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Combination Pliers Forged: Ridged Jaws, Pipe Grip and Side Cutters
GTSPACE (Wikimedia Commons) · CC BY-SA 4.0
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14. October 2026NO
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Combination Pliers Forged: Ridged Jaws, Pipe Grip and Side Cutters

Combination pliers, also called lineman's pliers, do three jobs: ridged flat jaws grip, a rounded hollow behind them holds rods and pipes, and bevelled side cutters near the joint snip wire. A strong rivet joins the two forged halves. Forge them from tool steel, file the jaws, rivet them, and harden the jaws and cutters. The picture: an old, worn pair of combination pliers.
Advanced
Two days

Instructions

1

Forge the halves

Forge two mirror halves from tool steel: a jaw, a flat boss for the joint, and a long handle (our size: jaw 35 mm, handle 140 mm from the joint).

Materials for this step:

Octagonal Tool Steel BarOctagonal Tool Steel Bar0.4 kg
CharcoalCharcoal2 as required

Tools needed:

Blacksmith ForgeBlacksmith Forge
AnvilAnvil
Cross Peen HammerCross Peen Hammer
Blacksmith TongsBlacksmith Tongs
Welding GlovesWelding Gloves
Safety GlassesSafety Glasses
2

Shape the jaws

Anneal both halves. File each jaw flat with cross ridges at the tip, a rounded hollow behind it, and a bevelled cutting edge next to the joint, so the edges meet when the jaws close.

Tools needed:

Blacksmith ForgeBlacksmith Forge
Metal FileMetal File
Heavy Bench ViceHeavy Bench Vice
GrindstoneGrindstone
3

Rivet the joint

File the bosses to lap closely, drill them together, and set a strong steel rivet so the jaws close without play.

Materials for this step:

Steel RivetsSteel Rivets1 piece

Tools needed:

Hand DrillHand Drill
Heavy Bench ViceHeavy Bench Vice
Cross Peen HammerCross Peen Hammer
AnvilAnvil
4

Harden the jaws

Heat the jaws and cutters only to cherry red and quench in water. Polish them bright, warm the joint and quench when the cutters show straw (our temper).

Materials for this step:

WaterWater10 liters

Tools needed:

Blacksmith ForgeBlacksmith Forge
Quench BucketQuench Bucket
Blacksmith TongsBlacksmith Tongs
Welding GlovesWelding Gloves
Safety GlassesSafety Glasses
5

Hone and test

Hone the cutter bevels and try them on soft copper wire, then grip a rod in the hollow to check the jaws meet square.

Tools needed:

Whetstone 1000 GritWhetstone 1000 Grit
6

Force at the edges

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Materials

4

Tools Required

12

This blueprint makes

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Combination Pliers

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