These are originally designed as Kitchen Shears, meant to cut through varying thicknesses with precission. The also come apart at the pivot point, in case they need to be cleaned.PLEASE NOTE: We used to sell a fantastic set of Rope Shears a long time ago (the ones mentioned by Michael Finney on his DVD). Unfortunately they no longer make those Shears, so they have been off the market for several years now. We have been looking for a replacement for a while now, but we have been unable to find something that works as well as they old ones, at a reasonable price. These cutters, we feel, do fit that bill. They are very sharp, and will cut reliably. They are not as aesthetically pleasing to the eye as the old ones used to be, but that's the one minus we could find. For the price, you cannot go wrong!