Add a spring to a hand tool and you’ve changed it drastically. Take for instance, scissors: You wouldn’t want to cut fabric or thread all day with even the best pair of scissors, because with every snip you have to reopen the scissors — literally a pain. But a pair of spring-loaded thread nippers open themselves, so you just have to squeeze.
Since spring-loaded tools came on the scene way back when, manufacturers have stuck with the small-and-springy combo, mostly because it works. Whether it’s nippers or spring-loaded pliers, we can see why the spring is a selling point.
Thread Nippers [Wiss]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
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6 Responses to The Spring Is The Thing
Leave a Reply to Platobiker Cancel reply
Toolmonger on Flickr
http://www.japanwoodworker.com/product.asp?s=JapanWoodworker&pf_id=06%2E061%2E1&dept_id=22381
I always liked the idea about the Japanese type linked above. Don’t know what I would use it for, but it looks cool.
Dano: The “Japanese” type are typical of medieval shears, and were invented before the modern pivot shears.
Take a look at http://thenonist.com/index.php/thenonist/permalink/from_the_history_of_scissors/ for some historical shears. Look especially at the 2nd and 3rd picture on page.
Most everyone here probably has a pair of spring scissors. Swiss army knives and multi-tools use them.
I still have the pair I bought when I went to boot making school 15 years ago. They really do speed things up when you’re working. Also after a day of snipping threads you don’t have cramps in your fingers.
A.K. Best- a really well known pro (fishing) fly tier uses these, he ads a needle to the front at a slightly upward angle to tease out tying materials as he works- he also keeps the scissors in hand with a pinky through the ring so that he never has to stop to pick up the tool.
The Leatherman micra has folding spring loaded scissors.