It’s my birthday today, and my family got me some awesome new tools.
The first is this little guy:
I’ve seen it before, but I couldn’t tell exactly what it was supposed to do just by looking at it. According to the packaging it’s a disassembly tool. You can use it to pry open pieces, as well as remove/punchout polycaps.
On the surface, it seems like it’s not really intended for use during builds, but rather after, in cases where you want to go back and customize and/or repaint and/or whatever to an existing model. But I can see it being useful in build, especially if I get something wrong and need to take it apart.
The second - and more important - tool is this:
These are the God Hand model SPN-120 nippers. They’re laser cut to be super thin and super sharp. (As far as I’ve been told) They’re meant to be used as a finishing tool, for cleaning off nub marks, rather than the kind of nipper you use to cut parts off from the runners.
They’re extremely fragile. If you apply too much pressure, or cut into plastic that is too thick, you can easily break off one of the blades (spend enough time on the Gunpla subreddit and you will see pictures of this, multiple times over).
You’re also supposed to clean them, and even oil them after a build, since any buildup of dust or plastic can damage the internals.
They cost between $50 and $60, making them one of the most expensive tools you can buy short of a compressor and an airbrush. I put them on a wishlist on a whim. I didn’t expect to actually get them, but here we are.
On one hand, these nippers are the kind of tool that I hate. Specifically, they’re the kind of tool that people hype up to the point where some believe you need to have them in order to be considered a serious hobbyist. I’ve seen folks on Reddit go out any buy them after just one or two builds (or walk around with a misplaced sense of Impostor Syndrome because they can’t afford them). That’s just not necessary or helpful for anyone. You can go a long way without God Hands. I know from experience.
On the other hand, that same experience is why I felt justified putting them on a wishlist. I’ve built over 50 kits over the course of a decade. I think I’ve earned my stripes enough to justify at least one fancy tool (even if I don’t strictly need it).