These straight-jawed nippers (also known as side-biters) come from Seabell, maker of many of our most popular cutting tools. They are steel-bodied with replaceable tungsten carbide tips to their cutting blades and come with an Allen key.  They are great for unglazed ceramic and thin marble and can be used for pieces up to 8mm thick.  They weigh 350g and have very comfortable handles. The conventional way to hold these nippers is with the flat back of the nipper blades facing away from your body, and the rounded, projecting side of the blades facing inwards (but plenty of people swear by using them the other way). Using your spare hand, put the very edge of the tile between the jaws of the nippers, and then close the jaws applying gentle pressure. There is no need to put the whole tile between the jaws as the tile will fracture from the point where pressure is exerted. You will get better and better at producing predictable cuts the more you use these.  These are not for use with glass as they can crush vitreous materials causing splinters; use wheeled cutters for glass and smalti.

There is a helpful YouTube video from Treasury Road in Australia with demonstrations and reviews of most of the Seabell tools.  The section on these nippers is at about 24 minutes, 03 seconds.  Click here to watch.

Unfortunately Mosaic Workshop can't accept returns of cutting tools which turn out not to suit you, so please think carefully before buying.  If you are finding it very hard to make a decision please contact me as I may be able to lend you tools to try (you will pay a deposit, and for postage in both directions).  In the case of faulty goods we will, of course, accept returns - please see notes in the website footer.