This Throatless Hand Shear is used to make complex straight and curved cuts in sheet metal. It consists of a heavy-duty cast-iron base (to ensure stability), a long handle (that provides added leverage), and side-by-side steel blades (that do the cutting). The tool's "throatless" design lets the material pass through without getting stuck and also makes it easy to cut large, unwieldy sheets. Additionally, the blades adjust for different material thicknesses-the maximums usually being 14-gauge mild steel and aluminum and 18-gauge stainless.