Abstract: The inventions relate generally to manual devices operable to grasp and open shelled foods such as nuts, some of which particularly relate to a tool or utensil with tips configured to be inserted into the crack of a nut, and through hand pressure open a nut through separation of the inserted tips by way of pivoting arms, whereby the tool is biased so the tips are brought substantially together for insertion in the absence of manual pressure. Certain exemplary tools include grasping surfaces, cracking jaws and pull-tab openers, as well as biasing devices such as springs in combination with pins, or flexible hinges. Tips may be chisel-pointed, round-pointed, molded from plastic or fashioned in metal. Detailed information on various example embodiments of the inventions are provided in the Detailed Description below, and the inventions are defined by the appended claims.