Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein provide an ergonomic quick release mechanism for hand-held clamping toggle lock tools where a fixed jaw and handle have another jaw movably attached. A moving handle assembly comprises a front handle section and a rear handle section held rigid to one another by a movable release trigger mounted on one of the two sections engaging a catch on the other section. The front handle section connects to the movable jaw and a toggle link. Squeezing the moving handle causes the jaws to close and a toggle pivot to go past toggle over center, locking the jaws. To unlock them, the release trigger is disengaged and the rear handle section is then squeezed causing it to rotate and contact an element of the fixed handle assembly at a release fulcrum point, causing the front handle section to rotate outward, releasing the toggle lock.