Clearance Lee Valley NWS Straight & Offset Combination Pliers

The German firm NWS (Nöthen Werkzeuge Solingen) makes tools that are widely recognized in Europe for exceptional quality, innovation and performance.

Though primarily designed for working with wire and cable, these sturdy pliers have a much wider variety of uses. They are available in a conventional straight design or with the head offset at 60° to the handles. The offset shape permits a comfortable pistol grip that sets the wrist in a natural position while keeping your hand out of the line of sight – a real advantage in many situations, such as when reaching into a recess to extract wires or cables.

Both styles have inside jaw surfaces that are divided into six zones, each suited to a different range of tasks. Starting at the jaw tips, the first 1/16″ section has smooth surfaces that meet flush, followed by a fine-toothed section, both providing a firm grip on various materials. The tapered gap in the middle of the jaws (sometimes called a “burner hole”) serves as a wrench; teeth on either side are set with opposing bias for a solid grip on round materials up to 7/8″ in diameter.

Next to the hinge, the robust 11/16″ long side-cutter has induction-hardened, double-bevelled edges capable of cutting cable, nails, screws or hardened wire up to 2.5mm (approx. 3/32″). The jaw recess opposite the side-cutters also has a pattern of points and flats to engage nuts or bolts from 1/2″ to 7/8″. A small slot near the jaw tips serves as a nail holder, used to steady a nail to drive it in a hard-to-reach spot.

The offset pliers are about 8 3/4″ long overall with a jaw capacity of 7/8″, a built-in handle-return spring for easy one-handed operation, and a simple locking tab to keep the jaws closed in storage. The conventional straight version is 8″ long with a jaw capacity of 1 3/16″.