 kits or so since getting mine and they are still sharp as ever. I guess another downside would be the cost. 4,320yen msrp... if you can find them. For those living overseas the best option you have I would say is to place a back-order for them at HLJ and wait till they get more in stock.
Here are some comparison shots to my Tamiya nippers.
As you can see the blade part is much thinner. This also makes it easier to get into some tighter spaces which is good.
My Tamiya Sharp pointed cutters are over 5 years old now. They've been moved over as my medium duty cutters. The Tamiya pair still makes a good cut. Just isn't as smooth as the God Hands. Leaves a bit more of a mark. They also cost half as much and are a lot more readily available.
This isn't my picture I stole it from
another site. I couldn't get any good close up shots of the cuts with my camera. The God Hand cut is on the left and Tamiya on the right. As youcan see the GH leaves a bit less of a stress mark.
For me they were worth it. I live in Japan so if they do get dull I can send them back for sharpening. Are they necessary not really... I just love nippers ^^..
