Q = Best or recommended tweezers?

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Steve-0
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Q = Best or recommended tweezers?

Post by Steve-0 »

By this title I'm referring to the spine removing type not plant handling type. Those I have and use often for cleaning my outdoor year round species which get leaf litter from being under the honey locust trees.
Obviously, the best ones are those removing the spine. But is there a cactus lovers favorite?

I just grab my wife's eyebrow tweezers when I get a spine or splinter.
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Shane
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Re: Q = Best or recommended tweezers?

Post by Shane »

I prefer tweezers with a flat rather than pointed tip. I think they're easier to use
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Steve-0
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Re: Q = Best or recommended tweezers?

Post by Steve-0 »

Hmmm..good to know. My wife has these angled point ones which she says are her 'good ones'. I'm mainly curious if there are some extra fancy brand I'm not aware that almost magically remove spines first time every time.

BTW- I have Japanese tweezers for pin bones in Salmon fillets. I fish in Alaska annually and those pin bones are a nuisance. But I don't think they'll work on cactus spines.
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Re: Q = Best or recommended tweezers?

Post by samhain »

I usually have a set of uncle bills on my keychain. Lose them from time to time
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mikethecactusguy
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Re: Q = Best or recommended tweezers?

Post by mikethecactusguy »

I have 2 sets like this. Not Cheap at $17 US. but they can grab and hold anything. Made to pluck fine hairs.
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DaveW
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Re: Q = Best or recommended tweezers?

Post by DaveW »

You may find a range of medical ones on EBAY, but anything medical tends to be expensive.
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Steve-0
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Re: Q = Best or recommended tweezers?

Post by Steve-0 »

These are my wife's. I would rate them decent for eyebrows and such but less so for stiff woody materials like spines and splinters.

They seem more like angled pincers versus flat planes which squeeze and grip. Kind of like using wire cutters instead of needle nose pliers on metal. Then soon enough the spine is snapped shorter during the removal attempt.

Checking around the web got good reviews on Tweezerman products and another brand. I'll see what I can come up with.

Thanks for the suggestions.
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Dodi Russell
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Re: Q = Best or recommended tweezers?

Post by Dodi Russell »

I have never used tweezers for plants except pulling out spines out of my hand.

The one Mike M recommends is good
Location: Sri Lanka, tropical climate, high humidity( no winters)
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TimN
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Re: Q = Best or recommended tweezers?

Post by TimN »

My experience with cheap tweezers is that they are cheap and usually aren't up to the task of grasping tiny spines/glochids. They generally aren't up to the task of gripping human hair all that well, either.

Get something decent, then examine carefully to make sure the gripping surfaces are parallel and flat. I've used fine sandpaper to tune up some of my tweezers. I personally don't have any decent tweezers, just junk I've tuned up. They still don't work that well. It may be time to get something decent.
Disclaimer: I'm in sunny Arizona, so any advice I give may not apply in your circumstances.

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Re: Q = Best or recommended tweezers?

Post by mikethecactusguy »

You don't want tweezers that only grip with the tip. The ones I show actually have a flat grip surface. Your wife's do not .
Occasionally I will pull a piece of 600 grit paper between the tips to clean them.
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Steve-0
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Re: Q = Best or recommended tweezers?

Post by Steve-0 »

theclosetguy wrote: Mon Apr 06, 2020 8:00 pm You don't want tweezers that only grip with the tip. The ones I show actually have a flat grip surface. Your wife's do not .
Occasionally I will pull a piece of 600 grit paper between the tips to clean them.

yep...they don't have those flat surfaces...pincers is how I described them. And they just snip spines shorter quite often...grrrr.
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Steve-0
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Re: Q = Best or recommended tweezers?

Post by Steve-0 »

Dodi Russell wrote: Mon Apr 06, 2020 3:22 pm I have never used tweezers for plants except pulling out spines out of my hand.

The one Mike M recommends is good

I use long tweezers to remove fallen leaves and stems from my outdoor over wintered cacti. Like these.
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