Tin snips

[bonneyman]

I've got alot of different snips. As I recall a company called Klenk were the inventors of the modern day hand-held tool we call snips. I've seen them, but never used or owned any. They look bulky and crude, but that could mean they're strong.
Some call them aviation snips (their first wide usage was for airplanes apparently), others metal snips or tin snips. As the older generation sheet metal workers were known as "tin knockers", I'm used to calling them tin snips.

Here's some Malco's.

[bonneyman]

Some Wiss examples. Top to bottom: double cuts (best for jobs that are thick metal or one doesn't have room to maneuver the snip around), straight cut, right cut, left cut.

[bonneyman]

Some Lenox snips that were gifted to me. Have started using them - dang, they feel nice and cut great! Fast becoming my favorite.

[bonneyman]

I do have some PEXTO shears around the shop somewhere, and I used to use MIDWEST snips almost exclusively (but don't have any to show right now). I'll have to do some digging.

[kwoswalt99]

I do have some PEXTO shears around the shop somewhere, and I used to use MIDWEST snips almost exclusively (but don't have any to show right now). I'll have to do some digging.

I’m sure most of us here has an old pair of Pexto shears lying around somewhere lol.

[fatfillup]

I see more Wiss then anything.

Get lots of Malco siding tools though.

Using tin snips is like using most any other tool, you have to use them a lot to get good at it.  I have cut very little sheet metal and my cuts show it.

[bonneyman]

I see more Wiss then anything.

Get lots of Malco siding tools though.

Using tin snips is like using most any other tool, you have to use them a lot to get good at it.  I have cut very little sheet metal and my cuts show it.

There's a special knack to using snips correctly (I don't even know how to do it). But I've heard there's a how-to on the web somewhere. I'll try and find it and post it.

[hickory n Steel]

My only pair are those yellow WISS.

I do have some TASK FORCE. ( Lowes ) shear style tin snips I found somewhere but they don't work at all and I've not thrown them away yet because I'd have to find them first.

[strik9]

I picked up a Wiss copy labeled American Tool Exchange.  Straight cut as I only wanted one.  More or less useful got the l-r cuts with finess.
   Then a old unknown brand long handled traditional style snip for long cuts to reduce blood sacrifice the the tin gods.

  Both have been excelent users in several rather large home projects like the alu sheet shop window, bike cargo box and tool boxes (most long since moved on).

   Dad was a sheet metal journeyman and had a hundred used trios of tin snips dropped in a deep bottom drawer that I suspect he wore out.  He always replaced all of them at once.    After he retired he stored them for years more.  I bet some of the guys in the Wiscoldsin area will be seeing some of those sooner or later.