Precision Compact Side Cutters, Professional Grade, ESD Safe with Hardened Carbon Steel Jaws (PCB Side Snips). Made in Japan. ENGINEER ns-04

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.

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 :)

These are a lovely set of cutters, certainly well made with an eye for detail.My only reason for marking them down to 4 stars is because the opening restrictor needs rethinking it looks very much like an after thought.

I wish it weren't such a rarity, but these snips are the only "flush-cut" snips I've ever found whose jaws genuinely meet perfectly and cut truly flush. I've bought professional tools from every respected brand and none of them come close.They're not made for heavy-gauge work or anything, but for tidying up fine electronic or electrical work (or trimming cable-ties perfectly flush) they're the only snips I trust.

Fits perfectly in the hand and gives a nice flush cut on every tie ive used them on. The build quality is definitely there and if used correctly i can see these lasting my whole career.

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.

These form part of my toolkit for work, they are used numerous times every day.They are very high pression, the blades meet perfectly, there is no side to side slop. They are a professional tool, had them now for 5 months, still like new.They are so sharp that I regularly lacerated my hand when delving into my pockets. 🤣

These cutters are shear quality and precision. They leave a very clean cut and are very comfortable in the hand.