the.com/tin snips
Scissors that went to the gym and started cutting metal for fun.
means A hand tool shaped like heavy-duty scissors, used for cutting sheet metal, thin wire, and ductwork.
from Straightforward compound: 'tin' for the thin sheet metal (originally tin-plated steel) it was made to cut, and 'snip,' a word from the 1500s imitating the quick, small sound of a shearing cut. 'Tin snips' simply named the tool by its material and its action — no hidden story, just plain, honest English.
- real name
- aviation snips, despite having nothing to do with planes
- color code
- handle color signals cut direction: left, right, straight
- leverage trick
- compound hinge multiplies hand force many times over
- origin use
- named for cutting aluminum aircraft skin, not tin cans