Sugar nips are a large pair of pincers with sharp blades, designed to cut sugar from a block.^[1] Before the introduction of granulated and cube sugars in the second half of the 19th century,^[2] the domestic consumer purchased sugar in the form of a sugarloaf,^[3] or at least a part of one, and pieces were cut from it by hand using sugar nips.^[4] Greater leverage and improved safety was provided by heavier sugar nips set in a wooden base for counter- and table-top use.^[5]

There was also an all-in-one version; a box that could serve as container for the sugarloaf with built-in pliers and collector drawer for fine-grained residues from the sugar cutting.