The small hole can serve a useful purpose, but its exact function depends on the style of nail clipper.
And there is another detail that is even more important: the familiar hole is sometimes confused with other openings and features found on nail clippers.
So what is that little opening really for?
The Nail Clipper Is More Carefully Designed Than It Looks
A nail clipper may look like an extremely simple device.
Two small metal cutting edges come together.
A lever sits on top.
Pressing down on the lever creates the force needed to cut the nail.
Yet the basic mechanism relies on simple mechanical principles.
The cutting jaws are positioned so that pressure applied to the lever is transferred to the blades.
The result is enough force to cut through a fingernail without requiring much effort from the user.
The design has remained popular because it is compact, inexpensive, durable, and easy to use.
