A gap between the cutting edges is deliberately accepted in a pair of needle-nose pliers. If both the cutting edges and the jaws close at the same time, technicians call such an effort "overdetermined". In the production of gripping pliers, the focus is therefore on ensuring that the tips always close when the pliers are closed, so that the smallest material can always be reliably gripped.
Due to the elasticity of the slim tips, however, the cutting edges close completely when light pressure is applied to the pliers handles.