I was trying to find a replacement for the old 3 inch metal pony clips to use in our garden for holding plastic in the greenhouse and row covers in raised beds . I can't find them, except for the sturdy ones that you can't even open with one hand. This is a pretty good alternative. For my purposes they actually work better with the plastic tips removed so I can better grip the wire guide on the greenhouse frame. They are easy to open with one hand. I assume that with plastic tips they will be very "sensitive" to brittle materials.