Snips

Snips, also known as shears, are hand tools used to cut sheet metal and other tough webs.

Workers use various types of snips, with the cutting edges being straight or curved to various degrees.

The style of edge employed will depend if a straight sheer or some type of shapes cut is necessary.

They usually have extra wide jaws and are made of drop forged carbon steel.

The blade edges are also bevelled to more easily cut curves and circles or shapes.

They were first developed to cut aluminum in the construction of aircraft, hence they are often referred to as aviation snips.

[5] For cutting through tougher materials, such as inconel and titanium, special hard snips are available.

They are similar in design to standard or offset aviation snips, but have specially heat treated blades.

The bulldog-pattern is a blade pattern that has longer handles to increase the mechanical advantage of the snips.

An added advantage to this is the ability to make the rest of the snips from a lightweight material, usually aluminum.