The Gear Shed - Gerber Magniplier

• Handle: Forged 6061 T6 Aluminium

• Cutter: Carbide

• Salt Rx corrosion resistant coating

• Coil lanyard for secure retention

• Asymmetric off axis angled frame for improved visibility

• Retail Price: $85.00 Salt Water Version, $70 Fresh Water Version

Review

I’m definitely not the biggest angler out there, but growing up fishing I certainly always very envious of my ol’ pappy’s fishing pliers. Everything is just easier out there with a good pair of pliers at your side.

I decided to let a few other anglers take these babies for a spin and see how they like them and wow were the reactions overwhelmingly positive. Gerber put a lot of thought into these from the locking center screw to the coating, they are basically an angler’s dream.

They also feature replaceable plier teeth so you don’t have to buy a new pair when you start losing grip. Everyone who tried them said they would be picking up a pair to change out their old rust piers and cutters.

Ideal uses

Fresh or salt water fishing and the built in cutter allows you to consolidate a pair of scissors or line cutters into one simple tool. These are really ideally suited to any kind of fish or environment.

How is it in the water?

The pliers feature several built in tools as well and the overall ease and ergonomic profile just fits well in your hand. You won’t find any over mold on these because the pliers are designed with a good width for nearly any sized hand.

The nylon pouch secures to a belt loop on your waders or just on any old belt. The loop is backed up by a small d-ring and a bungee cord that clips into the d-ring and goes to an included split ring in the handle of the pliers.

The pliers are super smooth, light weight, and lock closed so they fit well in their case. Everyone who has used them has commented how much they love the one handed multi use flexibility. The pliers also draw very easily with one hand making them super useful and there is no fiddling around to find the tool. 

How tough is it?

The Magnipliers are made of hot forged aluminum which seriously blows my ol pappy’s stainless steel pliers out of the water in terms of weight and longevity. Gerber utilizing a non-ferrous metal definitely ups the game in terms of how long they will last since they will never rust.

As I previously mentioned there is no over mold to worry about falling off or getting damaged. Replaceable teeth are a novel design element here since the best problem with shelling out some serious money for pliers is that the teeth wear down. The replaceable teeth completely eliminate this issue.

The pliers also feature a salt resistant coating to help increase longevity in salty conditions.

Important Considerations

• Make sure you wash out your pliers after each use and allow them to thoroughly dry. Dirt, sand, and salt will all take their toll on this tool.

• Both the plier tips and the carbide cutter tips are designed to be replaced and can be done without replacing the entire tool.

• The plier tips will stay slightly open when the carbide cutters are fully closed. This is by design to reduce wear. They will still close around small gauge hooks with the factory spacing, but if you need the pliers to close all the way you can simply give them a firm squeeze after the cutter tips have made contact.

• The tool is ambidextrous and the thumb switch is easy to operate with an index finger if need be.

• Try not to leave the cutters in the case if it has been a wet day on the water so it can completely dry. Even though they are engineered for water use, it is important to take care of your tools as much as possible.

• The carbide cutter has a built in replacement cutter head. You just need to unscrew the two cutter heads and swap their positions.

Is it worth the cost?

You could certainly pick up a $10 - $20 set of pliers at the hardware store, but how many of those are you going to go through over the years? Gerber did such a solid job on these that you will probably pass them down to your kids.

Also, let’s be real those $10 hardware store specials are going down quick. Rust will take its toll after one rainy day of fishing. A good pair of medical forceps will experience similar issues in wet environments, and slat will just dissolve your pliers in no time.

In the long term it is going to be a lot easier to just have one solid pair of go to pliers that won’t fail and won’t give up. If you’re going to spend hundreds on a good fly rod, spending the $85 on this set of pliers is a drop in the bucket.

The Magniplier also comes in a freshwater version for $70 without the Salt Rx Coating.