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The issue with braided fishing line is that it’s difficult to cut without fraying the ends. And, frayed ends are hard to work with. So, that’s why a good pair of braid cutters are so important. My favorite tool for the job is the Boomerang Snips
from the Boomerang Tool Company, but there are other tools that can also get the job done. Let’s discuss the options listed below to determine the best line cutters for braid.
- Boomerang Snips (A)
- Fishing pliers with carbide cutters (A-)
- Scissors made to cut braid (A-)
- Berkley Hot Line Cutter (C-)
- Line Cutterz (B)
- Other Options
* This is all just my opinion, based on personal usage and boatloads of research. So, take it for what it’s worth!
Boomerang Snips
(Grade: A)
My favorite device for cutting braid is the Boomerang snips by Boomerang Tool Company. It’s a tool dedicated to cutting fishing line, and it excels at that task.
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Five Separating Features
There are five features that combine to set these cutters apart from other options. The list below is what makes the Boomerang tool my #1 choice.
- Excellent cutting ability
- Compactness
- No need for line tension to get a clean cut
- Retractable lanyard with clip
- Cheap
Boomerang Snips are great braid cutters with long lasting blades
The corrosion resistant 420 stainless blades on the Boomerang seem to be extremely durable. I tested my own set of snips by cutting 20 pound braid over 1000 times. I fully expected it to start to fade a little by the end, but it kept giving me clean cuts time after time. I was very impressed.
These snips will also cut extremely close to the eye of a hook or lure. That’s not something all the options below will do well.
A very compact package that’s safe to use and carry
Boomerang snips have a pretty cool locking feature to safely lock the jaws shut. Simply squeeze the handles and slide them back. What you’re left with is a very small point that I think you would have a hard time poking yourself with.
Retractable lanyard with clip
It has a retractable cord that you can clip to your belt loop. Some people like to hang the Boomerang snips around their neck using a lanyard. But I prefer to attach them to my pants for convenient access without them being in the way.
The stated length of the retractable lanyard is 36″, but to me it doesn’t feel like a good idea to actually pull it out that far. I only stretch it out about 2 feet, which is plenty long enough to allow adequate movement to get the job done.
Line tension is not required for a clean cut
Since it is such a great line cutter, there is no need to maintain line tension during a cut. All 1000 of my test cuts above were made with no tension applied to the line.
Affordable
While not as cheap as super line scissors, snips are one of the most affordable options you’re going to run across. The price to value combination is hard to beat.
Boomerang snips are durable
Don’t let the plastic casing deter you. These snips are pretty rugged. Like most cutting tools, these are not impervious to saltwater. So you can expect to have to replace them occasionally if you carry them saltwater fishing.
Other than potential susceptibility to saltwater corrosion, I could see the small diameter of the retractable cord being an issue long term.
Overall, it’s a solidly constructed tool for the task for which it was designed.
Summary
It’s the overall package that makes the Boomerang line cutter a favorite in the fishing community. With it’s excellent cutting ability, compact size, and low price, it’s really hard to beat it for the task of cutting braid.
Boomerang offers different variations geared towards different styles of fishing from saltwater to ice fishing. Some have longer sets of blades, and others have an included led light. Check out the Boomerang Tool Company site here for the full range of options. https://www.boomerangtool.com/
Pros and Cons of Boomerang Line Cutters
| PROS | CONS |
| Compact and lightweight | Blades are not replaceable |
| The best cutters I’ve used | Plastic construction could break |
| Retractable lanyard | Susceptible to saltwater corrosion |
| Long lasting blades | |
| Very safe to carry and use | |
| Cheap | |
| Spring loaded |
Fishing Pliers With Carbide Cutters
(Grade: A-)
Below are the reasons I like to sometimes use modern fishing pliers to cut braided fishing line.
- Good cutting ability with carbide cutters
- No line tension is usually necessary
- Spring loaded
- Multi function tool (you already have pliers on you anyway)
Carbide cutters on modern fishing pliers are well equipped to handle braid
Many sets of modern fishing pliers have carbon cutters that are quite capable at cutting braided fishing line.
Above, you can see the two common locations of the cutters. Some pliers have cutters on the inside of the jaws, and some are located on the outside. Cutters located on the outside produce more cutting force. But, we don’t need that for braid. So, either option works just fine.
Many times the carbon cutters are replaceable on these modern fishing pliers. But, for the cost of replacement blades, you could just about pay for a new Boomerang tool. That’s why I like using Boomerang snips as my primary braid cutter. That way I keep some of the wear off of my pliers.
