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Bought these side cutters a couple of weeks ago, only used them tonight on 1/16th brass rod ( for pins) the edges of the cutters are like putty, you can see right through the gaps... absolute rubbish, does anyone have a recommendation for decent flush cutters, these were quite cheap but the quality is really terrible, don't buy MTC brand made in Japan.
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I was thinking knipex, had knipex tools before but they are expensive for the small job I will be asking for, they run about £28 and I'm not sure about their flush cut abilities, I will look at Banco, I know they are quality too.
 
I would normally agree with that, but as I probably only cut around a dozen or so pins a year it is not really cost effective, I will need something mid price range I think. If it was for work and using it everyday there would be no problem paying the price
 
I have a pair of end cutting nippers marked as "V&F". Can't remember where I bought them. Either a bona fide fret wire cutting tool from Stewmac in the US or just something cheap from Ebay.
 
The one time I've done this, I found it easier to cut the pin a little big then trim it to size in place. It's hard to measure out the perfect length exactly and if you get it wrong it could take a while to bash the end down.
 
Wouldn't a small cold chisel do the job if you finish the pin end with a small file?
You really only want about 1mm/1.5mm to peen, a cold chisel won't be that accurate, and it is a wee bit overkill, even cheap cutters should manage 1/16th brass rod without any problems....but they don't.
 
Went for knipex at £24
Knipex are always reliable, and their plier/wrenches are superb.

My personal favourite maker, who is British, is Maun Industries (https://www.maunindustries.com/). I have Maun pliers, cutters, and other tools that I bought years ago, many of which were in the seagoing essentials toolkit that I had aboard my commercial fishing vessel, and which survived that harsh environment. Latterly, I use Maun tools when repairing/restoring melodeons, which requires precision cutting, holding etc. Not cheap, but I reckon that if I buy a tool at a premium, but it gives me decades of impeccable use, then it has more than paid me back.
 
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