Shimano AD Pliers – A Tool For the Job

March 1, 2022 Admin

I recently got my hands on a pair of the Shimano AD Plier RH Type-F. Not exactly sure what all that means, but they sure are nice!

I ordered a pair of Shimano pliers as I was looking for a compact set of cutters/split ring pliers. These looked nice, and were priced decently coming in at $29.99.

I am going to give you a full run through from bottom to top of these pliers and give you my thoughts along the way.

Model Info

Packaged for Multi-Markets

Now the packaging I received seemed to be a multi-market packaging as all of the text was in both English as well as Japanese. We all know that Shimano is a Japanese company, so no problem there.

The packaging itself is pretty standard, but completely covered in text and instructions. From the front, you can see the model number, a few specs as well as the US and Japanese bar codes/UPC’s along the bottom.

Shimano AD Plier RH Type-F — Front of Packaging

The back of the package is loaded up with bullet points. 22 total bullet points, if you include the three languages of English, Japanese and French.

Production Note

A lot of people think that Shimano produces all of their products in Japan. As with just about all manufacturers, they also use other countries to produce some goods and accessories. These particular pliers are manufactured in Taiwan.

First Look at the Shimano Plier

These are a great looking tool. I love the black look to them as they aren’t too flashy. The grip sort of melts right into the blades.

The size on these is nice and compact.

They are very lightweight but feel very sturdy. In fact, the weight on these is 71 grams or 2.5 ounces. Nice and light. They aren’t built for your heavy offshore needs, but these are something you might want to have in your box regardless. And if you are a freshwater angler, I’d always have them on me.

Bottoms up!

Starting down at the bottom of the plier, the first thing I noticed is the soft, comfortable grip. I think Shimano calls it their soft touch, ergonomic grip. It is nice and comfortable, and fits nicely in my hand, even with such a compact body.

The grip section of the Shimano Plier also features two holes so that you can mount your lanyard if you so choose. It doesn’t include a lanyard, but that option is there for you.

Springing Into Action

Moving up the grip you will find a nice strong spring that helps to open the plier. It isn’t overly powerful but does kick open the plier nicely. One thing I did notice on the spring was that I was able to knock the pin out fairly easily, but that hasn’t been an issue yet.

Just One Finger

These pliers look to come in a Right-Hand and Left-Hand configuration. The model number of the plier I have is AD Plier RH, which I am guessing stands for Right-Hand. I could be wrong. But with that, if you hold this plier in your right hand, you have direct access with your index finger to the locking mechanism. I suppose if you do use this with your left hand you could still access it with your thumb.

Shimano Plier Arms – Smooth Coat

The blades on the Shimano Plier look really sharp. They are touted as having a Fluorine Coating process to promote corrosion resistance. You can see the speckled finish which give these pliers a high end look to them.

Shimano Plier Cutting Tool

These pliers feature serrated blades on their cutters. These seem very sharp and cut right through my braid samples. Hopefully they stay sharp and accurate for a long time. Just don’t go cutting hooks or wire with them and you should be ok.

Getting Tuned Up

Another nice feature of this plier is the Lure Eye Tuner. This little feature often gets overlooked, but when you are out on the water and find a crankbait that is running off to the left or right, you can use this part to get your bait tuned and running straight again.

Ahh, Let’s Crimp It!

Right above the serrated blades you will find a small crimping tool. As mentioned above, I wouldn’t use this for my offshore needs, but for any light crimping action, these will work perfectly. I didn’t have anything with me to crimp, but the tool looks aligned and should work fine.

Picking Up The Split

Now some anglers rely on split rings a lot. Some baits come standard, and some baits don’t. If you have a bait that you would like to add a split ring to, you know how much of a pain it can be to get those little rings on. These pliers feature a split ring opener right on the nose. Another great feature.

In Conclusion – The Shimano Plier

Overall, these are a very nice little multi-tool pliers. These have found their way into my tacklebox and have bumped out some older pliers I had. Sorry little buddies.

I do like all of the features that these have. This alone helps to eliminate a couple of other tools you might have to take with you on a trip. The compact design and fit is great. Overall…I like em!