Tool Marks
Definition
Impressions or striations left on an object (here, a wire cut end) by a tool (here, wire cutters). Class characteristics reflect tool type; individual characteristics reflect wear and damage specific to one tool.
- Recipient surface (example)
- Cut end of a wire
- Tool (example)
- Wire cutters
- Class characteristics
- Reflect tool type
- Individual characteristics
- Reflect wear and damage on one specific tool
Common questions
How do investigators use a cut wire's tool marks in a snare or trap case?+
Striations on the cut end can be compared under a comparison microscope against test cuts made with a suspect's wire cutters. Matching individual wear patterns can link a specific pair of cutters to the recovered snare or cable.
Why might two different cuts from the same wire cutters not look identical?+
Cutting angle, wire hardness, and the amount of force applied can all affect how clearly a mark reproduces, so examiners typically make several test cuts under varied conditions rather than relying on a single comparison cut.
Can wire tool marks alone prove which suspect used the cutters?+
The mark can link a tool to a cut, but placing a specific person's hand on that tool at the relevant time requires additional evidence, such as fingerprints, possession, or witness testimony, alongside the tool-mark comparison.
Related terms
- Anchor Peg
- The stake, branch, or root to which a snare is fixed at the ground end, allowing the loop to stay open at...
- Circumferential Groove
- The band of compressed skin and tissue left around a limb or neck by a taut wire snare. Groove depth and width...
- Spring-Set Snare
- A snare in which a bent sapling or tensioned wire provides a spring that lifts the caught animal off the ground when...
- Trace Transfer
- Material moved from the handler to the snare (fingerprints, DNA, fibres) or from the environment to the snare (soil, plant material) during...
- Wire Gauge
- The diameter of a wire strand, typically expressed in millimetres or as a standard wire gauge number. Gauge is a class characteristic...