Heavier instruments for toenails: wide-jaw clippers, strong nippers and files that survive a thick nail. Same steel and the same hand-set edges as the manicure line, sized for the load.
Leverage and jaw width. Toenails are thicker and harder than fingernails, and a light instrument flexes instead of cutting. Pedicure clippers and nippers are built heavier for exactly that load.
A nipper. It cuts in short controlled bites along the nail instead of trying to take it in one pass, which is what splits a thick nail rather than trimming it.
These are grooming instruments, not medical devices. If you have diabetes or any circulation or nerve condition of the foot, ask a podiatrist before trimming your own nails.
Dry the blades and the joint after every use and put the instrument back in its case. A drop of oil in the pivot once a month keeps the action smooth.
