Lineman's pliers

Lineman's pliers

Lineman's pliers. This pair features, from top to bottom: gripping jaws, wire cutter, notch for pulling fish tape, crimper for different terminal connections, and rubber-coated handles.
Other names	Kleins (US/CAN), nines
Classification	Hand tool
Related	Pliers

Lineman's pliers (US English), Kleins (genericized trademark, US usage), linesman pliers (Canadian English), side cutting linesman pliers^[1] and combination pliers (UK / US English) are a type of pliers used by lineworkers, electricians, and other tradespeople primarily for gripping, twisting, bending and cutting wire, cable, and small metalwork components. They owe their effectiveness to their plier design, which multiplies force through leverage.

Lineman's pliers are distinguished by a flat gripping surface at their snub nose. Combination pliers have a shorter flat surface plus a concave / curved gripping surface which is useful in light engineering to work with metal bar, etc. Both usually have a bevelled cutting edge similar to that on Diagonal pliers in their craw, and each may include an additional gripping, crimping, or wire shearing (for a flat ended cut) device at the crux of the handle side of the pliers' joint.

Designed for potentially heavy manual operation, these 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. They 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. 1000 V.

Some glass shops use a variation of these pliers as well.^[2]