Line tension is not necessary if you buy a good set of pliers with carbide cutters
A good pair of fishing pliers will cut through braid without needing tension on the line. The same can’t be said for many of the other tools below. I listed the two pairs of pliers I purchased. Both of these will cut through braid with no tension required.
- Piscifun 7″ Fishing Pliers
- KastKing Cutthroat 7″ Fishing Pliers
Internal spring tension keeps pliers open and ready for business
Like the boomerang snips, modern fishing pliers are typically spring loaded so that the cutter stays open for business for when you need it. This makes for easy one handed use.
Pliers provide many functions in one tool
One of the best benefits of cutting braid with pliers is that you don’t need a second tool for the task. Most certainly any fisherman is already going to want to have a pair of pliers nearby. So, why not just use those to cut your braided fishing line.
Summary for pliers with carbide cutters
Assuming you buy a quality pair of fishing pliers, they can be an excellent choice for cutting braid.
If you’re interested in learning more about different types of pliers commonly used for fishing, check out my article about that here – The Best Pliers For Crappie Fishing
Pros and Cons of pliers with carbide cutters
| PROS | CONS |
| Multi purpose | Bulky option |
| Cuts extremely well | Will eventually corrode |
| Lanyard and sheath | More expensive than snips |
| Long lasting blades | |
| Safe to use | |
| Affordable | |
| Many are spring loaded |
Fishing Scissors
(Grade: A-)
* click image to check prices on Amazon
Fishing scissors cut braid much better than normal scissors. It’s difficult to get a clean cut without fraying when using common scissors. Most of my experience has been with the Rapala Super Line Scissors, but most scissors specifically designed to cut braid should work fine.
Following are the reasons fishing scissors are probably the most common braid cutting option among anglers.
- When sharp, scissors will cut without needing line tension
- Typically scissors are affordable
- Somewhat compact size
- Durable
- Scissors can serve multiple uses
Super line scissors cut braid well
Any blade will eventually dull when cutting braid. But, when sharp, scissors are very good at slicing through stubborn super lines. A good pair of braid cutting scissors don’t require tension to get a clean cut.
Like all tools on this list, scissors will cut through mono and fluorocarbon just fine as well.
Scissors can be cheap
Rapala Super Line Scissors
One of the best selling points of Rapala Super Line Scissors, is that they are cheap. If they wear out, or you lose them, it’s not too painful to just buy another pair. I’ve purchased several pairs of Rapala’s, and can personally attest to their effectiveness. This is probably the absolute cheapest good option you’ll find.
Gerber Neat Freak Freshwater Fishing Scissors
The Gerber Neat Freak Freshwater fishing scissors, while not as cheap as the Rapala’s, are still fairly priced.
Overall, scissors are definitely one of the cheapest and best options for cutting braid.
Scissors are available in compact sizes
Scissors are certainly not as compact as the boomerang tool, but they’re still usually fairly small and lightweight.
While the long pointy ends of scissors do not lend themselves well to pocket carry, they are great for tucking away in your tackle bag, or for keeping somewhere in the boat.
Fishing scissors are durable
As I said, most of my experience has been with the Rapala scissors, and they have always been durable for me. There just isn’t much to go wrong with scissors. They usually hold up longer than I can keep up with them. I’ve lost enough pairs to where I’ve permanently tethered some to a rod holder in my boat.
Scissors can serve multiple purposes
Another nice thing about scissors is that they can serve multiple purposes. Besides cutting fishing line, you can use them to cut up bait, trim spinnerbait skirts, or cut rope.
Summary for braid cutting scissors
Fishing scissors used to be my go to for cutting braid. But, I’ve begun navigating away from scissors in favor of what I view as more modern designs.
I really like Boomerang Snips and modern fishing pliers with carbide cutters. You’ll have to decide what your own preferences are.
You really can’t go wrong with any of the first three options listed above, as they are the best line cutters for braid. For the sake of thoroughness though, I’ll discuss a few other common options.
Pros and Cons of Super Line Scissors
| PROS | CONS |
| Compact and lightweight | They are stabby |
| Cuts well | I usually lose them |
| Simple design | Will corrode over time |
| Long lasting blades | |
| Affordable | |
| No line tension necessary |
Berkley Hot Line Cutter
(Grade: C-)
The Berkley Hot Line Cutter is a battery operated contraption that cuts and melts or burns fishing line. It has replaceable cutting tips and comes with the AAA batteries needed to operate it.
