Pincers facts for kids

Parts of a pincer
1. cutting edge, 2. pivot
3. handle 4. grip

Pincers are a hand tool used in many situations where a mechanical advantage is required. They are used to pinch, cut or pull an object. Pincers are first-class levers. Pincers differ from pliers in that the concentration of force is either to a point, or to an edge at a right angle to the handle of the tool. This allows pincers to be brought close to a surface. This is often helpful when removing nails from wood. Pincers are often called end-nippers or end-cutters. Carpenter's pincers are very well suited to these tasks. Pincers are primarily used for removing objects out of a material.

Pincers, often red-hot, have been used as an instrument of torture since the middle ages or earlier.

Pliers are a similar tool with a different type of head used for squeezing, rather than cutting and pulling.

Images for kids

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  Carpenter's pincers.

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  Medieval pincers found in Hamburg-Harburg (15th/16th century)