"Marginal Finish, Somewhat Painful to Operate"

Quality:
The finish on this could be better. The top of the capo is polished and medium shiny, but all other surfaces are rough, with a similar texture to an old iron skillet. Be aware that the 'nickel' finish is what it sounds like - it is NOT ultra-shiny chrome.

Value:
While it is somewhat harder to use than expected, the mega-tight spring holds down strings with tons of pressure to spare, so in that respect, it works great. Most other capos are much more expensive and have their own pitfalls.

Ease of Use:
This capo falls short in the ease-of-use category. Because of the short lever arms, you can only use two fingers and part of your palm to operate it. The extremely tight spring makes the lever arms dig into your hand for some painful operation. Since you must squeeze with a great deal of effort, it takes some practice to be able to place it precisely with one hand. I generally find myself squeezing the lever with my left hand, and nudging the capo into position with my right hand.