It looks like any ordinary pair of scissors. Seriously, if we saw this at home, we’d throw it in a kitchen drawer with a bunch of scissors, cutters, and other common tools that we frequently use at home. The Gerber Neat Freak, however, is no ordinary shears, as it’s part of the outfit’s set of tools aimed at fishing enthusiasts.
Billed as Gerber’s idea of “the best braided line scissors,” the bladed tool is “designed to work every single time.” Seriously, that’s their selling point for it – that it will work each time out. You know how blades eventually wear out, leaving you with frayed line when you try to cut your fishing line? While they don’t exactly claim that will never happen here, they do insist that the blades can take so much of a beating that the aforementioned situation isn’t bound to happen anytime soon.
The Gerber Neat Freak doesn’t just use ordinary straight blades like many scissors, which should be the first clue that it isn’t an ordinary pair of shears. Instead, both the blades are equipped with micro-serrations (seriously, the serrations are so tiny, you can only see them when you look close enough) that are painstakingly ground onto the edge, creating a surface that doesn’t just snip things in half, but grabs ahold of the line to fix it in place before executing a precise cut. Yes, the serrations basically serve as teeth that bite into the line to keep it on the spot. The blades are also thicker than usual, providing a stable interaction between the two blades with each cut, making any follow-through just as precise, which is crucial when cutting through thick lines that require more than a single cutting motion.
To help minimize finger fatigue when putting in long hours in the water, the scissors come with a “precision paddle,” which is an extended material in the lower handle that serves as added leverage point when cutting through more stubborn line. The forefinger section on the same lower handle is also ergonomically shaped, such that the finger naturally goes into place for a much more natural grip than scissors with identical top and lower handles.
The Gerber Neat Freak has a full-tang construction to ensure durable function in the water, with the metal material extending to include the lanyard hole in the rear. Seriously, there’s little chance you will accidentally rock the handle away from the blades on this thing. It has a blunt nose tip for added safety during use, so you will never accidentally stab a hand or finger while cutting stubborn line, as well as a split shot crimper between the handles, in case you like using that rig in your fishing activities. As with many modern tools, they also threw in a bottle opener just because they can. Hey, there’s too many beers in the world and we all need to do our part drinking it all down.
Want one? The Gerber Neat Freak is available now.