blunt question

[tonyg]

Under what circumstances are blunt nose pliers an advantage over needle nose?

[Syncop8r]

Trying to access nuts in tight spaces is one.

[MusicMen]

In my line of work holding nuts, bolts and other larger metal parts where chain (needle) nose would twist.

[cody6268]

When you're twisting wire--i.e. in fencing, needlenose flexes quite a bit, and can even snap (i.e. ST300, last summer). That's part of the reason I bought a Schrade ST-6 and the blunt version of Utica Kutmaster's Multimaster.  My EDC pliers are linesman's pliers for this reason. I still have the LM Mini Tool on my belt should I need needlenose.

[tonyg]

this was pretty much my thinking.  Most of what I use a multi tool for, falls into this catagory.  And mostly, I don't find a needle nose that useful.  I was thinking about blunting the needle nose on my Rebar, but I'm not sure if it would adversely affect how the tool closes up.  Maybe I'll do a search in the Mods section.  thanks.

[detron]

such a misleading title,  I was let down when I started reading                just kidding

[derekmac]

Ask Grant about when he zapped himself working on his Jeep...

[carboncopy101]

I believe blunt nose is the plier to use for heavy duty requirements. Needlenose is for accurate for like in electronics or jewelry.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Ask Grant about when he zapped himself working on his Jeep...

I was just about to tell that story....

While out playing on some trails in my old Jeep, the starter wires came loose and I had to try and reconnect and tighten them with a Leatherman Blast.

It should have been called the Jolt because the needle nose was long enough to hit the opposite connection while turning each one and I got zapped a few times while doing it.

I would love to see more blunt nosed tools on the market.

Def

[Aloha]

this was pretty much my thinking.  Most of what I use a multi tool for, falls into this catagory.  And mostly, I don't find a needle nose that useful.  I was thinking about blunting the needle nose on my Rebar, but I'm not sure if it would adversely affect how the tool closes up.  Maybe I'll do a search in the Mods section.  thanks.

I blunted my Kick and no it does not close smoothly.  I have to finagle it to close.  Its not terrible but it would be nice if it were to close without fuss. 

[kaput]

this was pretty much my thinking.  Most of what I use a multi tool for, falls into this catagory.  And mostly, I don't find a needle nose that useful.  I was thinking about blunting the needle nose on my Rebar, but I'm not sure if it would adversely affect how the tool closes up.  Maybe I'll do a search in the Mods section.  thanks.

I blunted my Kick and no it does not close smoothly.  I have to finagle it to close.  Its not terrible but it would be nice if it were to close without fuss.

Why does "blunting" the pliers cause an issue of closing? Your not adding material into tight spaces?

I'm curious too 

[Poncho65]

this was pretty much my thinking.  Most of what I use a multi tool for, falls into this catagory.  And mostly, I don't find a needle nose that useful.  I was thinking about blunting the needle nose on my Rebar, but I'm not sure if it would adversely affect how the tool closes up.  Maybe I'll do a search in the Mods section.  thanks.

I blunted my Kick and no it does not close smoothly.  I have to finagle it to close.  Its not terrible but it would be nice if it were to close without fuss.

Why does "blunting" the pliers cause an issue of closing? Your not adding material into tight spaces?

I'm curious too 

I think it has to do with the way the pliers rest on the tools and when you change the length of the pliers it presses down at different points on the tools causing them to move around

Least that is my take on it

[Poncho65]

That or it being shorter it doesn't push the tools down in spots and causes it not to close as good

[tonyg]

Anybody here have experience with this after blunting a Rebar?

[ThePeacent]

not a Rebar, but I blunted my Fuse and my Gerber Pro Scout with a Dremel and no problems at all.
I don't know if it's the specific technique or model that matters, but I've seen members here blunting other tools (i.e. LM Surge) with success

[T.Sawyer]

not a Rebar, but I blunted my Fuse and my Gerber Pro Scout with a Dremel and no problems at all.
I don't know if it's the specific technique or model that matters, but I've seen members here blunting other tools (i.e. LM Surge) with success

Mmmm...blunt nose Surge


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Syncop8r]

https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,51510.msg898770.html#msg898770

[Syncop8r]

Check out this thread: https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,63856.msg1203871.html#msg1203871

Looking at the tape you can see it got a little warm on the first pass, no harm done though.

