$2 pliers

[highup]

Any clue what these are for?
Obviously for cutting wire, but these are a bit unusual. The jaws are designed to not completely close. There's about a 1/16" gap on the pier end
One side is flat and the other has an odd shape to it. I'm stumped as to it's purpose.

 

[C.J.]

Those are old lineman pliers. The back side is used for crimping. Some of the newer ones available have a funny U shape thing on the back side for crimping. Real men didn’t need that funny crimping shit back in the day, they just used their teeth.

 

[highup]

...and, that's the way we liked it!

 

[highup]

Old tools always seem superior to the new stuff. $2 seemed like a good buy for a good tool. There's 7 in long, and there's absolutely zero slop or slack in the movement.
Oh, the stories this old tool could tell.
Snip, snip, twist, twist.......
I'm sure some of the stories aren't good for young ears.

 

[Incognito]

Those are old lineman pliers. The back side is used for crimping. Some of the newer ones available have a funny U shape thing on the back side for crimping. Real men didn’t need that funny crimping shit back in the day, they just used their teeth.

then why don't they close?

 

[DarisMulkin]

then why don't they close?

Probably to grip the wires when twisting them together.

 

[highup]

Probably to grip the wires when twisting them together.

It took me a little bit to wrap my head around that same thought.
Open far enough to grab the wires but not to totally squish them. I've seen old worn out players before that didn't close, same with diagonal cutters. They seem to be a bit of an odd duck.

 

[highup]

A guy on The Garage journal was asking the same question about the gap so he sent a his question to Klein. He bought some of their pliers and he said all of them on the rack at the store had gaps.
Heres the reply from Klein: