Loon Curved Scissor Product Review
By Rich Plecker
What were you impressed with about the product?
As a 40-year-plus fly tier, let me first start off by saying that the sheer availability of excellent products like Loon's curved hair scissors is truly remarkable compared to years past. I well remember the days of visiting fly shops in search of a new pair of scissors, in hopes of finding the 'holy grail'. What I often found then were cheap imported scissors, usually made for some other purpose and sold as fly-tying scissors. What these scissors usually had in common were spotty quality, lack of sharpness (dull) and they always had finger loops way too small for normal male hands. It's not like you could get on the internet then and find what you are looking for like today. That said, in the last decade or so I've become a bit of a scissor snob. I've tried all kinds- long, short, curved and not; some expensive, and some not. I've particularly become fond of curved scissors because I feel like I can shape/trim flies better and the curve assists me in keeping the cutting blade away from materials that I don't want to cut (e.g. thread). I was really interested in trying these scissors as I don't have a pair of curved scissors made for hair work.
Like many, I typically use single-blade razors for bulk shaping hair flies, like streamer heads. I use scissors for finish trimming and shaping errant hairs here and there, especially around the eyes. These curved scissors are very helpful in maintaining the overall shape of hair heads and their sharpness is impressive (insert streamer head photo). What I find even more useful about these curved scissors is cutting hair away from the hide- I'm neurotic about trimming hair flush with the hide, without all the little "clumps"- it must be an OCD thing (see attached hair photo). Lastly, these curved hair scissors allow me to cut materials that are often unruly, like synthetics. With one smooth jaw and one serrated, the scissors grab just enough slick material to cut cleanly, again in the desired curved shape (insert photo of foam cut). While these scissors are marketed and sold as hair scissors, II would not hesitate to use them as everyday typing scissors- they are smooth, sharp, and fit well in hand.
What could the product improve on or do better?
I particularly like scissors with hand-matched and tuned tips, but acknowledge this adds significant labor and cost to production. That said, the Loon ergo curved hair scissors quality control is well above average, especially considering their price point.
Is the product a good value for the money?
Loon ergo curved scissors perform well above their price point, compared to other brands, in terms of fit, finish, and overall value.