It is indeed true that the Hot Line Cutter does work to slice (burn) braid quite well. While this should solve the issue with frayed ends, I’m not a fan. It sure seems like an over complication of a simple task.
A lot of people complain about short battery life. I have little interest in adding another battery operated device to my fishing gear, certainly not one that’s going to eat through batteries.
If you really feel the need to melt or burn the tip of your fishing line you could always just use a cheap lighter.
Pros and Cons of the Berkley Hot Line Cutter
| PROS | CONS |
| It does cut/burn the line | Battery operated |
| Has a lanyard | Very hot wire that can burn you |
| Cheap initial cost | Requires line tension to cut |
| No frayed ends | Eats through batteries |
Line Cutterz
(Grade: B)
Line Cutterz are a plastic ring with embedded stainless steel cutting blades. They have an adjustable Velcro strap which makes them pretty versatile in where you can attach them. Line Cutterz can be worn on your finger, or they can be attached to a fishing rod or other such finger sized object. They claim that the stainless blades can withstand 1000 cuts.
* click image to check prices on Amazon
Following are some of the reasons you might want to take a close look at Line Cutterz.
- Wearable device
- Extremely safe to use
- Good longevity
- Small and compact
- Affordable
Being wearable makes Line Cutterz ideal for kayak fishing
I definitely could see the benefit of such a line cutter for kayak fishing. Having limited maneuverability, and the possibility of getting dunked, it would be nice to have such an item firmly affixed to your body in a kayak.
One of the safest options
Line Cutterz also eliminate a safety concern for kayak fishermen, as you preferably want to have as few pointy metal objects as possibly lying around.
A really nice benefit of Line Cutterz is the safety aspect of the tucked away cutting surfaces. You certainly won’t be accidentally cutting your fingers with this device, but I’m not sure the same could be said for you fishing line. If you let your line stray too close you’ll certainly be re-rigging.
Line Cutterz seem to hold up over time
As stated above, Line Cutterz claims to last 1000 cuts. Best I can tell from online testimonials, that’s probably true. Many people report of them lasting for 3 to 5 years. Line Cutterz are also resistant to saltwater corrosion, so they should last a good while when fishing in the salt.
A compact and affordable option
One of it’s biggest benefits is also a potential negative. Depending on how you use it, you might lose your Line Cutterz. Because it is so small, it will definitely be easier to misplace your ring than other line cutting options.
Some negatives of Line Cutterz
There are a couple downsides to Line Cutterz.
It’s difficult to cut close to a knot. Supposedly, with experience, you can get better at cutting close. But, I don’t really quite see how you can consistently get in close enough to cut knots off effectively.
Many times, after cutting your line, you’re probably going to have to work the knot off with your pliers or your fingertips. This can be extremely difficult with braid.
If you’re going to have to use pliers to get a knot off anyway, you’re probably better off just using pliers in the first place. But again, for kayak fishing, I do see the clear benefit of Line Cutterz.
Another negative of Line Cutterz is that you’ll need to have tension on the line to be able to cut it. Not a huge deal, but it’s a disadvantage over using line snips or pliers.
Summary for Line Cutterz
I’d say overall, Line Cutterz are a definite winner. However, they’re probably best suited for kayak fishermen.
You can check out all the options available from Line Cutterz here linecutterz.com
Pros and Cons of Line Cutterz
| PROS | CONS |
| VERY Compact and lightweight | Blades are not replaceable |
| Cuts extremely well | Difficulty in cutting close to a knot |
| Wearable | Requires line tension |
| Long lasting blades | |
| Very safe to carry and use | |
| Affordable |
Other Line Cutting Options
I don’t consider the following options to be in my list of the best line cutters for braid, but these are some tools that will work in a pinch.
Side cutters (B-) A good pair of side cutters will work pretty good for a while. But, if you go this route why not just use your fishing pliers.
Knife (C) Overall a poor tool for the job. I consider it to be a dangerous use of a knife.
High quality craft scissors (B) – These actually work pretty well, similar to super line scissors, if you get the right pair.
Fingernail clippers (C) – Nail clippers don’t work as well as you might think for braided line. You’ll end up with frays.
Cigarette lighter (C) – Not really a line cutter. Better off with a blade of some sort.
Your buddy’s teeth (A) – for entertainment value this gets an A
Conclusion
Hopefully you now have some idea of how to choose the best line cutter for braid. Some of it’s obviously personal preference, but it’s sure hard to beat the super affordable and very effective Boomerang line cutters. Aside from those, I really like cutting braided fishing line with a good set of modern fishing pliers with carbide cutters.
Happy Fishing
Augustus Clay
