Snap-On vs Knipex Snap Ring Pliers

[The Critic]

During my recent ratchet rebuild, I realized that I do not own the .038” (Knipex Size 0) and .047” (Knipex size 1) sizes of snap ring pliers.

I was ready to order some Knipex until I came across this video:

I had always been led to believe that convertible snap ring pliers should be avoided, but those Snap-On’s look pretty decent and would save me some drawer space. Are they worth buying, or should I stick with Knipex (and buy separate ones for int/ext)?

 

[82355]

Most convertibles snap ring pliers are junk. The Snap-On ones are an exception to the rule.

Martin

 

[82355]

Is that how you pronounce Knipex?

I have always heard/said Nigh Pex.

Martin

 

[AJHD]

While I can't speak towards the Knipex snap ring pliers, I can tell you the push button "convertible" Snap On variety are good to go. Tips are surprisingly strong.

 

[threewood]

I have the Snap On set and they are really nice and solid. I haven't played with the Knipex but they look solid. Only downside is you need both the internal and external sets, which isn't really a big deal.

 

[dnschmidt]

Six of one, half dozen of the other. Both are top quality.

 

[Etchase]

Proto makes snap ring pliers you might be interested in. The seem more positive to me.

 

[dukefx]

Is that how you pronounce Knipex?

I have always heard/said Nigh Pex.

Martin

Yes, that's how I say it as well. The alternative is with a longer i. Both are technically correct. "Nigh Pex" is totally butchering it. It's as bad as some foreigner pronouncing Snap On and lets say Shnahpoon.

 

[seber]

The tip grind on the Snap-on is definitely superior to the stress riser grind on the Knipex. But that assumes the tips are not replaceable. It may be that the Knipex is not ground at all but rather inserted and replaceable. It still has a stress riser but if they can be replaced, who cares.

 

[zmotorsports]

I have the full set of Snap-ons but the earlier style and a few individual pairs of the Knipex. I like both but I generally reach for my Snap-on reversible. I had not had the best luck with reversible snap-ring pliers in the past so I was reluctant to buy the Snap-on set but I have had them for quite a few years now and use them a lot. They are a nice stable and solid feeling plier even with a retaining ring engaged in the tips as they don't feel like they are going to slip past and invert like reversible ones I've used in the past.

 

[Bubba Fett]

Is that how you pronounce Knipex?

I have always heard/said Nigh Pex.

Martin

Yep.

 

[jpaw]

I have the old style Snapon with the knurled screw. Never had one bend or break. Just worn warranty replacements.

 

[dchawk81]

Yep.

I love that they made a video for this.

I was going to say Porsche needs to do the same, but they did.

(I still say poorsh to be that guy.)

 

[82355]

Yep.

Strange.

Martin

 

[Spacey_G]

It looks like the Snap-ons have a one-piece forged/machined tip. Knipex offers this style too (but not reversible) and IMO they're not so good. The forged tips bend easily. Snap-on might do it better.

The Knipex ones that are shown in the video are the better version with music wire tips inserted into the jaws. I suppose there's a stress riser at the interface between the wire and the jaw, but the wire is so strong that I don't think it matters.

 

[Pexto]

The tip grind on the Snap-on is definitely superior to the stress riser grind on the Knipex. But that assumes the tips are not replaceable. It may be that the Knipex is not ground at all but rather inserted and replaceable. It still has a stress riser but if they can be replaced, who cares.

Over on another thread, F-22 posted a video recently where a Knipex guy was talking about their snap ring pliers. Here's the link: https://www.garagejournal.com/forum...-test-2-electric-bugaloo.516263/post-10136946

It's quite a good video (in German). The presenter specifically addresses the plier tips. He says that on the larger pliers the tips are machined (1:43 of the video). But on the smaller precision pliers (about 6:00), they are inserted special 'Pianodraht' (piano wire). He claims that the inserted tips are up to 1/3 stronger, and ten times more wear-resistant.

 

[dnschmidt]

Yes, that's how I say it as well. The alternative is with a longer i. Both are technically correct. "Nigh Pex" is totally butchering it. It's as bad as some foreigner pronouncing Snap On and lets say Shnahpoon.

