Strong, sharp, will bite off a finger if careless. Cuts like a knife when opened. And I've used them many times to cut metal frames. And drill small holes in drywall. Oh, and there are two sizes of stripping notches for quickly stripping small wires (22-26 gauge). I've had three pairs in 15 years, always lost, never boring or broken. Low-voltage technology, I have it on my hip or in my arm all day.