[gerleatherberman]

When I worked at a lamp restoration business, I found myself using a Gerber pinchy because I thought it was the only blunted plier MT at the time(three years I kept a red line blister on my palm), because my PST's fine needle jaws would twist when loosening nuts at the bottom of lamps. I carried a pinchy(for the nuts at the lamp base) and PST(for grabbing wire in lamp pipe in tight spaces) for years at the same time. Pst in sheath and pinchy in my back pocket. I needed both all the time, fifteen or more times a day while doing repairs while people waited in the front of the store, where I had to keep it looking like a showroom(no tool boxes). I think it all depends on what you need and when you need it.
I find myself carrying two different tools most of the time when I work. I have since gotten a rebar(awesome wire cutters) and mp600 bluntnose(for jaw twisting jobs) to replace the two older models.
Sometimes I wish I had my sog power lock for the tiny tiny spaces. The tips of the jaws are spectacularly fine. But, that is too heavy, so my front pocket has a pair of old red devil needle nose with a true needle sized tip.
I cannot think of any job where either one would have a massive advantage, but there are jobs that one would be preferred over the other.

[ThePeacent]

When I worked at a lamp restoration business, I found myself using a Gerber pinchy because I thought it was the only blunted plier MT at the time(three years I kept a red line blister on my palm), because my PST's fine needle jaws would twist when loosening nuts at the bottom of lamps. I carried a pinchy(for the nuts at the lamp base) and PST(for grabbing wire in lamp pipe in tight spaces) for years at the same time. Pst in sheath and pinchy in my back pocket. I needed both all the time, fifteen or more times a day while doing repairs while people waited in the front of the store, where I had to keep it looking like a showroom(no tool boxes). I think it all depends on what you need and when you need it.
I find myself carrying two different tools most of the time when I work. I have since gotten a rebar(awesome wire cutters) and mp600 bluntnose(for jaw twisting jobs) to replace the two older models.
Sometimes I wish I had my sog power lock for the tiny tiny spaces. The tips of the jaws are spectacularly fine. But, that is too heavy, so my front pocket has a pair of old red devil needle nose with a true needle sized tip.
I cannot think of any job where either one would have a massive advantage, but there are jobs that one would be preferred over the other.

I share some of your experiences and thoughts. I liked the Powerlock's super precise NN pliers a lot but I also couldn't carry it as a standalone tool because I often needed some shorter and blunter plier jaws.
But I didn't want to be without the Compound Leverage either as it was really helpful with the added force you get, so I thought I was completely lost on that one, until i discovered a Compound Leverage tool with blunt nosed pliers, the old and discontinued PowerPlier. Until then I used a Gerber MP600 or Spirit (Blunt Nose) and a Powrlock or Blacktip for the compound leverage.



After some search I could find not one but two of them ,from different years and with different toolsets, and now they're my primary carry at the garden.

Before:



Now:



not 100% blunt nose, but not so fine I worry about it (like the Spirit)   

[gerleatherberman]

Those are awesome. Thanks! Will have to keep my eyes peeled for a set. I work at an antique store / flea market where I do furniture restoration, so I am always finding great deals on tools!

[Aloha]

this was pretty much my thinking.  Most of what I use a multi tool for, falls into this catagory.  And mostly, I don't find a needle nose that useful.  I was thinking about blunting the needle nose on my Rebar, but I'm not sure if it would adversely affect how the tool closes up.  Maybe I'll do a search in the Mods section.  thanks.

I blunted my Kick and no it does not close smoothly.  I have to finagle it to close.  Its not terrible but it would be nice if it were to close without fuss.

Why does "blunting" the pliers cause an issue of closing? Your not adding material into tight spaces?

I'm curious too 

Ok let me restate my issue.  When I close my Kick and the pliers close on the knife side the blunted plier fall into the space just before the flat driver hitting the inside frame.  This caused them to not want to close.  If I urge the pliers to close on the phillips side then the blunted plier hits the phillips allowing the plier to slide on the Phillip closing the tool. 

[parnass]

A blunt nose pliers is more effective than a needle nose pliers when gripping a rod or a thin, flat object (e.g., sheet metal).