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Recently, I was in the market for a good pair of affordable fishing pliers. During my research, I kept running across both KastKing and Piscifun as some of the best budget options. So, I ended up just buying both. I keep pairs of pliers in my boat, various tackle boxes and surf fishing bags, so I figured I needed more than one new pair anyway. Below are my findings and opinions on the KastKing vs Piscifun pliers comparison.
The specific models I bought were the KastKing Cutthroat 7” pliers with the straight nose and the Piscifun 7 1/10” Multifunction Fishing Pliers with the split ring tip. Both sets claim to have a 1 year limited warranty.
Specifications
| KastKing | Piscifun | |
|---|---|---|
| *Weight (w/ lanyard) | 5.45 oz. | 4.05 oz. |
| Length | 7.25″ | 7.125″ |
| Handle | Rubber Coated | Aluminum |
| Cutters | Carbide | Carbide |
| Split Ring | Optional | Yes |
| Material | 420 Stainless | Aluminum |
| Sheath Attachment | Clip | Loop |
| Width Closed | 2 1/4″ | 2 1/8″ |
| Width Open | 3 3/4″ | 4 3/4″ |
| Depth | 1/2″ | 3/8″ |
| Warranty | 1 year | 1 year |
Jaw Strength
Obviously a key feature of any pliers is their pinching or holding ability. The KastKing pliers are composed of solid steel construction, so they seem quite strong. In contrast, the Piscifun frames are made from aircraft grade aluminum, but the jaw inserts are composed of hardened steel, so they seem strong enough to me.
Being intended for fishing, means you’re going to be twisting hooks out of fish, squeezing weights, bending hooks, pinching down barbs, and other such tasks. I pinched and pulled various things with the Piscifun pliers in all sorts of ways, and they seemed strong enough to me, despite their aluminum construction.
There are reports of people warping their Piscifun pliers when removing hooks. I could see that being possible if you put a lot of torque on any set of aluminum pliers. One thing I did notice about the Piscifuns is that they seemed to allow more pinching leverage than the KastKings. This isn’t necessarily a good thing considering they are aluminum frame pliers. More about this in my testing results further below.
Both pliers, especially the KastKings, taper down to a nice defined point, which isn’t always the case with other fishing pliers. This provides the ability to perform some more delicate work if needed.
One negative that stood out to me is that the Piscifuns would not grasp small diameter braid very well. It could just be the pair that I got, but the teeth would not close tight enough to hold onto very thin objects. The reason was because the cutters bottomed out before the jaws fully met.
| *Strength WINNER* |
|---|
| Cutthroat |
Cutting Ability
Both sets of pliers have carbide cutters, but the design is quite different, as shown above.
KastKing pliers have a cutter on the outside edge, whereas the Piscifun have them positioned on the inside, where you would normally expect them. This might be a deciding point for you, as that’s a pretty significant difference. I’ve never owned a pair of pliers where the cutting surface was on the outside of the jaws, so it’s a little awkward for me. Maybe it’s just something you get used to.
Although I don’t prefer the outside location of the KastKing cutters, I do like how they are positioned in such a way that fishing line won’t fall past the cutting surface. The Piscifun pliers, in contrast, have a little gap that smaller diameter lines can fall into, sometimes preventing a clean cut on the first try. And, I did notice that happening during some of my testing.
The cutters for both are theoretically replaceable by removing a couple allen screws, but I was only able to actually find replaceable blades for the Piscifun pliers. I found replaceable blades for about $9 + shipping on their website at piscifun.com. I could not find any such replacement on KastKing’s website. I suppose you could try to sharpen the blades, but they are quite small, so I think that would be very difficult.
When it comes to cutting braided fishing lines, I don’t know that any fishing pliers cutting blades are going to hold up well over time. That’s why I like to use a Boomerang Tool as my primary braid cutter. But, for monofilament lines, I would expect each pair to perform just fine.
Piscifun claims to have the sharpest tungsten carbide cutters on any set of pliers on the market. They certainly cut far more smoothly than the KastKings for all lines I tried. What really set the Piscifuns apart was when cutting braid, as they performed much better than the competition. I found myself having to pull on the KastKings often, to get them to cut through both braid and mono.
| *Cutting Ability WINNER* |
|---|
| Piscifun |
Springiness
Both sets of pliers are internally spring loaded, which is a really nice feature. The springiness of the KastKing pliers is noticeably more responsive, as they hold open with greater resistance. This really helps with their retention in the sheath, and provides for more comfortable use. Both sets open automatically, and provide for easy one handed operation.
| *Springiness WINNER* |
|---|
| Cutthroat |
Build Finish Quality
My general feelings are that the overall build quality is pretty good for both of them. The machined aluminum frame on the Piscifun is very well done, and has a nice even smooth coating. The KastKings look a little rougher in fit and finish when compared side by side, but they look good as well.
| *Build Finish WINNER* |
|---|
| Piscifun |
Construction Materials
KastKings are made from 420 stainless steel with a Teflon coating. They claim that they’re suitable for saltwater usage, but based on customer feedback, I believe you’ll definitely experience rusting issues if you use them in the salt. That’s likely to be the case with any steel pliers I guess. I plan to leave my KastKings at the house when I go surf fishing.
