Abstract: A nut cracker having a pair of pivotally connected jaws and a pair of handles, each of which is connected to a respective one of said jaws so that opening and closing movement of the handles causes corresponding movement of the jaws. Each jaw has a working face which is disposed in opposed facing relationship to the corresponding face of the other jaw, and the two working faces diverge generally in the direction of the jaw pivot axis so as to define a wedge-shaped crushing space between them. Stop means is provided to limit the opening and closing movement of the jaws, and resilient means acts between the handles to bias them outwardly and thereby normally maintain the jaws in an opened position.