Tool Talk

General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: dieselmark on January 27, 2013, 05:07:12 PM

Title: Special wire cutters
Post by: dieselmark on January 27, 2013, 05:07:12 PM

Hi,

I have attended a couple of auctions recently and picked up a lot of tools. Among them was this unusual pair of wire cutters. They are used for music wire. Will post more tool photos as I go through all of this stuff.

Mark

Title: Re: Special wire cutters
Post by: oldtools on January 28, 2013, 04:26:44 AM

Cool tool!!, but not very sharp? more like a crimper? & why the teeth? are the cutter heads adjustable?  is that a wire/spring in the jaw? any photos of the top?
Thank you for sharing, very interesting...

Title: Re: Special wire cutters
Post by: thiggy on January 28, 2013, 09:29:11 PM

You sure it is not a wire stripper?

Title: Re: Special wire cutters
Post by: Branson on January 29, 2013, 08:06:53 AM

Quote from: thiggy on January 28, 2013, 09:29:11 PM

You sure it is not a wire stripper?

Very sure.  Piano tuners use a wide variety of pliers, as you can see at:

http://mshepherdpiano.com/Martin_Shepherd_Piano_Service/Piano_Pliers.html

Starrett still makes these -- see:

http://www.pianorepairtools.com/Starrett-Wire-Cutter.html

Why the teeth?  So that the cutting blades can be removed for sharpening, and adjusted when they've been sharpened enough to become too short to function well.

Piano wire is really tough stuff, hard and stiff.

Title: Re: Special wire cutters
Post by: thiggy on January 29, 2013, 10:08:15 AM

Wow, kinda pricey tool.

Title: Re: Special wire cutters
Post by: Bill Houghton on January 29, 2013, 07:44:26 PM

Boy, I'd sure rather find those in a garage sale than buy retail!

Title: Re: Special wire cutters
Post by: rusty on January 30, 2013, 06:01:57 PM

>Wow, kinda pricey tool.

Piano wire is very very very very very hard :P

The jaws on those cutters are just about the hardest steel object you will ever likely encounter...

>Boy, I'd sure rather find those in a garage sale than buy retail!

Oh, heck yes...:P

Title: Re: Special wire cutters
Post by: anglesmith on January 30, 2013, 08:30:15 PM

Thank you Branson for those links especially the Martin site, great reference.Those nippers are certainly dear, we don't often think in terms of high triple figures for new "hand" tools!
Graeme

Title: Re: Special wire cutters
Post by: oldtools on January 31, 2013, 12:26:03 AM

WOW!!  "Our price: $446.00 " Nice tool!! learned a lot, like the adjustable jaw blades that can be sharpened... Show more!!

Title: Re: Special wire cutters
Post by: john k on February 04, 2013, 09:12:55 PM

Just dug these out, thought the photo looked familiar.  L.S. Starret mark, 5 1/2.   Would I part with them for a few hundred dollars?   Let me think about 2 seconds on that, OK.