Piscifun pliers, on the other hand, are constructed of aircraft-grade anodized aluminum. However, the plier jaws and cutters are titanium coated stainless steel, therefore they are potentially susceptible to rusting as well.
Because they have an aluminum frame, it feels like you need to be a little more gentle with the Piscifuns. There’s always a trade off with aluminum. You get lightweight and corrosion resistance, but at the expense of strength.
Both options should be able to hand freshwater and saltwater usage. But, I think it’s safe to say, you’ll experience some rusting and dulling of the cutters if you use them near saltwater.
| *Construction Materials WINNER* |
|---|
| Cutthroat |
Handles
Both options have skeletonized handles to reduce weight.
I must admit, I really like the rubber coated handles on the KastKings more than the solid aluminum handles on the Piscifuns. They are easier to grasp, and they don’t feel like they will slip out of the hand when wet. Time will tell if the rubber coating will actually hold up long term.
One thing I don’t like about the Piscifun pliers is how wide they open with their spring assist. I don’t have the largest hands, and I find the opened handle distance a tad awkward.
| *Handles WINNER* |
|---|
| Cutthroat |
Sheath
The quality of the sheaths is noticeably different. The KastKing sheath is much better in some ways, but it does have one drawback, which we’ll discuss below. Alternatively, it seems like they just threw in a cheap sheath with the Piscifun pliers, so that they could say it comes with one.
KastKing Sheath
The KastKing sheath is molded to fit the pliers, sort of like a kydex gun holster. When the pliers are inserted, the sheath grasps them very firmly. I thought if I jerked really hard. they would surely fall out, but they didn’t. It could be that I just got lucky and got a really good sheath. Your results may vary, as some people do complain that they fall out. I would expect it to certainly loosen up over time, then I might have issues.
I like the open hole at the bottom of the sheath, which allows any water or debris to fall away. There is a flap that extends beyond the tip of the pliers so that you don’t get poked.
Piscifun Sheath
The Piscifun sheath design is better if you intend to permanently affix the sheath to something, such as a backpack or tackle bag. It’s sheath has both a stationary vertical mounting loop, and a more sturdy horizontal loop, so it works well for permanently mounting in either direction. It also works well if you wear a belt while fishing. I usually do not.
A couple things that I don’t like are that the Piscifun sheath doesn’t have a drain hole at the bottom, and they have a cheap Velcro latch that just seems to get in the way. I much prefer the friction lock of the KastKing sheath design.
| *Sheath WINNER* |
|---|
| Cutthroat |
Sheath Attachment Method
One of the main things that sets the KastKing sheath apart from the Piscifun sheath is the belt clip. The loops on the back of the Piscifun sheath are only helpful if you wear a belt, or you plan to permanently mount it somewhere.
I personally prefer to have a clip that I can attach to the waistband of my shorts.
The mounting clip on the KastKing pliers is rotatable. In theory, that’s a good idea, as you can position the pliers in whatever angle you desire. In reality, what you end up with is a set of pliers that spin around in circles on your side. The locking mechanism is very loose, so the sheath is prone to swivel around wherever it wants to go, and sometimes that’s upside down.
I have no clear winner here as both attachment methods have pros and cons.
| *Sheath Attachment Method WINNER* |
|---|
| Tie |
Lanyard
Lanyards for both are very similar. It seems like the KastKing wins here in a close contest. The ring that attaches the lanyard is slightly thicker, the coiled wire seems to be of higher quality. Even the carabiner is ever so slightly thicker on the KastKing.
The lanyard for the KastKing is a grayish clear plastic coated cable. Because it is clear I can tell there is a metal cable inside. In contrast, the Piscifun pliers seem to have a solid black plastic lanyard.
| *Lanyard WINNER* |
|---|
| Cutthroat |
Additional Features
Both sets of pliers have extra functionality built in. I really like having the holes in the jaws of the KastKings. Simply insert your hook point into a hole, and use that to help pull knots tight. That’s much better than grasping a hook with the jaws of your pliers, or your fingers.
I also like the split ring tip on the Piscifun, but it should be noted that the Kastkings are also available in a split ring version.
The Piscifuns come with a small allen wrench for removal of the carbide cutters, so they actually expect some people will replace them when they wear out. This wrench actually fits the cutter screws on both pairs of pliers.
Both sets include crimping slots which can be used for closing weights or crimps. The location of these slots is slightly different on each set. Because of this, you actually have more jaw space to work with on the KastKings.
| *Other Features WINNER* |
|---|
| Cutthroat |
.
Size And Weight
For specifics about size and weight, reference the chart at the top.
The Piscifuns were obviously going to be lighter since they are made from aluminum. But, they are also slightly more compact in overall size when in the sheath.
