Thought I would contribute a little for others that are interested.
For removing the string bed I have used probably the same things that most others have. I have been hard pressed to find nice comparative reviews. Everyone always asks me how long it takes to string a racquet. I tell everyone it varies from racquet to racquet and string to string, but it take me 30 minutes to process a single racquet. That includes cutting and removing strings, measuring out new string, stringing, updating my customer database, and printing invoices. I do not string tons of racquets, maybe 10 a week on busy weeks. But, when the University is playing locally, or they are hosting a tournament I can have 30 racquet days. So any time I can save is great.
Regular snips that you can find at most hardware stores, craft stores, etc. I have used Gamma, Craftsman, Black and Decker, and some no name brand. Cant remember which. The cheaper the snips the worse they perform. Obviously they all cut one string at a time. I cut diagonally where strings cross to cut two at a time. Still time consuming and very inefficient. The Gamma and Craftsman worked fine, cut all strings, and cut clean. Black and Decker worked but did not cut as clean. The no name brand had a gap in the jaws and would only cut near the tip. They also had a hard time cutting soft strings. They tended to just flatten them out and pinch, but not cut. Range in price from $1 to over $20.
Regular scissor in my opinion just suck. Because of the angle you can still only cut one string at a time until you are almost halfway through the string bed. They hurt your hand trying to cut polys, it is hard to put any force on them. Better scissors cut better as they are sharper, but still inefficient and no better than using snips.
I have tried garden shears, but they were worse than the scissors. For the most part they would not cut. Stiff polys would cause them to twist and often would get stuck in the cutters keeping them from opening back up. Multis wouldn't really cut per se but would tear them apart after a couple of tries.
I have also tried the straight garden shears and they were almost identical to scissors. The only advantage they had over scissors was that they did not hurt my hands, so I could use more force on them. Still no real advantage to using snips.
These have worked fantastically. They vary in price depending on were you get them. I picked mine up at JoAnn's with a coupon for a little over $20. You can cut several strings at a time taking about 3 to 5 seconds to get through a string bed. They have stayed sharp, but I also have a honing devise that I run them through often. These have been my number one time saver so far. Because they are angled you can cut the full length of the blade on the first cut. They cut through thick polys like butter, and almost feels like they cut multis before applying any pressure. These things are sharp. They have a lock to keep the blade closed.
Babolat string bed cutters. Again, these are fantastic. Razor sharp and glide through a string bed. I paid around $25. The angle is great, very little effort needed to cut, and feel good in the hand. They have a lock to keep them closed, and an adjustment for small or large hands. You can cut the full length of the blade on every cut. Highly recommended.
For removing the string bed I have used probably the same things that most others have. I have been hard pressed to find nice comparative reviews. Everyone always asks me how long it takes to string a racquet. I tell everyone it varies from racquet to racquet and string to string, but it take me 30 minutes to process a single racquet. That includes cutting and removing strings, measuring out new string, stringing, updating my customer database, and printing invoices. I do not string tons of racquets, maybe 10 a week on busy weeks. But, when the University is playing locally, or they are hosting a tournament I can have 30 racquet days. So any time I can save is great.
Regular snips that you can find at most hardware stores, craft stores, etc. I have used Gamma, Craftsman, Black and Decker, and some no name brand. Cant remember which. The cheaper the snips the worse they perform. Obviously they all cut one string at a time. I cut diagonally where strings cross to cut two at a time. Still time consuming and very inefficient. The Gamma and Craftsman worked fine, cut all strings, and cut clean. Black and Decker worked but did not cut as clean. The no name brand had a gap in the jaws and would only cut near the tip. They also had a hard time cutting soft strings. They tended to just flatten them out and pinch, but not cut. Range in price from $1 to over $20.
Regular scissor in my opinion just suck. Because of the angle you can still only cut one string at a time until you are almost halfway through the string bed. They hurt your hand trying to cut polys, it is hard to put any force on them. Better scissors cut better as they are sharper, but still inefficient and no better than using snips.
I have tried garden shears, but they were worse than the scissors. For the most part they would not cut. Stiff polys would cause them to twist and often would get stuck in the cutters keeping them from opening back up. Multis wouldn't really cut per se but would tear them apart after a couple of tries.
I have also tried the straight garden shears and they were almost identical to scissors. The only advantage they had over scissors was that they did not hurt my hands, so I could use more force on them. Still no real advantage to using snips.
These have worked fantastically. They vary in price depending on were you get them. I picked mine up at JoAnn's with a coupon for a little over $20. You can cut several strings at a time taking about 3 to 5 seconds to get through a string bed. They have stayed sharp, but I also have a honing devise that I run them through often. These have been my number one time saver so far. Because they are angled you can cut the full length of the blade on the first cut. They cut through thick polys like butter, and almost feels like they cut multis before applying any pressure. These things are sharp. They have a lock to keep the blade closed.
Babolat string bed cutters. Again, these are fantastic. Razor sharp and glide through a string bed. I paid around $25. The angle is great, very little effort needed to cut, and feel good in the hand. They have a lock to keep them closed, and an adjustment for small or large hands. You can cut the full length of the blade on every cut. Highly recommended.
