Slip Joint Pliers

Where other pliers are specialists, slip joints are generalists. They may not beat other pliers at specific tasks or jobs, but they are one of the most useful and versatile tools you can have lying around to twist, tighten, pull or grip as well as a myriad of other household tasks. The advantage of these pliers is that they have a pivot that can adjust its jaw size, allowing you to work with objects of varying sizes. We researched different surprising ways tool lovers use slip-joints to provide some extra inspo: As a nutcracker (specifically for walnuts) De-bearding mussels before cooking Husking corn hot off the grill Ripping tape off of cardboard boxes As a makeshift pry bar Tweezers or forceps in a pinch Pulling stuff out of boiling water (like canning jars) Opening bottle tops and stubborn lids Picking up dirty diapers (?!) If those aren't enough to convince you, American World War II veteran and Olympic distance runner Louis Zamperini killed a shark with a pair of slip-joint pl