In German it's actually pronounce Ka-knee-pex. But even their American operation says it wrong.

 

[M6erfan]

In German it's actually pronounce Ka-knee-pex. But even their American operation says it wrong.

Yes. I was going to post as much but you beat me to it.

 

[Pexto]

In German it's actually pronounce Ka-knee-pex. But even their American operation says it wrong.

Knipex is a made-up word, so I suppose the Knipex folks can pronounce it however they want. The Knipex videos I've seen all have the German staff using the long 'ee' vowel sound. However, normal German (Hochdeutsch) pronunciation for an "i" is a short vowel sound, exactly like in the English word "nip". And a lot of native German speakers pronounce 'Knipex' in this way, including my father who was born and raised in Austria.

Similar words in German like "knipsen", "Knick", "Kniff", "knistern", and "Knilch" are normally pronounced with the short "i". The only similar words I can think of that are pronounced with the "ee" sound are "knirschen" and "Knirps", which are different because of the 'r'. And words in German with the "ee" sound, like "Knie" are usually spelled with "ie" and not just "i".

To summarize, the Knipex folks may well pronounce it as k-nee-pex. But that is somewhat inconsistent with standard German (Hochdeutsch) pronunciation, and a number of native German speakers pronounce it differently. Jetzt ist dieses Pferd wohl tot.

 

[Pexto]

Duplicate, sorry.

 

[mogandave]

Just like you pronounce knockwurst.

I've never used the Snap-Ons, but we used the Knipex in production (small external rings) and they were about the only thing that lasted more than a few weeks.

The guys would fight over them.

 

[dukefx]

In German it's actually pronounce Ka-knee-pex. But even their American operation says it wrong.

The American reps' is very close to perfect. I was gonna point it out the other day but ended up not posting since it's more than good enough. After your post however I'm still wondering why people put any sound between the K and N. I'm perfectly fluent in German and I was living in Germany for 6 years. I've never heard anyone say (read as Germans would Kanipex or Könipex, because that's how you are supposed to pronouce how you wrote the pronounciation in English. It's really weird. For me it's Knipex, but Kniepex is also alright. You can hear the latter on the Bauforum24 channel for example and mostly in Northern Germany.

 

[Steve_P]

The tips can't align on convertible snap ring pliers like dedicated ones do. They cant; it's not geometrically possible. The Knipex piano wire ones are awesome. I'm sure the SO ones are great, and I'm sure the convertible feature doesn't limit function, but...

 

[F-22]

Yes, that's how I say it as well. The alternative is with a longer i. Both are technically correct. "Nigh Pex" is totally butchering it. It's as bad as some foreigner pronouncing Snap On and lets say Shnahpoon.

Wait, isn't Snap On pronounced as Schnäpschen?

 

[dukefx]

Wait, isn't Snap On pronounced as Schnäpschen?

Well, if it would be a fraction of its usual price it would be

 

[laser3kw]

I have convertible S-K snap ring pliers. They are top notch, well made and nowhere near sucking

 

[82355]

The tips can't align on convertible snap ring pliers like dedicated ones do. They cant; it's not geometrically possible. The Knipex piano wire ones are awesome. I'm sure the SO ones are great, and I'm sure the convertible feature doesn't limit function, but...

Why?

Martin

 

[ecotec]

While I can't speak towards the Knipex snap ring pliers, I can tell you the push button "convertible" Snap On variety are good to go. Tips are surprisingly strong.

I have the old kind… the new push button ones are so much better…

But, I have never broken a pair of the old kind with the threaded knob.

 

[Steve_P]

Why?

Martin

If the end of the tips align for external use, and then you change to internal, they will be off by the material thickness at the hinge; say .10" ; because you switched sides for each half. This alignment difference has to happen because of geometry. Because of this, most, all?, makers split the difference and they're off by half in both cases. Dedicated pliers dont have that issue. Yes it doesn't really matter, but it's not "right".
If you have a pair of convertible pliers and look at them, you will see what I mean .