Ridiculously Expensive Nippers

Orvis Labeled Abel Nippers

Thanks to my bud Chul, I get his Orvis coupons whenever he doesn't want to use them.  I'm still bitter that I don't get any of these despite being a customer of Orvis longer than him and have spent more than him over the past decade.  Personally I don't really care for Orvis but at times there are items that they carry I do want.  I used the coupon on a pair of Orvis labeled Abel nippers which arrived today.  At a MSRP of $50 this is one expensive pair of line cutters.  With the $25 off coupon it was cut in half.

A look at the hook eye cleaner.

I'm not sure how I feel about buying a $50 pair of nippers.  I clearly have no problem paying for quality as long as they are quality.  These cutters are saltwater resistant which is what I needed since these will be on my saltwater/bass Abel tackle bag.  My old Tiemco ceramic nippers have lost their edge so I need a new pair.  Most "cheap" nippers are not saltwater worthy and since those TMC ceramics are no longer imported to the US so I looked for an alternative.  With the discount I figured I'd try these Abels.

Is this what to expect from Abel's quality control?

We'll see if they are worth the $25 I spent.  I know they are not worth the $50 price tag.  I was instantly disappointed to see that the screw that holds the two sides together was already stripped.  What kind of quality control is going on at Abel to let that through?  Well I'm not surprised since Abel is now owned by one of Bernie Madoff's offspring.   I guess the family legacy of screwing people over continues.  What fucking monkey at Abel couldn't reach for the appropriate sized screwdriver to do the work right?  For a high-end product I expect more.  I guess I'm spoiled since I buy fine guns and expect more from people who charge a high price.  And before you start with the "you can send it back" nonsense- no, I shouldn't have to, I should get products that aren't damaged.  You can also see that the anodizing is scratched near the upper left edge of the screw hole.  I already didn't care for Abel, the QC of this product now just reinforces my opinion.