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Pliers and Cutters. 
Typers of Pliers and Cutters

Pincers

Pincers are a form of pliers used where you need to pinch, cut or pull something, they are different from pliers in that the blade is at 90 degrees to the handles.

Pincers are first-class tools for dragging out things like nails. Pincers have a fairly shallow blade angle which makes them inferior to top cutters for cutting (you don’t really want to cut the top of a nail off when you are pulling it!) however it makes the blade stronger and longer lasting.

Top cutters

Very similar in appearance to pincers, top cutters are designed to cut rather than pull. They are very useful for cutting close to a surface.

Top cutters

There is a specialised version of top cutters called ‘steel fixers nippers’ (left). These are specially designed to bind, twist and cut wire, especially concrete reinforcing wire.

A ‘steel fixer’ is a person who constructs the often complicated lattice work steel structures that are built then encased in concrete to make some kind of structure – for instance a bridge.

A ‘steel fixer’ is a person who constructs the often complicated lattice work steel structures that are built then encased in concrete to make some kind of structure – for instance a bridge.

Fencing pliers

Nothing to do with fighting with swords! and everything to do with putting up wire fences.

Fencing pliers are a highly specialised tool and have a number of features designed to make it the only tool needed for putting up or repairing wire fences.

Fencing pliers

Key to diagram: 

  • Hammer face – for knocking in staples and nails

  • Shearing cutters – for cutting wire up to 5mm diameter

  • Wire gripping anvil – for wire tensioning

  • Spike – for pulling out staples and tensioning wire

  • Staple grip – for extracting staples that are well embedded in the wood

  • Wire carrier – for safely gripping and running the wire to the next post

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