The best Slate scissors, compared.
Top pick: TSF SC01G slate cutter – Highest score: 5 mm, a 3.2 mm punch, and 4.4 from 101 reviews at about £37.95. Best value: Tooltime 320 mm slate cutter – Lowest shelf that still states a slate thickness, about £11.36, after the top pick is set. Updated October 2026.
Slate scissors, in the way UK merchants use the words, are a short-bladed shear for roofing slate, and the same tool is often sold as a slate cutter with a 3.2 mm hole punch. Venetian-blind slat cutters, tin snips, aviation snips, fibre-cement siding shears, and sheet-metal guillotines are other products and are not slate scissors. Judge listed thickness, whether a punch is printed, and whether you are on a bench or a roof. The [slate scissors buying guide](/hub/cutting-tools/slate-scissors/sub/slate-scissors-buying-guide) puts that order in one place. On amazon.co.uk this comparison keeps three tools: a handheld plier cutter with a punch, a handheld plier cutter without a punch, and a drill-mounted turbo shear.
Slate scissors, in the way UK merchants use the words, are a short-bladed shear for roofing slate, and the same tool is often sold as a slate cutter with a 3.2 mm hole punch.
11 products checked · 46 hrs invested · +16,800 readers
Swipe for more
1-2 of 3
Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What do you need the tool to do?
The TSF SC01G is a 945 g plier slate cutter that shears natural and fibre-cement tiles in 35 mm bites, with a listed 5 mm cap, a 3.2 mm punch, and a £37.95 amazon.co.uk price. Across 101 reviews at 4.4, UK buyers use it on porch repairs and synthetic valley cuts, and one note said two valleys came out quicker and cleaner than a grinder. The same file says the jaws can chip rather than cut, one verified review could not punch a hole in natural slate, and another needed two hands on the 32 cm span. Soft grips have started to come off, with one buyer gluing them back, and one handle broke on thin roof slate. The listing claims in-situ use and a lock for the bag, but that does not change work-at-height rules. In this set it is the top pick when you need a punch and a useful review count, and it is the wrong tool for slates thicker than 5 mm or for a long 4–8 mm run.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A few natural or fibre-cement cuts up to 5 mm, and you want nail holes from the same tool.
Less suitable: Slates over 5 mm, long 4–8 mm runs, or a job that needs only a cheap bench shear.
Specifications
Common questions
What thickness will the TSF SC01G cut?
The listing caps cutting thickness at 5 mm and names natural and fibre-cement slates. UK reviews praise synthetic cuts. One review said it chipped rather than cut, and another could not punch a hole in natural slate.
Does it punch nail holes?
Yes. The bullets list a 3.2 mm hole punch, usable up to 60 mm from the tile edge. One verified UK review could not make a hole in natural slate.
Do the grips stay on?
Several UK notes call the build decent. One reviewer glued the grips after they started to come off, and another said a handle broke on thin roof slate.
The Tooltime 320 mm spring-loaded cutter is the £11.36 entry listing, with a 6 mm maximum on natural slate and no hole punch in the file. Across 20 reviews at 4.0, one UK buyer said it coped with old roof slates but needed plenty of power on thicker pieces. Another said the frame twists on tiles. A third called the plastic grips useless, said they come off, and preferred the tool without them. The handles lock closed for the bag, which is the one storage feature the listing does print. Twenty ratings are a thin sample next to TSF’s 101. In this set it is the best value for a few bench cuts on old slates if you already have a hammer spike for holes, and it is a weak buy if you need a printed punch or a frame that will not twist.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Old slates on a bench, under 6 mm, when you will hole them another way.
Less suitable: Valley work that needs a punch, thick heavies, or a cutter you will lean on all week.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the Tooltime cutter punch nail holes?
No punch is listed. The bullets cover a 320 mm spring-loaded cutter, a lock for storage, and a 6 mm maximum.
Will it cut thicker old slates?
The listing maximum is 6 mm. One UK review said it coped with old roof slates but needed plenty of power on thicker pieces. Another said the frame twists on tiles.
Do the grips stay on?
One UK review called the plastic grips useless, said they come off, and preferred the tool without them.
The Malco TSNS1 is a drill-mounted turbo shear at £247.83, listed for straight, angled, or curved cuts in 4–8 mm natural roofing slate, with a replaceable blade and skid. Across 38 reviews at 3.7, a UK roofer with forty years on the tools liked the attachment; another UK note said the head hits larger slates. The file also contains non-UK texts, including one that struggled above 5 mm, and those are not British opinion. The listing weight of 68 g is not a credible mass for a clamped head, and no punch is listed. You still need a drill you already own, and the 3.7 line is the weakest star score in this set. It is the pick only for long 4–8 mm runs when a plier would blister, and it is the wrong buy for a porch of a dozen tiles.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Many metres of 4–8 mm natural slate, and you already own a drill.
Less suitable: A handful of porch slates, fibre-cement only, or any job that needs a 3.2 mm punch.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the TSNS1 include a drill?
No. The listing is an attachment that fits corded or cordless drills. The included-components line names blades and a skid plate.
