Klein Tools D230-4C Diagonal Cutting Pliers, Electronics Nickel Ribbon Wire Cutter, 4-Inch

That is what they're built for. The cutting knives on the D230-4C are hardened to HRC60 specifically to cut nickel ribbon, and they're induction-hardened for edge life. The cut is semi-flush, so expect a small pip left on the wire end rather than a dead-flat cut. For battery tab and ribbon work that's the tradeoff you want, since a full-flush edge on that hard a material gives up durability.

Overall length is 4.26 inches with a 2.75 inch handle, and the jaw is only 0.5 inch long, 0.438 inch wide and 0.25 inch thick. The long-nose diagonal shape plus short jaws and beveled edges let you get down into a populated board or a crowded enclosure and cut close to the work. The whole tool weighs 0.12 lbs, so it's a pocket or pouch tool, not a panel tool.

The tip cutting knife runs 3/16 inch (5 mm). That's the working edge you use when you're reaching past components to nip a lead, and it's why the tool suits fine electronics work rather than bulk wire. Jaw capacity is 0.703 inch, so the jaws open wide enough to straddle a small bundle, but the cut itself should be one small conductor at a time.

They do. The D230-4C is spring loaded for self-opening, which matters if you're making hundreds of cuts in a shift on a production bench or in a panel build. The hot-riveted joint keeps the action smooth with no handle wobble as the tool wears in.

No, this one is not tether capable. There's no tether hole or attachment point on the D230-4C, so for elevated work where dropped-object control is required by site rules, pick a tool from Klein's tether-ready line instead.

Steel throughout, forged in the USA from custom US-made tool steel, with the knives induction hardened. That matters for buyers with domestic-sourcing requirements on tool purchases, and it's the reason the edges hold up against nickel ribbon.

By the handles. The D230-4C uses light blue plastic-dipped grips, which Klein uses so you can pick the right cutter out of a drawer of similar-looking pliers at a glance. Useful if you're standardizing a bench or a shared tool crib. Order by MPN D230-4C.