Tools - Wire cutters

There are two types of wire cutters in my collection. Good ones and knackered ones.

The later (bottom in this photo in case you hadn't guessed) tend to be from general tool sellers and often are designed for electrical work. Fixing things to circuit boards required the component legs to be snipped off, ideally flush to the board. These small cutters aren't awfully expensive and yet have loads of uses on a model. Cutting brake cross wire under a wagon is the first thing that springs to mind but handrails and even separating parts from plastic sprues are others.

Eventually the edges look crinkle cut and you struggle to find a sharp section to do some snipping. At this point a sensible person would throw them away but I find they will soldier on for a wile longer.

The good set came from a shop in Birmingham's Jewelery Quarter and cost in the region of 20 quid. Even then I looked at the even better version at half as much again and wondered if they wouldn't be a wise investment. Wire cut with these is really flush to a surface and properly square ended. That saves a lot of filing and tidying up. The speed and flourish you can work at makes them worth the money. Mind you they don't get used when the cheaper/older versions will do.