Do you really need utility shears? Or can you get by with standard scissors? They may look the same, and while either can tackle basic jobs, they aren’t created equal! Let’s talk about Five Things You Can Cut with Utility Shears featuring Crescent Tools.
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Five Things You Can Cut with Utility Shears
Don’t let the similar style appearance fool you, there really is nothing like a good pair of utility Shears when you’re cutting tough materials. In fact, Manufacturers like Crescent Tools have at least a dozen different styles all designed to tackle the day-to-day cutting needs of different trades.
The reality is that whether you’re a pro working on-site, or a homeowner looking to tackle things around the house, a good pair of utility shears is a must have. A personal favorite of mine is these from Crescent Tools. Here are a few things I have routinely used these Shears to cut over the last few months and why you may just find adding these to your daily routine makes life a lot easier!
Plastic Sheeting
I used thick plastic sheeting for a recent build. Similar to the plastic used on greenhouses, it’s a thick material at around 9 mm that cuts well as long as you use sharp blades while doing so. I made a few attempts with standard craft scissors and found them getting stuck and catching constantly. Thankfully, I was able to grab the Shears instead and it became a super easy project!
So even if you’re working with a simple material, sometimes a quick switch of the tool can give you a bit more power to get the job done.
Landscape fabric
Landscape fabric or weed barrier is a great tool for landscaping projects, you can save yourself a lot of future labor by laying down a weed barrier prior to installing new beds or gardens. Landscape fabric comes in a few forms, either cross-woven plastic that makes for a tough cut due to fraying edges and thicker overall material.
Once again, this material isn’t overly difficult to work with, but anywhere you can save yourself some hassle is a win in my book. Having the serrated blade allows better grip on the material. Thankfully, making it a breeze to cut using the Crescent Shears .
Double-sided Tape
I use a lot of double-sided tape, especially with woodworking, double sided tape is great for mounting templates to a workpiece. As well, products like roll flashing, duct tape, and the like are fairly routine for me to use. The one thing these products all have in common, is they are supremely difficult to cut.
Any time these products are cut, you’ll have adhesive build-up gather to some degree. The sharper the edge against the adhesive though the easier it will cut through. As well, the material the blades are made from makes a huge difference in how easy the adhesive is to clean off too. Because Crescent went with a titanium coated blade, their overall “stick” resistance is much better than others.
Wood Veneer
Through my projects, I am always utilizing wood veneer to make things. Whether in art, laser, or when making furniture, I seem to be cutting this material several times a week. On top of the veneer itself, there is usually a backing layer with adhesive, and often a masking layer to prevent damage to the veneer while being cut.
While obviously, Wood Veneer requires a lot of consideration to cut because of the different layers, what really makes it tricky is the veneer itself. Wood veneer is just really thin pieces of wood. With grain and figure playing the same role as it does in traditional lumber when it comes to cutting. Same concept applies, sharp blades and blades designed for your material will yield the best results. Out of all of the shears I have tried on veneer over the years including specialty shears, the Crescent Shears are the best I have found for wood veneer!
Zip Ties
The multipurpose wonder kid that is a zip tie are endlessly useful. If you’ve ever had a project where you were cutting a lot of them, your hands will definitely feel that at the end of the day. The Crescent Shears offer advantages for jobs like this. The serrated teeth hold the tie firmly in place, and the full metal core means you’re maximizing every ounce of your hand strength on every cut. You’ll quickly realize how good your shears make a huge difference in how your hands feel at the end of the day.
Tool Highlights
Five Things You Can Cut with Utility Shears
- 10 times the strength of traditional shears
- Titanium Coated blades are 3 times harder than steel
- Serrated Bottom of blades provide improved grip
- Full Metal core through handle Improves strength and durability
- Less effort required per cut
- Honed edges offer smooth cuts
Other Uses-
So I laid out my top five uses for these shears, but here are a few other things I have used these on!
- Meat- a steak lover’s dream, I can’t even tell you how often I have used these shears for cutting meat to go on the grill.
- Gardening, whether pruning or shaping, these shears are a great alternative to some dedicated garden tools and provide excellent cutting power.
- Ive used these to cut Corrugated Pipe for Drainage
- While I wouldn’t recommend this for metal flashing consistently, in a pinch they get the job done!
- Flexible Conduit for enclosing buried wire.
- Wire- does a great job in a pinch on both thinner gauge wire and multi-wire systems like Romex.
Wrap Up-
Five Things You Can Cut with Utility Shears
Like any tool, take care of them and they’ll take care of you. If you approach every project with an ultra-sharp edge, you’ll quickly learn the difference between good shears like these from Crescent, and the alternatives you were using before. Specifically, these Utility Shears have become my go-to for everyday use. From the shop to the tool belt to your home, you’d be hard pressed to find a more useful tool.