The blades should be sharp and strong, so they can cut metal and other tough materials. The blades can come in different lengths and designs, depending on their intended use, including long cut, offset and bulldog blades.
Usually one or both of the blades will have a serrated edge, which helps to grip the material as they cut. These serrations will usually leave a slightly perforated edge.
Aviation snip pivot bolt
This bolt keeps the blades in the correct alignment, ensuring they are able to cut effectively. This bolt can be adjusted to ensure the blades pivot past each other correctly. The blades may need adjusting if the tool is not cutting correctly.
Aviation snip inkage screws
These screws connect the two levers together. This double pivoting system and the extra linkage points are what give aviation snips their compound action. This increases the leverage of the tool, so it can cut through tougher materials with less force on the handles. For more information see: How do aviation snips work?
Aviation snip handles
The handles are used in the same way as scissors. They operate the pivots which, in turn, moves the blades. These are often colour coded to indicate the direction they are designed to cut in, with yellow being straight, red – left and green – right.
Aviation snip grips
The grips are an additional feature, which should stop the user’s hand slipping towards the blades. These should also make the tool more comfortable to hold.
Aviation snip locking latch
Another additional feature is the latch, which can simply be clicked on when the tool is not in use to keep the blades locked shut.
