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How to use carpenter's pincers

Updated: 23 October 2026

You have a nail standing in a pallet, a skirting, or a length of softwood, and a straight yank will bruise the face or snap the pin. By the end of this you should be able to set a grip, roll the head, and stop when the jaws start to cut. The method is how to use carpenter's pincers on timber you want to keep. Pair choice and prices stay on the [carpenter's pincers comparison](/hub/hand-tools/pincers). Floorboards, gripper rods, and the order for lifting a board stay on the [floorboards page](/hub/hand-tools/pincers/sub/pincers-for-floorboards). Peter F. used UK tool explainers and amazon.co.uk review themes. There was no filmed test, and a qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have a nail standing in a pallet, a skirting, or a length of softwood, and a straight yank will bruise the face or snap the pin.

Our top picks

Bosch Bosch 200 mm carpenter's pincers

Best overall

Bosch Bosch 200 mm carpenter's pincers
8.6/10about £14.72
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Rolson Rolson 20529 200 mm carpenter pincers

Rank 2

Rolson Rolson 20529 200 mm carpenter pincers
8.7/10about £3.97
View offer
Draper Draper 32732 175 mm carpenter's pincers

Best value

Draper Draper 32732 175 mm carpenter's pincers
8.6/10about £9.38
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Set the grip
  2. 2.Roll, do not yank
  3. 3.When the jaws start to cut
  4. 4.Flush heads, and when to stop

Set the grip

The head has to meet a shank that already stands proud. If the nail is flush, the jaws have nothing to hold, and squeezing only marks the surface. Rolson reviews say the bite needs a few millimetres of nail. Draper reviews often put that at about 5 mm. Close on the shank as close to the timber as the jaws will go. If the nail will not move, rock the head to seat the bite, still against the shank. Paint in the joint, which one Rolson review describes, is a return, not a reason to hammer the handles. At work, the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 require suitable protection, and the Health and Safety Executive lists projectiles as an eye hazard. Wear eye protection before you lean on the handles.

Roll, do not yank

The rounded head is the fulcrum. Keep one side on the wood and bring the handles down so the nail rolls out in an arc. Wonkee Donkee describes a rock if the nail sticks, then that roll. A straight yank uses your arms as the lever and dents the face. The jaw difference is on the end cutters page. If the face matters, put thin plywood under the head and slide it as the nail rises. A Period Property UK thread describes that pad. On a pallet you can roll on the bare wood. Do not tap the head. None of these six listings is a hammerhead pattern.
Bosch Bosch 200 mm carpenter's pincers

Testsieger

Bosch Bosch 200 mm carpenter's pincers
8.6/10about £14.72
View offer

When the jaws start to cut

Stop squeezing when the shank nicks, or when the head comes away from the point. UK reviews of Bosch, WORKPRO, Amtech, and Draper pairs describe sheared pins or snapped staples. A hardness around 60 HRC, above the 45 HRC floor in ISO 9243, still shears. If the pin snaps, grip the stub only if it stands proud. Otherwise punch it down or drill it. A jaw that does not meet will slip or cut on one corner. UK reviews mention that on WORKPRO and Amtech. Send it back under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

Flush heads, and when to stop

A flush head will not grip. Raise it with a punch from the point, or with a claw if you can accept a mark. Pull through from the back only when the head is small. A large head dragged back through the board will split the wood. Long nails still need a claw hammer once they stand high enough to hook. One Bosch UK review says that plainly. Stop for tensioned wire, overhead debris, or anywhere a service or asbestos may be in the timber. Do not hammer with these heads. If the board is old and fragile, use the lifting order on the floorboards page first.

Common questions

How do you pull a nail with carpenter's pincers?
Grip a shank that stands a few millimetres proud, as close to the timber as the jaws allow. Rock the head if the nail will not move, then keep one side of the rounded head on the wood and bring the handles down so the nail rolls out. Put thin plywood under the head if the face matters. Stop squeezing when the jaws start to cut the pin. A straight yank bruises the wood and is more likely to snap a thin nail.
Why do the jaws cut the nail?
The edges are sharp enough to sever a panel pin, which is what UK reviews report on Bosch, WORKPRO, Amtech, and Draper pairs. The squeeze that holds the shank is the same squeeze that shears it if you continue after the bite is set. A printed hardness around 60 HRC does not prevent that. Ease off at the first nick, and pull a thicker nail with less force to see the difference.
What if the head is flush with the wood?
The jaws cannot close on a head that sits level with the surface. UK reviews of the Rolson pair say the nail has to stand proud, and Draper reviews often say about 5 mm. Punch the point through to raise a large head, or use a claw or a cat's paw and accept a mark. Digging at a flush head with pincers dents the face and still misses the shank.
Should I put something under the head?
Yes, if you care about the surface. A scrap of thin plywood under the head spreads the fulcrum so the steel does not bruise the timber. Move the scrap as the nail rises. On a pallet or a sacrificial batten you can roll on the bare wood. On skirting, a floor you will see, or a board you will sand, the pad is the difference between a dent and a clean hole.
Should I wear eye protection, and can I tap with the pincers?
Wear eye protection. A nail that slips becomes a projectile, which is an HSE eye hazard, and at work the PPE Regulations 1992 expect suitable protection. Do not tap with these pincers. Hammerhead pincers are a different pattern, and the six listings here do not claim a striking face. Worn or mismatched jaws slip, so check that the edges meet before you lean on the handles.

Related pages

Carpenter's pincers buying guide

Best carpenter's pincers

Pincers

Using pincers for floorboards, gripper and staples

Carpenter's pincers vs end cutters for your next job

Sources

Standards are ISO 9243:1988 for carpenter's pincers and ISO 5748:2004 for end-cutting nippers, with the PPE at Work Regulations 1992 and HSE eye-protection guidance. Prices, stars, and review counts are the amazon.co.uk listing lines dated 19 October 2026. They are not a lab test. A Best Sellers page was shelf context only and is not a price source.

  1. ISO 9243:1988, carpenter's pincers (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. ISO 5748:2004, end cutting nippers (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. KNIPEX UK, carpenter's pincers (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. Wonkee Donkee Tools, what carpenter's pincers and end cutters are (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. HSE, using the right type of PPE (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. SPAB, patching old floorboards (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. Cromwell, carpenter's pincers and end-cutting pincers (retrieved 22 October 2026)