Micro Nippers - Standard

If you're looking for a precision-made tool that will last, perhaps trying to avoid paying 'big name' prices, then these Engineer branded cutters are what you're looking for. There is a plethora of cheap tools on the market and whilst some are easy to discount by the discerning buyer simply because they're offered at ridiculously low prices you should also beware that a high asking price is not always a sure guide to inherant quality. More than a few originally cheap ones are being passed off as 'Pro' tools, and some by big name companies. Based on my own examination these Engineer NS-04 cutters stand out for several reasons: They possess finely finished, accurately-ground jaws with a nice symmetrical profile and close tolerance joint mechanics. They utilise a coil spring to aid jaw opening instead of leaf springs which can soon slip out of position, and a cool little device to limit jaw opening when working on tight PCBs with little space between components. The jaws are correctly hardened before final finish grinding (they pass the 'Paperclip' test with flying colours - i.e., cut a steel paperclip and look closely for any deformation of the cutting edges). Further, the cutting edges are precisely aligned - no gaps evident for the whole cutting length when closed so these will cut well right at the very tips. The jaw design is flush-cutting (no bevel on the plain cutting side). In fact, all the essential features a pro user needs with the added benefit of avoiding paying stupid prices for a premium brand name - and that's the Big Win with these because they're priced somewhere between 1/2 and 1/3 the price of similar premium branded tooling. I would put these up against the very best and the only downside is the very limited range of designs offered under the Engineer brand name. Companies like CK and Knippex offer many more models to choose from which suit more specialised requirements so you can't kit out your full toolset with this brand. Pity. I have added a few photos of my own to the original advert. Needless to say - highly recommended :)

After many years, my faithful Lindstom side cutters broke – OK, I abused them so it was my fault. But the replacement price was horrendous – about £60. So I decided to try these Engineer side-cutters at a fraction of the price. And I am extremely pleased with my choice. They are high quality, with sharp and precise alignment, excelling in so many areas. I highly recommend these Engineer side-cutters – well made, excellent value and top quality. My first test was to see how close the cutting edges were aligned by shining a light through the blades whilst closed – and they were 100% perfect along the full length of the cutting edges. Then I tried cutting a single sheet of normal 80gr photocopier paper – and they did, to my amazement! Even my Lindstrom side cutters wouldn’t do that. And they feel so much better than my Lindstrom side-cutters – the spring mechanism is positive and the plastic handles are very comfortable. Plus – they are ESD safe – meaning they are safe from electrostatic discharge, so I can repair my processor board in my B&O amplifier without risk of destroying the ESD-sensitive chip. And finally, the all important stamp on the steel – “Made in Japan”. That means pro quality. See how Nikon’s reputation was damaged when they built a factory in China? Thankfully they closed the factory because of quality problems and returned the production to Japan.

Nice pair of cutters. I use them mostly for flush cutting cable ties at work and they cut flush and leave a nice smooth edge. Main issue I would say is with the adjustable opening feature I don't think it works very well and especially not to keep them close when stored in the tool bag. Wouldn't be an issue apart from them being sprung so that means they're usually always open so have to be careful when storing so there's no risk of cutting or jabbing your hand when rummaging in your bag

Had these a while now , so can comment with the assurance these are very good quality , I mainly use these for cutting fine wire and cable ties ( tie wraps) these are perfect for the cable ties where you can cut as close as necessary to prevent that poor cut and sharp edges that catch people out in a poorly cut tie wrap , after the cut you can rub it and it is smooth no sharp bits , excellent for my line of work , recommend these cutters a lot

wow! Just wow. I have always, in the past, just bought the cheap made in china side cutters that are made by the million for chinese manufacturys to use. They cost 2 or 3 quid each, are not lovely to use, and serve for a few months, before the edge is irredeemably ruined. Thes cost 5 or 6 times more. but they have, at a guess, a joy quotient of 200%, and if they, as I suspect the shall, last 2 or 3 times longer than the cheap ones that means my corrected price, with the JQ and the increased longevity, factored in, ends up being the same as the price of the cheap ones. This is especially amazing when i consider that the utility/cost ratio, for me, scales non-linearly. So A tool costing 40% more has to be 1.6x better, in my personal value heuristic framework. As i think the utility ration increases with the 3rd power. Or i may be full of nonsense? But anyway, I love the pliers. If anyone is interested in my tool value formula, here it is - V=C(L⋅JQ)3​ Where: V is the Total Value. L is Longevity (how much longer it lasts). JQ is the Joy Quotient (the "feel" of the tool). C is the Cost.

The 'Engineer' brand is used for a number of tools that are designed to meet professional and technical users. Purchasers can be confident that they are buying a quality tool that is made to achieve a task easily and reliably and also to last for many years. They are Japanese-made and should not be confused with the much lower-priced Chinese products which may sometimes appear to be very similar. The Chinese versions came in several brands and always sell for very low prices. I have purchased several tools of the brand after first being introduced to them many years ago by a technician whose entire work kit was based on the brand and supplied at some expense by his employer, a Japanese-owned company. Although more expensive, they will provide years of use rather than being discarded after a few uses which can be expected when buying lesser products. It is small, at about 6-inches overall, but will tackle the same jobs as easily as a larger tool of lower quality. The handles are sprung and return to open by default. There is a small metal stop to limit the opening of its jaws beyond an acceptable extent. The handles are hard but comfortable in the hand. Recommended.

I've been using cheap, throwaway snips for ages and decided to treat myself to some nice ones - the difference is colossal... Buy them!

Superbly engineered from very high quality steel. Expensive but worth the money. I use these very often and they are just as sharp as the day I got them. A pleasure to use.

Utensile di ottima fattura, resistente ed efficace

Petite pince coupante de très grande qualité. Usinage super précis: pas de filet de lumière qd vous refermez la pince sans appuyer. Le point principal intéressant par rapport à d'autres marques de qualité c'est que la coupe est vraiment à ras. Il n'y a pas de petit chanfrein côté extérieur. Un autre point que je trouve agréable ce sont les branches assez minces avec leur revêtement. Je recommande !

Super petite pince coupante, très solide, coupe très fine et précise. Envoi rapide. Merci.

Not much to say - an excellent tool, sharp and precise. Pricy, but goods things never come cheap.

細かい場所にまで刃が入り使いやすいです。 細かいですがそこそこ切断力もあります。 #22以上の太い電線を切ったり、ラグ板を使うような工作には向いてませんが、通常のIC工作には最適かと思います。 あえて欠点をいえば切れ味が良すぎて部品のリード線をチョッキンするとパチーンと勢いよく飛んでいきます。 なまくらニッパーに慣れていると買い替えた時に危険なので注意してください（笑