Well, it depends on the thickness of the metal. I had a piece of steel about 1/2mm thick and it literally felt like cardboard paper with a pair of scissors. It was tough with 1mm thick steel, but with a few pulls and a little effort it cut clean. It is best not to damage the blade. Still looks like new and in good condition. Good old USA steel *NOTE* for those complaining of tool scratches. "Really scratches?" but sure. Please see how "Punching" works. basically superheated metal is repeatedly hammered into a mold to give it shape. The process creates very strong steel, but the process involves repeated hammering, and of course it creates less "uniform" looking cuts compared to your average pair of casts that look perfectly out of shape, but you know which pair will last longer.