The Alan Wake 2 bolt cutters are impossible to miss, although they are found quite late into Saga's story at the end of Return 5. Since these bolt cutters are an essential tool for unlocking every area in Cauldron Lake, Bright Falls, and Watery - both for story progress and for reaching every collectible in Alan Wake 2 - you should spend a bit of time exploring to uncover new areas with collectibles and resources, as with the Alan Wake 2 screwdriver. I've kept the details below as light on spoilers as possible, so be careful. Here's where and how you get the bolt cutters in Alan Wake 2.
Alan Wake 2 bolt cutters location
The Alan Wake 2 bolt cutters can be found towards the end of Return 5: Old Gods. This is where Saga heads out to the Valhalla Nursing Home to meet with Tor and Odin of Old Gods of Asgard fame. Once you've worked your way through the nightmares of the manor house and Wellness Centre you'll eventually open up an Overlap. Progress through this Overlap and you'll eventually reach a locked cabinet that holds the bolt cutters.
To get inside the cabinet, you need to throw the nearby lever to turn on the lights and unblock a doorway, allowing you to reach the next room. Grab the Tool Cabinet Key from the desk in this room, then head back the way you came and throw the lever again. Now you can use the key on the cabinet to get those bolt cutters. Use them to break through a locked gate, then you can get to work on completing the Overlap stage.
You'll still have the bolt cutters with you when you escape the Overlap, so use them to start slicing through locked gates all over the Pacific Northwest. It's well worth returning to the key areas and Alan Wake 2 maps across Bright Falls, Cauldron Lake, and Watery as this is how you'll gain access to many of the Alan Wake 2 Cult Stashes. I also discovered that a few of the Alan Wake 2 nursery rhymes (not to mention a couple of the Alan Wake 2 lunch boxes) are hidden behind some locked doors that the bolt cutters will be able to ease you into.
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