This shape is MUCH better than the classic "vice grip" shape. Great for lots of hobby uses (holding, clamping small parts) and also professional shop use. I use it for both. Keeps glue off your fingers.
This is an unusually well-made tool. Most tools you buy now are CHEAP. Come on, admit it. These are not cheaply made. Solid, heavy, good finish and a pretty precision fit on the tips and the threads for a pair of pliers.
Vise-grips come in a lot of different shapes, including a flat, "duck-bill" for sheet metal that I love.
And, yes, the release can pinch your hand if you are not careful, just like on all vice-grips. Practice a bit cautiously at first, if you haven't used a tool like this before.
For small parts to work on (such as solder, weld, drill, paint, file) clamp them with these pliers then hold the pliers in a large wooden bench vice. Wrap delicate parts in a piece of paper towel or a cotton shop towel to protect them before clamping lightly. Or, wrap the jaws instead of the part.
I buy a bunch of tools from Amazon, and this is one of my happier purchases.