Zwilling J.A. Henckels Ultra-Slim Nail Clipper

So I was introduced to the world of superior nail clippers a couple years ago when I got the Seki Edge.....http://www.amazon.com/Seki-Edge-Stainless-Fingernail-Clipper/dp/B000F35R00/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1322510729&sr=8-3Recently I misplaced that and decided to order another rather than go without. I had used that Seki a couple times a week for over a year and it was still sharper and superior to any other 'new' clipper I'd ever used. Just wish it had a built-in file and the portability of this one intrigued me. So I tried this one to see if it'd be an upgrade. I couldn't find any reviews comparing these so here is the comparison for others like me:Clipping: Both are fantastic and very similar in the pressure it takes to cut. The Seki is a little easier to hold in your hand and it's a little more curved on the blade end. It's also a bit easier to see what you are doing. If both were sitting in front of me I'd choose the Seki. Though this does an unexpectedly good job of 'catching' nails. Some fall out, but most just lay in there behind the blade until you tap them into the trash. Therefore it's a little less messy than the Seki. Though neither will launch a nail like cheaper cutters do. These cut and drop, cheap ones pinch and launch. Obviously, this one takes a little more finagling to get it into cutting position, but the sleekness more than makes up for that.Portability: Because I kept misplacing the Seki, I was hoping this one would fit easily in my wallet and therefore wouldn't be misplaced. It does. Not if you are the minimalist money-clip kind of person but I don't have much in my wallet and this doesn't add much to the bulk. Nice! Wish it had a keychain hole but it does not. Ironically, the Seki does but it's too heavy for something I'd want on my keychain.File: I used to misplace a separate file, no more. This one works great. I read some complaints about it being too fine. I think it is just right. It's the sand-papery type file (though metal, not sand) instead of the angled ribs. This clipper is so sharp and accurate all you need the file for is a little buffing, not additional shaping. Though it is small and there isn't an obvious way to hold it correctly while filing. I have only ever used files for very brief smoothing after a cut so this is fine for me. If you approach fine filing with seriousness though, this will probably fall short for you.I still prefer the ergonomics and general weight of the Seki. This one is lighter and not as curvy, therefore it slips a little when getting a grip and trying to position. I suppose some might like the lightness better, I always enjoyed the heft of the Seki since it adds to the quality feel.I'm not sure which I'd choose if I had none. This is way easier to misplace unless you take advantage of it's size to slip in your wallet or similar home. It's also just smaller for traveling and you don't need a separate file. It's also better at not dropping nail files. If you don't mind having the best tools that take up more space, I'd go with the Seki. I finally found my misplaced Seki and will still probably use that most of the time. However, when on the go and I need to trim an annoying nail, I'm very happy that this and it's file will always be on-hand without me having to remember to 'pack' it. For that and the many years of expected service, it's worth every penny.I clip my nails several times a week and its always just a couple at a time (there's always one or two that are just annoying me). As other habitual clippers know, constantly messing with your nails (tapping, clipping, etc) just leads to faster growing, which leads to more clipping.... If you can't slow down this cycle, you might as well make it enjoyable. Once you use a good clipper, you'll never go back to the 99 cent ones from the drugstore.... I actually shudder at the thought of one of those leaving a rough edge because all they really do is pinch hard and tear.If you ever notice someone clipping a lot but using cheap tools this would make a great gift. I've spent most my life not doing it the right way and I'm sure there are many who would appreciate the difference.

This particular product replaces their earlier remarkable easy to use nail clipper, from a company with a solid record of craftsmanship and material. This particular subsequent "evolution" of their product comes with an articulating arm that was probably placed in the product to enable it to be folded absolutely flat when not using. However this extra joint in the nail clipper allows the collapse of the lever so that the cutting teeth do not meet to the point of actually cutting the nail. They get very close but barely touch so that the nail is held in the teeth but not actually cut. I do not need the product to fold flat when not in use. For me I would much rather have the lever arm up when not in use so that the teeth when pushed together actually cut the nail!

I've carried nail clippers with me daily, for most of my life. In the beginning, I'd carry the kind you can buy at any supermarket - cheap, chrome-plated things that are fairly bulky, ugly, and not something you mind terribly, should you lose them. Oh, and they don't cut well, or last a long time. As I began to travel, I discovered cutlery shops, and the clippers made by companies that actually cared about design. These clippers folded flat, and were made from a better quality of steel - with a stainless finish, rather than chrome-plated. They were a marked improvement, but still not the kind of precision cutting instrument that I wanted. After misplacing a pair of clippers I'd carried for almost 20 years, I went looking for a replacement. Sadly, the model I owned was no longer made. After looking at what was available here on Amazon, I settled on the Henckels Ultra-Slim clippers, largely because of the sleek design and the reputation of the manufacturer in kitchen cutlery. I'm glad I did.This is clearly a product where the designer put an enormous amount of thought into how to blend form and function into a tool that looks like it would be at home in the glove box of a Porche or a Ferrari. And save one, small tradeoff, it's an order of magnitude better than my older clippers (which I did eventually find, enabling me to make a side-by-side comparison of the cutting ability of the tools).The Henckels clippers simply cut better. The difference in feel is much like the difference between cutting through a well-done steak versus a stick of butter. It's that dramatic. And the design is about 1/3 thinner than my previous favorite, making for a clipper so small, I've taken to carrying it in the supplied leather sleeve, just to avoid inadvertently misplacing it.I mentioned one trade-off. My old clippers included a tool to clean under my nails and/or push back the cuticle. The Henckels clippers are not so-equipped. Given the minimalist form-factor, I'm not sure where they would have put this, or how it could be integrated into the tool, so I'm not too worked up about it, but it would be a nice addition to the clippers, should they figure out how to add it without ruining the design.I'm sold. The Henckels Ultra-Slim clippers simply do a better job, and look better doing it. And at prices that are comparable to their competitors, you won't pay a premium for the additional quality.

I was about to leave a bad review, until about 10 minutes after delivery I found out I was using it wrong. The top lever has a moveable joint. you want to bend it upwards in a V shape, slide the back (grip) side of the handle towards the front (towards the cutting edges), then place back down. This will give the upper handle that the upward "curve" needed to actually use the clippers. There is also a video on this page that I missed showing how to do this.Whether these work better or worse than 10+ years ago, I do not know. However these are sharp and comfortable enough to use, minus the hard metal corners poking into grip hand if you're not holding it "just right," which can get a little annoying at times. In short, there's a slight learning curve, but these do work out pretty well if you're into buying space-saving gear.