Article: Ultimate Survival Technologies: Trail Tweezers

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Dave Budd

Gold Trader
Staff member
Jan 8, 2006
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They have a light. That's a good idea, but how good are the tweezers?

I get splinters on a near daily basis, be them wood, thorn or metal. I've tried lots of different tweezer and so far the best have been the lockable variety that are used in surgery and available from medical suppliers. The main reason I prefer those is that they have a fine point that allows me to get at anything sticking out of my skin as well as a little below if needs be.
 

Robson Valley

Full Member
Nov 24, 2014
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McBride, BC
Can you measure/describe the shape(?) of the tweezer tips? How fine do they appear to be?
Western Red Cedar slivers are fairly infective and skin-colored. Need finding/removal ASAP.
The LED is a good design for my old eyes.
 

Jaeger

Full Member
Dec 3, 2014
670
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United Kingdom
Lymes Emitting Deadly Ticks - thought you would be well aware of those anvik!

On a serious note I've had a set of those in a few of my FAKs for several years and they have come in handy on a number of occasions - not for tick/splinter removal but things like replacing the small screw in the arm of someones glasses and fishing a wrongly inserted TF card out of a camera.

Bush-craft C&E - multi-use/function is the order of the day!:)
 

TarHeelBrit

Full Member
Mar 13, 2014
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Alone now.
They don't look too bad especially the light on them. They might come in handy for my wife in her Jewellery making. I've been using Uncle Bill's Silver Grippers for years now. Small, compact and with a precision point. 100% better than the ones in my SAK or LM.

Screenshot from 2016-12-08 15:27:57.jpg
 

mrcharly

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jan 25, 2011
3,257
44
North Yorkshire, UK
I thought that using tweezers for removing ticks was frowned upon? Squeezes out the stomach contents of the ticks, increasing the risk of transferring disease into you?
 

Jaeger

Full Member
Dec 3, 2014
670
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United Kingdom
Aye Up

mrcharly - you are quite correct - if the tweezers are use incorrectly - i.e. pulling on the body of the tick. The trick is to sneak the tips of the tweezers beneath the body and around the head and 'jaws' and then rotate the tweezers so that you effectively 'screw' the so and so out avoiding squashing the blighters.
But sometimes, if they have already burrowed in that is easier said than done.

Although I still carry tweezers in my FAK I've taken to using either the Tom o' Tick twister tool or the similar styled credit card tick twister.
I've only used these a couple of times (on colleagues not myself) and they work fine.

All that stated - prevention is better than cure - during tick season - blouse trouser bottoms; wear long sleeves; wear wide brimmed hat; treat clothing/equipment with permethrine.
 

Barn

Member
Jun 10, 2017
17
0
Bristol
Mrcharly
Yes you are correct. Dedicated tweezers for removing ticks have a greater angle inwards at the ends of the tweezers so they remove the whole tick and not just the body.
 
Dec 23, 2013
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0
Canadian Rockies
We source these tweezers in China for $1.20 and place them in our first aid kits for pulling splinters. We also place a 'tick lasso' in our first aid kits for pulling ticks. As noted above, you should never use tweezers to remove a tick.

This year I found a tick embedded in my chest. As we have many cases of confirmed Lyme disease in our demographic, I went to the hospital so they could send the tick for testing. They also gave me a prophylactic dose of antibiotics. I noticed they also used a implement very similar to the tick lasso for the removal.

5025913-NOC02.jpg


Subsequent to getting the tick removed, a few days later I had a red halo rash around the bite site, so I then had to get blood work done, which tested negative for Lyme so far (a few subsequent test are also recommended to be sure however).

I think someone thought these tweezers would be a great marketing idea and great profit maker if purchased cheaply in China and re-purposed as 'tick removers', and I think that was an unfortunate and ill-advised initiative.
 

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