another use for flush cutters

I picked up a pair of inexpensive eurotools brand flush cutter for just over 10 dollars at a local beading shop for pin removal based on the thread posted recently in the workshop area.

I had some tiny flaps on my horsehide tony miller strop that have been bugging me but I was too worried about causing more damage by trying to cut them off with a razor blade. Turns out the flush cutter is a great tool for cutting off these little flaps of leather that I had on my strop. I cut the little flaps off and intend to sand the remaining stubble off with some sand paper as Tony suggested I do.

Though I would pass this quick and easy fix off to those that have unfortunately nicked their strops.

This flush cutters... they are only beveled on one side right, just ground level on the other? Because I've been looking for a pair and only found ones flush up until a bevel which is typically a couple mm deep and as such seems like it wouldn't work for most scale pins. Anyone know of a model # that is truly flush?

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Originally Posted by IanS

This flush cutters... they are only beveled on one side right, just ground level on the other? Because I've been looking for a pair and only found ones flush up until a bevel which is typically a couple mm deep and as such seems like it wouldn't work for most scale pins. Anyone know of a model # that is truly flush?

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Back side is flat. perfect flat.

pictures should help

Thanks, that's what I thought. Smaller hardware shops have scaled back hand tool selection a TON since lowes and HD started moving in. I'm going to have to check out one of those two for a pair it seems.

You should still be able to find em at sears if you got one in the area.

Sadly no, sears hardware was the first place I looked. Almost entirely paint and appliances these days. A couple aisles of power tools, a single aisle for all the hand tools. I'd shop online but nowhere I can find shows pics of the backside of flush cutters (wierd since that's the important side), so I can't confirm if they're actually flush or the 2 sided "flush" that I've been finding. I'll swing by the local Lowes sometime next week.

Sadly, even Sears is thinning there selection. However, the last time I was there they had them near the soldering irons.
I bough mine a few years back f the mac truck... Ouch is all I can say about that. RS electronics carry them also.
Most flush cutters are not meant for cutting metal, Mac,Snapon actually have this in their catalog.

I made my own pair of flush cutters out of a cheap pair of wire cutters. I just ground down one edge until the bevel was just a flush edge and then polish it up. For scale removal they work fantastic.

One of the members recently posted that he found a usuable flush cutter at Harbor Freight. Hopefully the quality would be good enough for brass pins etc. Hope this helps you............

Jerry
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I managed to find a flush cutters at Lowe's packed at snips with some needle nosed pliers (even though they are labeled as snips they do have one flushed side). I have not used these on a razor or strop because I just got them yesterday.

They're made by Cobalt and I dunno what that extra piece of metal in the jaws was intended for, but it seems to keep the piece you are cutting off from shooting across the room. It just wedges the waste in the jaws so you don't loose it. Maybe that is what they intended.

So, if you don't want to order on line, check Lowe's if you have one in the area.

Haha, I was at lowes yesterday. Saw that exact set, but couldn't tell in the package if they were flush (the nonflush side was forward). Spent 10mins looking at the two sections cutters were kept in and finally gave up. Good to know they'd work. Shame they're bundled with pliers I don't need though. I'll probably grab em anyway. Thanks.

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Originally Posted by IanS

Haha, I was at lowes yesterday. Saw that exact set, but couldn't tell in the package if they were flush (the nonflush side was forward). Spent 10mins looking at the two sections cutters were kept in and finally gave up. Good to know they'd work. Shame they're bundled with pliers I don't need though. I'll probably grab em anyway. Thanks.

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I had the exact same issue trying to figure out if they were flush, probably spent 20m standing there. Finally said "F it, only one way to find out". Also figured the extra cost of the pliers would be the same as the shipping if I ordered the flush cutters online.