How long does it take for their patent to run out, anybody know? Or is it different for them, because they're German? I'm talking about the pliers-wrench. A few German versions do something similar, with a pivoting upper jaw, but it's not the same. Why are there cheap knockoffs of what seems like every other tool except this one? You want a flipper knife? Choose from a whole slew of brands, from cheap to expensive. You need a circular saw, plenty of choices, and they all sort of look the same and perform the same task. If you want a pliers-wrench, you only get one choice, Knipex.
I remember first seeing it in 1998 or 99 in the Snap-On catalog. The only patent I could find on Google is for a
"vice-grip" style, locking version, but it looks like it does what the Knipex Pliers-Wrench does, I wonder why I've never seen that version in production. Anyone know how long until we'll see cheap Chinese knock-offs at Walmart? I mean, everybody makes Channel-Locks, oops - I mean, tongue and groove-joint pliers. Or waterpump pliars.