THE Old Harbor Outdoor (OHO) Marine Snips are a pretty interesting piece of gear. It is not a multi-tool, as such, but a versatile tool nonetheless. They are effectively a high strength, high grade set of shears which can be used for cutting lines, both braid and mono, up to quite thick diameters, which most decent scissors can do, but they can also be used for a wide variety of shearing uses. These could include cutting bones or tough skin in fish preparation, such as the throat latch or opening the stomach cavity for gutting. There is also a wire cutter built into the strongest part of the hinge allowing it to cut quite thick wires also. The blades are made from OHO Titanium Bonded materials, which are claimed to be three times stronger than stainless steel and highly resistant to corrosion. This is achieved by fusing a variety of high-grade materials, titanium being one in this case, to get a material that is very strong and holds an edge.
The tool is spring-loaded into the open position and secures closed with a very nifty little latching system at the ends of the handles. The handles themselves offer a very comfortable grip. The snips currently only come in one size, eight-inch or 25 cm, which I found to be a little larger than I would have preferred. I also would have found them a much more attractive purchase if they came with a belt holder.
Enquiries can be made with Compleat Angler Melbourne on (03) 9620 3320.
By Pat Brennan