What thickness of slate does it claim?
The bullets say fast straight, angled, or curved cuts in 4 mm to 8 mm natural roofing slate. One UK review said the head hits larger slates. A non-UK text said it struggled above 5 mm; that text is not UK opinion.
Can you replace the blade on site?
The bullets say the blade and skid plate are replaceable on the job.
Three amazon.co.uk listings were scored on 19 October 2026. Stars, review counts, and prices come from those listings. A printed millimetre line is the claim on that page, not a cut we made. BS EN 12326-1:2014 classifies the slate, not the cutter. The four weights below sum to 100. Review texts from other Amazon marketplaces score nothing as UK opinion.
Amazon evidence
30%30 points. Star rating on amazon.co.uk, then a deduction when the count is under 50, and a further deduction under 25. The amazon.co.uk star line is the rating used.
Listing fit
35%35 points. A stated thickness for roofing slate, a hole punch you can read, a cut style that matches the job, and a handle or lock you can store. A missing punch on a plier sold for nailing work is deducted. A listing weight that cannot describe the tool is deducted.
Review outcome
20%20 points. UK reviews that describe a cut, a chip, a failed punch, a grip that slid off, a twisted frame, or a head that hit a large slate. Non-UK Malco texts score nothing as British opinion.
Value
15%15 points. Shelf price in GBP in this set, only after the tool family is right. A low price does not score when the listing has no punch and the frame twists.
The order is thickness you can verify, then punch or no punch, then a hand plier versus a drill shear. A star score does not tell you whether the jaws will take the slate on the roof, or whether a 3.2 mm pin is even in the listing.
Slate scissors are a short-bladed shear for cutting roofing slate. UK merchants usually call the same tool a slate cutter, often with a 3.2 mm hole punch. On amazon.co.uk this comparison keeps three tools: a handheld plier cutter with a punch, a handheld plier cutter without a punch, and a drill-mounted turbo shear. Venetian-blind slat cutters, tin snips, aviation snips, fibre-cement siding shears, and sheet-metal guillotines are other products.
Venetian-blind slat cutters, tin snips, aviation snips, fibre-cement siding shears, and sheet-metal guillotines are other products. They are not in this comparison.
TSF states 5 mm and Tooltime states 6 mm. Forcing 8–10 mm stone through a 5 mm tool, or cutting from the face, is how jaws chip. Thicker heavies need a slater’s hammer and stake.
HSE says natural slate and fibre-cement do not need power tools. A dry cut-off saw needs water suppression and RPE with APF 20. Hand shears are not a dust-free claim.
The number that matters is the millimetre line on the listing you are buying, not a star score. TSF states 5 mm on natural and fibre-cement slates. Tooltime states 6 mm on natural slate. Malco states 4–8 mm natural roofing slate for the drill shear. Several UK merchants state 7 mm for other plier cutters, Edma, Selco, and Dargan among them, and those tools are not rows in this table. Thicker heavies need a slater’s hammer and stake.
A 3.2 mm pin matches a small slate-nail shank. The TSF bullets list that punch, usable up to 60 mm from the tile edge. SSQ’s fixing guide puts holes at holing gauge, gauge plus headlap plus 10 mm, and 20–25 mm from the long edges, punched from the bed. One verified UK review could not punch natural slate with the TSF, so read that limit next to the bullet. Tooltime and Malco do not list a punch. A plier cutter is the default bag tool.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You are replacing a handful of natural or fibre-cement slates up to 5 mm and you want nail holes from the same tool. Use eye protection and work on a bench. The TSF SC01G is the top pick at about £37.95, with a 3.2 mm punch and 4.4 from 101 reviews.
You have a few old roof slates under 6 mm on a bench, and you already hole them with a hammer spike. The Tooltime 320 mm cutter is the best value at about £11.36. It lists no punch, and UK notes say the frame can twist and the plastic grips come off.
You are cutting long runs of 4–8 mm natural slate and you already own a drill. The Malco TSNS1 is the drill shear at about £247.83, with a replaceable blade and skid. It lists no punch, and you still need silica and work-at-height controls.
The top pick is the TSF SC01G at about £37.95: a printed 5 mm cap, a 3.2 mm punch, and 4.4 from 101 reviews. The best value is the Tooltime 320 mm cutter at about £11.36 if you will hole slates another way and you accept a thin review file and a frame that can twist. The Malco TSNS1 at about £247.83 is only for long 4–8 mm runs when you already own a drill. None of these scores is a laboratory cut.
TSF SC01G slate cutter
Highest score: 5 mm, a 3.2 mm punch, and 4.4 from 101 reviews at about £37.95.
Tooltime 320 mm slate cutter
Lowest shelf that still states a slate thickness, about £11.36, after the top pick is set.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources and amazon.co.uk listing lines; retrieved 19 October 2026.
Expert source (DIY & tools): Charlie White (Charlie DIYte) (external profile) – public expert commentary used as a research source, not as a contributor to our pages.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk with the tag pcuk26-21. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars, and review counts are the UK listing lines from 19 October 2026. We did not run a lab test.
