Sixth Finger Scissors

W

wsender

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http://www.singlebarbed.biz/main.sc

Does anyone have these or have used/seen these? I'm super intrigued by the design and want to check them out. Just wanted to see what everyone thought.
 
They look neat and $20 isn't too high.

I never got the hang of tying with scissors in hand and I think these could hybrid that process.
 
I haven't started always holding my scissors until a few weeks ago. I just forced myself to hold them for awhile while I did things like clean up my bench and then tied a few simple flies.

I found it comfortable to loop some Anvils around my pink and just 'palm' them until I needed to cut and then at that point I would slip my thumb into the other hole to cut.
 
People always talk about holding hte scissors, but I just can't do it.

AK Best recommends a style similar to this, but they're basically craft store bought. I don't remember the brand, but the biggest push he has for them is the blades are removable and easily replaced for when you start to wear them down, they're also probably going to be cheaper than these, and certainly in the long run.

I imagine a pair of scissors with removable blades would lend an urge to all of us to keep them sharp and change out when dullness becomes apparant, but YMMV.
 
A.K. Best uses scissors like this , except his have a bodkin built in that sticks out below one of the blades.

I actually have a pair of these scissors - given to me by A.K. Best. It was a nice gesture, but the scissors are junk. :roll:
 
I figured HA the scissor junkie would put his 2 cents in...........
 
I bought these at Sommerset last month and so far I love them. I could never get myself to hold the scissors while tying. These make it much easier (or just harder to put them down). The quality is pretty good too.
 
I tried holding them too as suggested by many really good tiers , and i just couldn't get the hang of it. What i did was make a bobbin rest out of coat hanger wire that has a place to hang the scissors from right there at the vise , i wish i could put a picture up but don't know how. I hang them on the bobbin rest in between cutting with them and that works well for me. It only takes a second to get them in hand and then hang them back up. The bobbin rest swivels and i use it mostly not to rest the bobbin on but to keep it from spinning in between steps in tying and it also makes it easy to take a break and not have the bobbin spinning a hundred miles an hour. When i return to tying i just swivel the bobbin rest back out of the way and it's not in the way. I also hand my hackle pliers and whip finisher from the rest so the are right there at hand.
 
I was taught how to tie flies back in the late 70's..I was fortunate enough that I was taught to keep the scissors in my hand while tying. Never had a problem with it till just this past year when my hands start to cramp up from age. I use very large finger hole scissors. One thing that may help me is that I am left handed but tie flies right handed.
 
Bumping this to see if anyone has tried these yet.

There are currently 9 pairs of scissors at my bench (another scissors junkie here, HA). The pair I use the most is the Dr. Slick Arrow tip, but even they are not fine enough for my liking. When I started tying back in the early '90's, Bob Clouser suggested I learn to tie with scissors in hand to increase speed. Still not a fast tyer, but not having to pick up the scissors is definitely a plus.

If the Sixth Finger scissors have an extra fine point, I will probably buy them. Just haven't seen a pair in person yet. I looked into surgeons snips, but the length and finger holes make them awkward to keep in my hand.

HA (and others), what are you using and what do you like/dislike about them?

peace-tony c.
 
Funny you should mention this...

I'm going to Guys, Pies, and Flies in Rochester today and one of the items that are being raffled is a pair of 6th finger scissors!

I'll let you know how they are!
 
Tell oatka I said hey dude.
 
Thanks. I'm most interested in the tips. If they're finer than the Anvils or micro Dr. Slicks then I'll order a pair.

peace-tony c.
 
he runs the guys,pies, and flies, at his house
 
tocar wrote:
HA (and others), what are you using and what do you like/dislike about them?
Click to expand...

Hi Tony - My preference in scissors has to have the following attributes:

1 - serrated blade(s). Materials don't slide out.
2 - fine tips. Gets into tight spots better.
3 - stay sharp. Tungsten would be good, but they're not serrated.
4 - adjustment screw to keep them "tight".

So far, Anvil scissors are the only ones I've found that ace all those categories. They're USA made, and the company has a sharpening service. I also like the adjustable finger loops, and the slim profile. They're the most comfortable to keep in my hand when tying because of these traits, and don't fill your palm with bulk, which interferes with being able to manipulate the bobbin holder. Bobbin and thread control are much more important to me than saving a second or two making a few cuts while tying. Those sixth finger scissors are just too bulky in the palm for my tastes.

If I did a lot of production tying, I'd probably be more concerned about losing a second or two fumbling with scissors. I'd rather slow down and relax while tying, and having to pick up a pair of scissors doesn't bother me a bit. Besides, I tend to use different scissors for different applications, so I'm still picking them up and putting them down. YMMV...

H.A.
 
Heritage-Angler wrote:
tocar wrote:
HA (and others), what are you using and what do you like/dislike about them?
Click to expand...

Hi Tony - My preference in scissors has to have the following attributes:

1 - serrated blade(s). Materials don't slide out.
2 - fine tips. Gets into tight spots better.
3 - stay sharp. Tungsten would be good, but they're not serrated.
4 - adjustment screw to keep them "tight".

So far, Anvil scissors are the only ones I've found that ace all those categories. They're USA made, and the company has a sharpening service. I also like the adjustable finger loops, and the slim profile. They're the most comfortable to keep in my hand when tying because of these traits, and don't fill your palm with bulk, which interferes with being able to manipulate the bobbin holder. Bobbin and thread control are much more important to me than saving a second or two making a few cuts while tying. Those sixth finger scissors are just too bulky in the palm for my tastes.

If I did a lot of production tying, I'd probably be more concerned about losing a second or two fumbling with scissors. I'd rather slow down and relax while tying, and having to pick up a pair of scissors doesn't bother me a bit. Besides, I tend to use different scissors for different applications, so I'm still picking them up and putting them down. YMMV...

H.A.
Click to expand...

Great post, really sums up what makes a good pair of snips. I'm currently using Anvil scissors as well and I love them. I have a pair of curved ultimate Anvil's and I use them a lot and they're still super sharp. I can palm them very comfortably, anchored on my ring finger, and still manipulate the bobbin holder. Overall, I'm very pleased with them.

I handled some of the sixth finger snips last night and they were nice. I wasn't able to actually tie with them but the seemed sharp, smooth, and light. The only thing I didn't like was that it anchors on my middle finger. And then because of the way it rests it seems like I need to bend my thumb back un-naturally far back to actuate the scissors. I think I would get over this very quickly though.

The only thing I think that would bother me in the long run is that the tip remains open when not in use. I'm pretty clumsy and I'm sure I would stab myself.

Unfortunately I didn't win any! They had about 6 pairs as door prizes and another 8 paired up with raffles but I got skunked!
 
Thanks for all the info guys. From wsender's description, the Sixth finger scissor are not for me. Being rather clumsy myself, I've stuck the tips of my Dr. Slick's into my left hand a time or two.
Interestingly enough, I dug out my pair of Anvil offset scissors and found them to fit my hand better than the Dr. Slick's AND while at rest in my hand, the point is closed. Bought them way back in the early '90's and used them heavily then, including cutting wire and thick hackle stems. They're still sharp. Of course, I now use a cheap pair for cutting wire, etc., so they should stay sharp for a while.

peace- tony c.
 
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