an anyone give me any advice on the GE curved jaw clinchers vs the GE curved jaw low nail clinchers? I am reading that the low nail version is 12" and suited for size 5 nails and below and the regular curved jaw are 14". I wonder if the low nail version wouldn't be as aggressive as the regulars but I am also concerned if the low nail will work well on the average QH ? about half my clientele is TB race horses and the other half is QH's and arabs. I also was looking at some jim keiths and blurtons but I am just scared to move away from GE tools. I just read that these pattern of curved jaw clinchers were actually a very old tom hall design.
I have used a set of GE Curve Jaw Low Nail Clinchers for 5 years. I really like them. Nails driven like Smitty's may be a touch difficult to reach. They kinda like 5 slim blades on down, are fine for city 5's, but wear on you a little more than the larger clinchers for the city 5 and heavier nails. They definitely have more feel than the regular curve jaw.
I bought a set of Icar Racetrack 14" nippers and got one week out of them when the pin started pivoting and binding. I just haven't sent them back yet. The Icar's feel really good in my hands. Slightly rounded and heavier reined than the GE's. Every bit as sharp as the GE's ever were, maybe even sharper!
Ray this is a quote from western ranch supplies website "Low Nail Curved Jaw Clincher G E Forge This new clincher, originally designed by Tom Hall, is a modern version of a centuries old tool. By curving the lower jaw and moving the upper jaw closer to the pin, leverage and range are greatly increased. The long contoured handles are for a balanced comfortable grip to provide control for a better clinch. GEFCLINCJ $ 165.00 " cant speak of its accuracy but its whats on their website
Eli, them ICAR look dang nice and it makes me want to try them but every time I cheat on GE I end up regretting it! I seen their nail nippers and wanted a pair of those too but dang they are pricey! think I will keep using my knipex! Ray, I have never put my hands on a pair of the adjustables. To be honest they don't look like they would be worth a darn but I have heard nothing but good about them. I will have to get me a pair. UPS man dropped me off a big box of goodies today, including a couple new hammers. A Jim Keith 1 3/4lb rounding hammer which is the best hammer I have ever had in my hands! I normally use a Jay Sharp 2lb or a Jim Poor 2lb and a Dave Showen 1.5lb but I think that JK will be what I usually reach for now. Also got a Jim Blurton cross pein which is ok but I wish I had ordered a JK cross pein instead. Also ordered a Brent Baily , Hofi style 2.4lb but I don't have it yet. Think tomorrow I am going to order a RG 9oz driving hammer and give it a try.
and to think that round these parts Christmas doesn t come to good little boys and girls till December 25 th, think i ll move enjoy ray
Ozark if the hoffy hammer hasnt arrived just tie a rock on a very short stick, you wont notice the difference
your welcome Ray. I searched around on the net to see if I could find anything else to back that up, but I come up dry.
One of the best tools I've used lately has been a set of shoe pullers. Foremans tools pull off's. They are light years better than the small mouthed pullers most of us use. A runner up is actually the Edge Heller Style Pulloffs. Now I thought those would be garbage. They have that overlapping edge on the cutting edge. Looks stone age, but you slip that under the inside of the shoe and it really makes a big difference in the amount of effort needed to remove even large shoes. I did a quite over worded review of the forman pull offs. I was a little too excited -> http://hoofwork.com/?p=504 I have a set of Icar nippers I'm reviewing, let me tell you thats a nice nipper. The rivet feels like there is a bearing inside. They are rediculously smooth. The reigns take some getting use to though. Very precise tool.
I like my Nordic Forge shoe pullers. You don't see many people using them, but I have tried others and always go back to my Nordics.
