Color-coded handles of shears?

[kythri]

Can someone explain if there's any kind of consistent coding to the coloring of the handles of shears?

I had thought that one color was straight, one was left, one was right.

I'm pretty sure I've got a pair of BLUE handled Wiss right-hand shears, but cruising Home Depot last night, it appears blue has changed to green?

So, is this how it is now?

Yellow = Straight
Red = Left-hand
Green (was blue) = Right-hand

Anything else that I'm missing?

 

[G_P]

I used to think this to be true but then ended up with a red handled pair of straight cutting snips.

Mine are Wiss by the way if that makes any difference. Maybe different brands use different color codes?

 

[WV Hillbilly]

I had a set of blue handle wiss snips years ago, they are for cutting stainless steel & other harder metals. Google shows red #M1R, green #M2R & blue #M1RS1 & M2RS1.

reds & greens are most common. yellows are straights, but I use my large Andy's instead.

I normally only use the reds & greens for sheetmetal work, years ago I found a set of blues, I figured they would last longer on just sheetmetal......wrong, someone I worked with used them to cut strapping wire.....junked them!

 

[kythri]

Meant to add this to the original post:

Mine are Wiss, too...

Didn't see a single blue-handled snip/shear of any brand there, and haven't seen blue on the shelf for a while...

I'll have to check the part number of mine when I'm out in the shop later.

 

[WV Hillbilly]

also I forgot about the offset snips, they are nice if you have a large flat area to cutout.

 

[rlitman]

I think the color coding is a newer thing. My older snips have blue or black handles (I remember some being red).

Lately everything I see (not just Wiss) is yellow=straight, green=right, red=left.
I much prefer the offset to the standard style.

 

[rockchucker]

I think the color coding is a newer thing. My older snips have blue or black handles (I remember some being red).

Lately everything I see (not just Wiss) is yellow=straight, green=right, red=left.
I much prefer the offset to the standard style.

Agreed...

 

[Outlawmws]

I think the color coding is a newer thing. My older snips have blue or black handles (I remember some being red).

Lately everything I see (not just Wiss) is yellow=straight, green=right, red=left.
I much prefer the offset to the standard style.

If by a "newer thing" You mean since Wiss started putting the plastic handle on their Aviation snips (Over thirty years ago), then you right... Other brands

Std

M1 - Red = left
M2 - Green = right
M3 - Yellow = straight
M6 Red offset = Left
M7 - Green offset = Right

Special

M1/M2/M3 - Blue L/R/S for Stainless Steel
M5 - Red = Straight mini Bulldogs. (For heavier material - Pre SS Blue, but still sold I think)

Yellow Double cuts = Straight

 

[rockchucker]

Yeah definitely NOT a newer thing! lol

I remember Pops explaining the colors to me when I was a young buck...