Electrician's Scissors

Warning: These are extremley sharp and dangerous tools!

One has to pay attention, and not take for granted that just because these are "scissors" they are not dangerous.

A person did not heed my warning, or those of others, and lost the tip of a finger using my Panduit electrician scissors.

Here is a picture I snagged in a hurry off the first site I came to , to show what I am speaking of to those not familiar with electrician scissors.

http://www.twacomm.com/catalog/model_PT-T02.htm

Many of you in Information Technology, Voice & Data Cabling, and of course Electricians are familiar with these.

My personal favorites are Panduit, Jameson and Fluke.
These are what I had, and have used. At some point I need to replace mine.


These are designed to cut!
They cut AWG from 19 -34 extremely well as this is what they are designed to do.
They will continue to remain sharp, and cut very very well!


I highly recommend everyone have a pair of these, and add to their tools in the tool box.
And not just a "physical tool box" also part of the tools in the tool box for staying safe.


These are not toys, instead dangerous tools, just as knives and firearms are.
Therefore, one must apply Safety in the owning of, and use of these electrician scissors.


In a serious situation, one might have to actually use these to cut wire as designed for in IT, Voice Data, or Electrical use as designed.
Such as Cat 3 , or Cat 5e cabling.

Improvise. Adapt, Overcome.

Here is why I do not have my nice Panduit, or Jameson's anymore.

i.e. Tornadoes, and with more storms approaching.
We needed a battery, and the owner of the vehicle crushed and totaled gave persmisson for us to take thier battery.

The equipment needing a battery had been hit by debris, and that battery was literally hanging by the Neg battery cable.

I used my Panduits, to cut jumper cable to make a field expedient battery cable splice.
I cut through jumper cables, twisted the wires together, cut a garden hose in half, then slit it to cover this "splice" and electrical tape and surgical tape was used to wrap this.


My bandage scissors (see other thread) were tossed to others for seat belt, and first aid uses, and whatever else.

My spare pair of electrician scissors, [Jameson] were handed to someone else, and she used them to cut chicken wire, and heavier gauge fence...

I was using mine to cut screens off windows and doors and and using rocks, bricks, whatever to bust a window to gain access.

My leather sheath was used for a field expedient "splint" for a hand/finger injury using cellophane tape.

Serious situation, and one does what needs doing, fast, and we only had minimal tools.

Panduit and Jameson were left on scene as help arrived.
First Responders showed up, and best guess my electrical scissors, and other items, were left with victims, or given to First Responders.
Not important, as me and mine had other roles to do.


I only share that to give a real idea what a serious situation can be like.
I am nobody, and just was there with like kind.

Point is, while we have nice knives, and other tools that are truly good tools; we also have some over-hyped tools being marketed.

Some serious tools for serious situations include those tools designed for tasks such as bandage scissors, and electrician's scissors.

Electrician scissors are not "inexpensive" , they are top notch quality tools.
I forget, still I want to say Panduit ran me about $40, the Jameson about $30.

Do not scrimp on these electrician scissors, as I have used other brands, and while they worked, they were not the quality of other brands.

One may never get into a serious situation with these scissors, still if one does "better to have it and not need it, that to need it and not have it" adage applies to having a pair, and a good pair at that.


Get a quality sheath!
I prefer leather, and mine were.
Still the full flap is a good one, both for not losing, and for safety reasons.


Steve

Think out of the box.

-One may find themselves in setting where weapons are not allowed.
Knowing what a pair of electricians are, and how sharp they are, might be a useful tool in staying safe.

-One might need to keep a quality knife preserved, for tasks a knife is better at doing than scissors.
Therefore using electrician scissors, bandage scissors, sewing scissors, and even plain old scissors for a task, might be best for primary cutting duties.

-Fact is, electrician scissors are going to be better at some cutting tasks than a knife.

I don't want folks to get fixated on "knife" as being a Magic Talisman.
Just as I don't want folks getting fixated on "gun" or any other physical item as a Magic Talisman.

Folks are often impeded by fixation.

packarat,

Snips is what we called them.
Just for the test sponsored by Panduit, the correct answer was "electrician's scissors".

Snips we were told comes from the fact folks have and will continue to snip off tips of fingers or snip off other parts of themselves or others.

Like I warned about, these suckers are sharp!

Now...<whistle and looks away> folks ask about being safe and "improvised" tools or "expedient" tools.

If one has a legit reason, such as one in the business that does IT, VDC, Phone, or any other Electrical work, they know these scissors are "useful"

As are the skinning knife and even a punch down tool.

My sharing is again to educate folks to pay attention to surroundings and if they know what these scissors, skinning knife, and punch down tool are, and a situation comes up, they too are able to use these effectively.

i.e No Weapons setting, and shots fired, and the Electrician is shot dead with that sheath on his/her belt.
If one were to get that sheath, they are armed to assist in evading , and evacuating this situation.

They may not be able to get to a gun, on the dead Security Guard, as that would expose them to danger...
The sheath with scissors might be the best tool they can get to safely.


Think out of the box...

Arf,

Get the wife a pair of shell fish pliers, like restaurants have for cracking lobster, and crabs.

Now, when she cracks the shell, and starts to grunt cutting the shell with the scissors...

I assure you the electrician scissors will zip right through that shell.

*blink*

She will no longer think you have slipped a cog.
Oh I'd fix an old lamp cord later on, just to show how well the electrician's scissors cut a new cord.

Plan on buying the wife a pair of electrician's scissors.
If you don't she will steal yours.