October 9, 2018

Shear Madness!: Top Trauma Shear Comparison

Are you tired of the same old trauma shear?  We have tried many over the years and we cannot explain how frustrating it is to do one day of cutting and the blades are dull.  This is most common with the cheap/ economical shears you can find around.  These are the ones that you toss in the trash easily and don’t really care as much losing.  Most of the lower end shears are from China and or Taiwan.  They use the cheapest plastics and the cheapest metals.  This is why we tend to get dull blades fast and or bending.  We have made our own Trauma shear due to the lack of quality steel and coatings in the industry. Most and almost all use J2 420/ 3 Cr13 steel like the XShear and disposable shear. They use low-grade consumer steel that is very inexpensive to make. Don’t believe the hype of 3mm J2 420 steel as it still is the same as household scissors. Thus we give you the ER LIFE ONE SHEAR™ a Extreme Heavy Duty Steel™ Trauma Shear!

The market now has a few upgraded and high-end options.  These are very sharp, durable, functional, and will last.  Some of the top brands Like Leatherman and X-Shear even have warranties on craftsmanship.  Try to get a warranty from China direct.   Good Luck…

#1 Extreme Heavy Duty Steel™ Trauma Shear ER LIFE ONE SHEAR™

The ONE SHEAR™ is a revolutionary shear that uses simplicity and sophisticated materials. Quite possibly the Apple of trauma shears. Our Extreme Heavy Duty Steel™ Trauma shears were conceived in 2018 based on the idea that wholesale prices were very high for the products others were selling. We found out that J2 Shears even in the $40 range we could produce for $5 through our partners in manufacturing. This was due to the low-grade steel being 420 J2/ 3Cr13 and the titanium coatings which were inexpensive and offered almost no protection. We then did a market analysis and thought of how we could make a great quality product at an affordable rate. This would give access to the public and Healthcare professionals to quality goods that they thought they were buying with the competitors. We took the best from the knife industry and the trauma shear industry and the ER LIFE ONE SHEAR™ was created.

Luckily we had contacts in manufacturing of the world’s most sold surgical supplies. We employed a team of engineers that inspected Kevins exact specs and concept drawings. He broke down everything to exact measurements and insured what the engineers made reflected that.

Key Materials Used:

Extreme Heavy Duty Steel™

  • This steel is almost the highest end steel money can buy and light years ahead of J2 420/ 3Cr13 our competitors use.
  • Known for great blade retention
  • Great wear resistance
  • High Rockwell hardness avg. 58-61
  • One of the high corrosion-resistant metals in the world
  • Found in knives in the $200-500 Price range

Runner Up

Leatherman® Raptor®

This is an amazing product.  Leatherman® has really thought hard on how to create a custom multi-tool, Trauma Shear.  This shear has been seen all around local Emergency Rooms and with EMS.  Recently is has a great following in the tactical realm as well.  Leatherman® is known for its great craftsmanship and a 25-year warranty.  This is the best in the market hands down and they will own up to it.  This company has been around for years and continues to put out great tools.  

I have a personal friend that uses the shears every day as a tech.  These shears held up for years.  Eventually after cutting plaster for casting one too many times; the shears got gummed up from the fiberglass material.  A quick email and send the shears off and BOOM!  He got refurbished and or new shears back.  If anything breaks they standby their products.  Really a great company. The Achilles heel of the Raptor® is that the ring cutter is easily fractured while in-use. We have seen it break even on the first use of cutting rings in practice.

Features of Leatherman’s® Raptor®

  • 420HC Stainless Steel Utility Grade
  • Folding mechanism
  • Strap Cutter
  • Ring Cutter
  • Ruler (5cm)  Great for EKG strips too
  • Oxygen Tank Wrench
  • Carbide Glass Breaker
  • Lanyard Loop
  • Holster
  • Pocket Clip
  • 25-year Warranty

Cons:

  • Price Point is steep on of the highest in the market $69.99+
  • Carbide Glass breaker will wear your pants or scrubs down 
  • Possibly too many unnecessary features for most hospital-based employees
  • Limited colors of handles
  • Ring cutter breaks easily
  • No non-slip coating on handles
  • No coating and highly corrosive steel
  • Not easily cleanable due to the folding mechanism
  • Unable to field strip due to torq bolt center
  • Not left-handed cutting friendly

3rd Pick

XSHEAR

This is a great shear.  It has a simple form with just straight cutting performance.  No bells and whistles just sharp and a 5-year warranty.  We spoke with the Owner Wes and he was so kind as to send us a pair to review.  We have used these extensively and found it superior to other economical traditional shears.  A fair point at $35-$40.  You can almost buy two pairs compared to buying the Leatherman shears.  These shear were very promising in the hospital setting.  We put them to the test in our local ER and found them to cut through almost anything.  Except that cell phone that was in the front pocket….  We cut shoes off , belts, bras, necklaces, and almost did a circumcision.  Thick 420 J2 blades in uncoated and coated in Titanium finishes.  

Features of XSHEAR

  • 3mm thick Hardened J2 420 Utility Low-grade stainless steel blades
  • Sharp edge
  • Black titanium economical coating on certain models
  • Blunt tip design
  • Curved design to cut away from the patient
  • Curved design helps keep blade away from the patient
  • The curved design appears to help pull the fabric into the center cut path, but pulls the cut slightly to left if right handed.
  • Soft inner touch handles for non-slip
  • Heavy-duty center bolt for adjusting if needed via torq key (if you have one)
  • Easily found on the web
  • 90-day No-hassle Money Back Guarantee
  • 5 Year Warranty

Cons:

  • No o2 wrench for medics
  • Price is slightly higher than cheaper economical shears
  • The black finish has dust when first removing from the package.  Time will tell on abrasion testing and cleaning wipes.
  • Titanium coating is an inexpensive coating for the cost of the shear
  • Titanium coating offers little offerings other than black color
  • Soft-touch inner handle coating is not 100% seamless with handle.  Appears to be molded and possibly tear down the road.
  • The metal being J2 420 used appears to be the same as household shears and disposable trauma shears just thicker.
  • No holster with shear included
  • Center bolt required torq key; not friendly for infield strip/ cleaning
  • Not an ambidextrous shear
  • The curved pattern makes sort of jagged cuts
  • Edges of the steel wear quickly due to the inexpensive Ti coating and utility steel used.