Dreiturm, Erbe, RUCK & Co. – which brand is right for you?
Dreiturm, Erbe, RUCK, Niegeloh, DOVO – they all make good instruments. But not all for the same purpose. A manufacturer can hardly tell you that, because they only have their own brand on the shelf.
We carry them all. So here is the honest comparison – including the cases where the more expensive brand is the wrong choice.
The short version
- Dreiturm – if you want scissors for life
- Erbe Solingen – if you want choice and a good case
- RUCK – if you work on feet professionally
- Niegeloh – if it is meant to be a gift
- DOVO – if it is about shaving
- Excellent – if budget matters or you need a spare
The brands in this comparison
The best-selling model from each brand:
- MANePED nail nipper with double lever action – our own brand, double lever action
- Dreiturm MANUFAKT nail scissors – Solingen manufactory quality
- Ruck nail nipper – the podiatry standard
Dreiturm Solingen
For what: nail and cuticle scissors, household and fabric scissors, tweezers.
Dreiturm is a Solingen manufactory that has been making scissors for almost 200 years – around 90 types of scissors are still assembled and inspected by hand there today. If you are looking for scissors that can be resharpened and will last for decades, this is the right place.
When not: If you need an instrument for occasional use or could easily lose it – in your travel luggage, for example. It is too good and too expensive for that.
Erbe Solingen
For what: the entire spectrum – scissors, nippers, tweezers, files and especially cases.
Erbe has by far the widest range. If you are looking for a particular format – an especially small cuticle scissor, a case in a certain colour, a left-handed version – your chances are best with Erbe. Solid Solingen quality across the whole range.
When not: If you want the best single instrument, no compromises. Then a manufactory scissor from Dreiturm is the more consistent choice.
RUCK
For what: podiatry and medical foot care.
One point that often gets overlooked: RUCK is not based in Solingen, but in Baden-Württemberg. Made in Germany yes, Solingen designation of origin no. That is not a drawback – it is simply something different.
RUCK instruments are classified as medical devices and are built for daily practice: frequent reprocessing, long treatment days, problem nails. Anyone equipping a practice will find it hard to get past RUCK.
When not: For nail care at home it is oversized. You pay for properties you will never need.
Niegeloh Solingen
For what: manicure sets, tweezers, nail scissors.
Niegeloh is strong in everything that should look good – high-quality cases, cleanly finished tweezers, classic nail scissors. The obvious choice when it is meant to be a gift.
When not: For hard, thickened toenails. That calls for a nipper, not a scissor.
DOVO Solingen
For what: straight razors, shaving brushes, shaving supplies – and a few nail scissors.
DOVO is the Solingen address for wet shaving. If you are looking for a straight razor, you look at DOVO. The nail scissors are good, but they are not the brand's focus.
Excellent, MANePED and Tifall
For what: good value for money.
These brands cover the needs where manufactory quality makes no economic sense: spare instruments in the practice, second sets, instruments for rare applications. Surgical steel, sterilisable, functional – just without the handwork of a manufactory.
No contradiction: In a well-run practice the two stand side by side. Main instruments in premium quality, the rest chosen economically.
The decision in three questions
1. How often do you use the instrument?
Daily or professionally – manufactory or RUCK. Occasionally – the mid price range is enough.
2. Finger or foot?
Fingernails: scissors. Hard toenails: nipper with lever action or a head cutter. The best nail scissors in the world fail on a thickened toenail.
3. Do you want to have it resharpened?
Then look for the screw joint. Riveted instruments cannot be serviced – whatever the brand.
What we cannot tell you
Which brand feels best in your hand. Grip size, weight and spring tension are a matter of taste – and the most common reason someone switches brands after years.
If you are unsure: start with what you need every day and add to it as required. Buying a complete case of which you never use three pieces is the more expensive option.
To the brands:
Read also: Made in Solingen – what the name means legally and Stainless, nickel-plated, stainless steel.