‘The world’s most advanced fishing pliers’. It’s a bold claim, but one which manufacturer danco sports believes is justified.
danco revealed the Premio AI pliers at last month’s ICAST and the first thing to impress buyers was its weight. The AI tips the scales at only 3.2oz, an impressive 60% lighter than other titanium pliers. Yet despite its flyweight feel, it can withstand 500lb of crimping force, says danco.
By the Florida brand’s own admittance, the technology used in the making of the new pliers is frighteningly expensive. Which means the price point of $699 is in a category of its own. But so too is the performance, say the manufacturer. And it’s backed by a lifetime warranty.
The AI is the product of a strategic partnership with Don Schumacher Racing and Don Schumacher Manufacturing, a team building 11,000hp drag racing motors.
“As I studied the history of the fishing pliers, I realised not much has changed over the past century,” said Brian Yankello, Senior Project Manager at danco. “My personal passion for automotive racing led me to look for innovations from industry leaders such as Bugatti. What really caught my eye was how they use artificial intelligence to take giant leaps forward in innovation by using generative design technology.
“Generative design [….] surpasses decades of traditional innovation. We decided to take this technology and bring it to the outdoor industry. Our first step was reimagining what the fishing pliers could be. We used our current 6.5” premio titanium pliers as a base model and focused on the key constraints such as the jaws, handles and gripping strength to make the pliers stronger, yet significantly lighter.
“Through this process we were able to come up with over 400 different designs to ultimately choose the best option with the serious angler in mind. We think that everyone who handles them will be stunned.”