At about 7″, both pliers are a very nice size for comfortably handling most fishing related tasks.
| *Size And Weight WINNER* |
|---|
| Piscifun |
Split Ring Tip
The Piscifun pliers had a split ring tip, which almost caused me to pass them up. I had never owned a pair of split ring pliers. The split ring does not prevent you from properly grasping hooks for removal. If you plan to clamp down on flat surfaces, it could be an issue, but I never do this with my fishing pliers.
I must say I really like the split ring tip for opening split shots. The split shot crimping nub sort of works for this purpose, but not nearly as good as the split ring tip.
The KastKings also come with a split ring tip if you desire that model.
| *Split Ring Tip WINNER* |
|---|
| Tie |
Testing Performance
I did some testing over a few days to see how each set of pliers would hold up. I smashed hook barbs, crimped weights, removed weights, broke hooks, cut fishing lines of all types and sizes, and generally pinched on things. Below were my feelings after messing with both sets.
Strength Test
Being constructed of steel, meant that the KastKings were noticeably stronger. As expected, they seemed much less likely to flex under force. I was able to smash, break, and bend things with no issue. The Piscifuns held up just fine to normal tasks as well, but I could tell there was a limit that I shouldn’t cross in fear of bending the frame.
Another thing I noticed when comparing the two, was that there seemed to be less leverage built into the design of the KastKing pliers. I actually saw this as a positive, as it helps prevent you from exerting too much force for the frame of the pliers. The Piscifuns, in contrast, seemed to provide too much leverage for the strength of the frame, in my opinion. I believe that is part of the reason some buyers are bending their Piscifun pliers.
Cutting Test
I repeatedly cut all these fishing lines during my testing
- 6 lb. Mr. Crappie HiVis Monofilament
- 15 lb. Seaguar Fluorocarbon
- 20 lb. Hi-Seas Grand Slam Mono
- 20 lb. KastKing SuperPower Braided Line
- 30 lb. Stren Original Monofilament
- 50 lb. Power Pro Braid
- 80 lb. Berkley Trilene Big Game Monofilament
- 400 lb. Monofilament Leader
I repeatedly cut all the fishing lines listed above, and the KastKings didn’t seem to cut as well as the Piscifuns. Part of the issue was that there was a tiny gap between much of the carbide blades where they met. I tried loosening the blades and lining them back up properly, but that didn’t seem to work. What I discovered is that they cut fine, as long as you put some force behind it. So, you do have to apply more pressure to get a good cut with the KastKings. In contrast, the line wanted to jump away from itself when being cut by the Piscifun pliers – they are sharp!
| *Performance WINNER* |
|---|
| Tie |
Durability
Although the KastKing pliers appear to be more roughly machined, you can’t beat steel for strength and durability.
I expect you’ll have to baby the aluminum Piscifun’s a little more compared to a steel alternative.
So, my take is that the Kastkings will be more likely to corrode first, whereas the Piscifuns will be more apt to potentially bend under stress.
If you are planning to use them in saltwater, I’d probably go for the Piscifun pliers. Otherwise, the KastKings get my nod.
| *Durability WINNER* |
|---|
| Tie |
Reputation
Don’t buy either pair expecting top of the line quality. But, for the price, they are both good sets of affordable pliers.
KastKing is known to have great customer service if you should experience an issue. I have purchased several KastKing products recently based on others’ opinions, and I’ll have to say the products were pretty good overall.
This is my first Piscifun product, so we’ll see. I do like how they don’t claim to be the best pliers out there. In fact their website says they aren’t. They make the point that if you’re not a charter boat captain, then why do you need to pay a premium for the best pliers on the market.
Maybe at some point down the road I’ll feel different, but for now I’m not a huge fan of paying $50+ for a pair of fishing pliers. Instead, a decent pair from either of these companies is good enough for me.
| *Reputation WINNER* |
|---|
| Tie |
Winning Breakdown By Category
| KastKing | Piscifun | |
|---|---|---|
| Jaw Strength | X | |
| Cutting Ability | X | |
| Springiness | X | |
| Build Finish | X | |
| Construction | X | |
| Handles | X | |
| Sheath | X | |
| Lanyard | X | |
| Additional Features | – | – |
| Size & Weight | X | |
| Tested Performance | – | – |
| Durability | – | – |
| Reputation | – | – |
Conclusion
In summary, I really like the lightweight, cutting ability, corrosion resistance, and styling of the Piscifun pliers. However, I do not like the sheath, or the feel of the handles.
The KastKing pliers are very strong, the handles are comfortable, and the sheath is really nice, except for the one flaw where it rotates too freely.
I like them both for different reasons as each set has their own strengths and weaknesses. I think it just depends on what your priorities are. Either pair is a great for what they are, a good set of economy fishing pliers.
Hopefully this helps you make your own decision.
Happy Fish’n
Augustus Clay
If you found this article helpful, you might be interested in some of my other articles, such as The Best Line Cutters For Braid
