Just while the sub (group? community?) finds its feet, I thought it would be fun to post a few challenges. I'll be searching through my house for obscure objects, to see how obvious they really are...
So, what is this thing? Springy metal, about 5cm across, with rubbery sleeves on the two arms.
Haha, you got it in one!
The grips do save your fingers a little but they also tend to slip off the shim if you're not careful, so they're a mixed blessing.
Time to start looking round the house again...
The only time I used one someone had cut it out of an old soda can. It wasn't sharp but it still felt like I was a hiccup away from some cuts on my fingers.
I can imagine; I felt very nervous using this one for the first time. It's amazing how well it worked on some of the padlocks I had lying around though.