Actually I found this weeder tool several years ago when fixing a
water line using a tongue-groove-pliers
and then walking back to the house and seeing thistles along the way
and using those pliers to pull the
thistles.

There is no finer weeder than a large pair of tongue-groove-pliers. A
weed that has a single stem can
be pulled up from its entire roots. Yesterday I used the pliers to
take out baby locust trees the size
of my little finger. Some snapped at the base, but several came out by
their entire roots. And it matters
not if the soil is wet or dry.

They are super effective on thistle.

What makes the pliers so effective is the fact that the grip is tight
and the pulling upwards only tightens the grip
even more.