Side Cutters: The Sharp Edge

Side cutters. We also know them as nippers, which are not unlike cuticle nippers that manicurists use to nip cuticles and dead skin from your fingers (hence why they are called nippers). A lot of people, especially those new to the hobby often use these tools the only straightforward way they can: cut the part from the gate flush and straight right away.

Not a nipper...

Whereas that is true in come cases, like cutting parts at the gate or runner section, cutting the excess gate from the part requires a little bit more finesse, and that is where the nipping comes in. A lot of people expect a clean cut from a sharp cutter, which can be true in some cases, but, it’s actually best to nip the nub slowly, especially thick gates, regardless of the cutter you are using. Cut improperly, you’ll get either a stressed surface (whitening) or a pit, which is a small section that gets cut beyond the surface of the plastic you are cutting.

There’s also a distinct difference between side cutters and diagonal cutters. A side cutter is called as such because it has flat-sided cutting edges (teeth blade profile) that ideally cuts flush (or perpendicularly), whereas a diagonal cutter has triangular profile and cuts at an angle.

Most wire cutters are diagonal, especially those used to cut thick wires because the triangular profile adds strength to the blade, but there are some wire cutters that have a flat side, designed mainly to cut thin to medium diameter and stranded wires (as you will see in my examples).

I collect tools, and cutters are no exception. I have several in my tool box, all of which I have used in rotation.

A cutter for every occasion

1. Alexan Wire Cutter (PhP110/$2) - For me this is the most versatile and robust cutter in my collection. Since it’s designed for cutting thin and stranded wires, it can make short work of plastic runners. It can cut even the thickest and hardest runner quite easily, and can cut gates and nubs almost flush, especially when it’s new. I always have at least 2 of this at a time in rotation (currently, I have a 3rd on standby). It’s very durable and most economical considering its price point. This one is a good cutter for starters (especially students) but do not want invest on more expensive tools right away.
2. 3Peaks (PhP150/$3) - This is one of the earliest cutters I’ve got. It can cut clean, but not necessarily flush, but is good enough as a general, all-around cutter. Its shape is similar to most side cutters.
3. MTC-22 Side Cutter (PhP250/$5) - I call this one the Mother of all Side Cutters, mainly because of its size. At 6” length, it dwarfs all of the side cutters I have. It’s mainly designed for cutting thin to medium diameter copper wires, it can cut the thickest of runners and gates, but because it has a very large cutting head, is not really ideal for cutting nubs away, especially the smaller parts contained in tighter and narrower runner grids. I got it on a whim, but I use it to cut thick sheets, beams and runners when I do modifications and scratch-builds.
4. Tamiya Side Cutter #1 (PhP950/$20) - This one can cut clean and is a good second all-around cutter.
5. Tamiya Side Cutter #35 (PhP1200/$24) - Slightly more expensive than the #1, this one has a slimmer head (close to Godhand Ultimate) which can fit into smaller nooks and crannies. It can cut clean, and very durable.
6. Godhand Craft Grip 120-S (PhP1400/$28) - Designed for smaller hands, the Craft Grip Series is made with thicker handles, but is nonetheless great as an all-purpose cutter. Its shape and blade is similar to the Tamiya #35, but has a thicker profile which makes it a lot more durable compared to its most expensive sibling, the Ultimate.

Now, I do have Nanye cutter (PhP400/$8), which even came with a pouch and a protective cover, but I’m so disappointed with it, I didn’t bother giving it a review (3Peaks was better and could cut cleaner, and it’s almost 10 years older). But, others seem to like it and even rave about it, so I guess you can go with that. But, for me, it’s not worth it for its price point, that I’d rather have 3 or 4 Alexan cutters and a 3Peaks cutter than a Nanye cutter. Alternatively, the Tamiya cutters are a better investment and more cost-effective than a Nanye.

Of course, there’s the overly-hyped Godhand Ultimate (PhP2300~/$46) which supposedly can cut so clean you can lick it, but, is so fragile, it can’t really serve as an all-around cutter, and at that price point, is not really an ideal investment. Godhand Ultimate’s greatest feature is also its greatest flaw: its sharpness is the reason why it’s fragile. But, I’ll probably get one just to have one, if I get the extra dough.

There are other cutters ranging from entry-level cheap to utterly expert-only expensive, of course, like Mineshima, Doyusha and Platz (medium range), as well as other non-name brand* models. Bandai, though late in the game has entered into the sidecutter market with its Bandai Spirits Entry-Level Cutter (P350/$7) and Buildup Nipper (PhP900/$18), the latter of which seems to be Bandai’s response to the Godhand series.

Bandai Spirits Build Up Nipper

Nevertheless, no matter what cutter you get, you will eventually end up doing more than just snap-building, as such, having a cutter that can cut clean is rather secondary. When you’ve come to that point that snapbuilding is no longer enough, you will have to file and/or clean nubs to prep the parts for painting. Personally, I don’t really bother doing a clean snap-build anymore, opting to keep a little bit of nub in most cases and removing nubs only when I decide to modify and/or paint, a practice that prevents the plastic from oxidizing any further beyond the nub.

(All prices indicated are estimates or average SRPs. This will be updated as necessary)

*Non-name brand simply means the brand is not well-known, or at least, not marketed as a Gunpla/Modeling cutter.