Lineman's pliers

Lineman's pliers

Lineman's pliers, showing wire cutter below the gripping jaws
Other names	combination pliers, Kleins (US/CAN), nines
Classification	hand tool
Related	pliers

Lineman's, linesman's (US English), linesman pliers (Canadian English), combination pliers, or side-cutting pliers are a type of pliers used by electricians and other tradesmen primarily for gripping, twisting, bending and cutting wire and cable. Linemen's pliers owe their effectiveness to their plier design, which multiplies force through leverage. Lineman's pliers have a gripping joint at their snub nose and cutting edge in their craw. Some versions include either an additional gripping or crimping device at the crux of the handle side of the pliers' joint. Lineman's pliers typically are machined from forged steel and the two handles precisely joined with a heavy-duty rivet that maintains the pliers' accuracy even after repeated use under extreme force on heavy-gauge wire. Lineman's pliers usually have grips for better handling than bare metal handles; the grips may also provide insulation for protection against electric shock when working with live circuits, although most models are marked as not listed for such use. Some pliers are certified to withstand a specified voltage, e.g. 1000V.

Like most hand tools the durability and useful working life of linemen's pliers vary greatly according to load, frequency of use and the specific design and quality of the tool. Linemen's pliers may be forged out of alloyed or unalloyed tool steel. For basic quality pliers unalloyed tool steel with a relatively low carbon content of 0.45% may be used. Top-quality pliers are typically made from higher carbon tool steel and alloyed with elements such as chrome, vanadium and molybdenum. In addition to being suitable cutting soft copper and aluminum, pliers may be specifically designed for cutting hardened wire, such as piano wire or nails, by induction hardening of the cutting edges.

Lineman's pliers cut, bend, and may be used to strip wire insulation or cable jackets. As with most pliers and scissors or shears, lineman's pliers apply most force closest to the pivot-point of the two handles so, for larger materials, the closer the wire or cable is to the joint or 'craw' of the pliers, the easier and cleaner the cut will be. The closer the cutting edge is to the pivot axis, the greater the cutting force.