Welcome to the first installation of TYEPRO Transparent, where we take an analytical approach in comparing our own TYEPRO tools to some of the most popular knot-tying assistants on the market. We hope you will find this thoughtful approach helpful to making a tool choice. Today we’ll be comparing our tool with the Cinch Tie Knot Tying Tool, a popular brass knot-tying tool.
We’ll be comparing these devices along five categories: Eyelet Threadability, Assistance with Knot Tying, Additional Functionality, Safety and Price. You can review the basis for our comparisons here.
It may be a little unfair to compare these two products on this front first, but this is the one category where we’re most proud of the TYEPRO’s performance. Simply put, if you struggle with shaky hands, diminished vision, or fish in tough weather/light conditions, it can be very difficult to thread your line through eyelets. TYEPRO is engineered specifically to make this a breeze. The Cinch Tie requires your hook or lure be placed on the line prior to tying the knot, lending no assistance in this very important part of the process.
We’ll throw the Cinch Tie a nod here and showcase its best asset, which is offering assistance with a wide variety of knots. Its site claims that the Cinch Tie allows more than 15 different knots for users, and we don’t doubt it. TYEPRO can’t quite reach those levels but we make popular knots such as the improved clinch a breeze. Both will take practice to get used to and you need to judge which tool is most intuitive and useful for your knot tying needs.
One of the major “tiebreakers” when determining which knot-tying tool to buy is what additional features come as part of the package. Unfortunately for the Cinch Tie, it doesn’t feature any other functions aside from the tying of knots. TYEPRO comes with an extra bit of help hidden in the handle, as the stainless steel clippers allow you to conveniently trim the tag end of your line once you’ve completed your knot. It also comes with a lanyard for quick access to what is often a frequently needed tool.
Now don’t get the wrong idea: Two-out-of-three doesn’t mean that there’s anything particularly unsafe about either of these products. The truth is, any hobby that involves barbed hooks is a tad risky. Some tools have been designed to shield your hand from the hook, and they’ll be rewarded accordingly. Both the TYEPRO and the Cinch Tie, when used appropriately, are no more dangerous than simply tying with your hands. With a bit of practice, you’ll be doing alright.
This is the one category where TYEPRO is going to take some convincing, and we’re more than happy to provide it. We get many questions about what many see to be an overly high price for our tool, so we created an entire post explaining where these costs come in. Just know that we don’t get cheap on you! The Cinch Tie might require less engineering prowess than the TYEPRO, but its creators build it out of sturdy brass, justifying its $10.99 price.
We’ll be rating COST as "3" for tools less than $6.00, "2" for tools between $6 and $11.99, and "1" for tools over $12.00.