Its officially over for Knipex
- Thread starter FNFS2000
- Start date
VegasBruce
Well-known member
The prices aren't any better than Lowes.
Zrexxer
Well-known member
As discussed in another thread recently, Walmart is simply acting as an kind of an online brokerage company for these items. You're not buying them from Wal-Mart, the vendor is listed on the individual product pages.
If you check the above Wal-Mart website, the description of the pliars state:
Assembled in country of origin: USA and/or Imported
Origin of components: USA and/or Imported
(Well as least they don't try to hide where these tools come from. They come from ????)
Assembled in country of origin: USA and/or Imported
Origin of components: USA and/or Imported
(Well as least they don't try to hide where these tools come from. They come from ????)
Zrexxer
Well-known member
I guess if you try hard enough, you can find almost anything to be unhappy about.
hurry up !!!! buy them now !!!! all you can get !!!!
Thats my thoughts, it can't be long after entering all these big chinese boxes here in the states.
Has it already happened? Or in the process of happening, WERA didn't exactly put out an advertising campaign about moving to the Czech republic, neither has every other mfg that went to China.
You scared the heck out of me! I was waiting to read they're shipping all production to China!
I'm a huge fan of Knipex! As long as they keep making em in Germany, I'll keep buying, even if it's from the evil W!
Thats one to ask Monte.... But I"m sure it's not China.. worse case, Slovania or Czech Republic, etc..
fatfillup
Well-known member
Well stated!!!! This has been my experience also.
I didn't catch that statement... but you're 100% correct. Walmart has caused a lot of American made to become Chinese made. I used to fly for NetJets a long time ago, and we'd carry their execs on trips to the various companies HQ's such as Schwin comes to mind, and the sole purpose of their trip is to put pressure on the vender to make the items as cheap as possible, and send production to China, or they'd disallow their products in their line up..
How many small mom and pop businesses and how many manufacturers were put out of business because of this company?
I never saw the Knipex screwdrivers live. Most Knipex sets come with Wera screwdrivers. In fact there is only one set available in Germany with 3 unknown screwdrivers:
I will call them on monday and ask who the manufacturer is. I bet Wera or from germany (Wiha ?).
ps: The Walmart Knipex offering is sold by www.csnstores.com and not Walmart themself.
The other tools which come in sets with Knipex pliers are from renowned companies like Rennsteig or Picard (Hammers made in germany since 1857)
I will call them on monday and ask who the manufacturer is. I bet Wera or from germany (Wiha ?).
ps: The Walmart Knipex offering is sold by www.csnstores.com and not Walmart themself.
The other tools which come in sets with Knipex pliers are from renowned companies like Rennsteig or Picard (Hammers made in germany since 1857)
Stuey
Well-known member
I spotted Proto on their the other day and made note to mention it. Didn't get around to that yet.
bry@n
Well-known member
BTW, the prices at lowes we better than what I saw at walmarts site.
The Muffin Man
Well-known member
I never saw the Knipex screwdrivers live. Most Knipex sets come with Wera screwdrivers. In fact there is only one set available in Germany with 3 unknown screwdrivers:
I will call them on monday and ask who the manufacturer is. I bet Wera or from germany (Wiha ?).
ps: The Walmart Knipex offering is sold by www.csnstores.com and not Walmart themself.
The other tools which come in sets with Knipex pliers are from renowned companies like Rennsteig or Picard (Hammers made in germany since 1857)
The insulated plier sets sold at Lowes also include a couple Witte screwdrivers
.Vinko
Well-known member
I'd agree with you -- but wonder if this is by necessity true, if Wal-Mart only acts as a broker? I've noticed that the MSRP on Knipex has been a lot lower because of several on-line dealers who seem to drop ship from distribution points. Maybe WM complicates the picture more, but what may happen, is that Knipex retains its profit, and the dealers just get squeezed.
This last thing is something I've noticed with the few business I know.
In my own humble area, I think I sometimes make decisions that aren't the best for "business". I've got people who keep me in check or whom I can bounce ideas off of, but if I were Knipex, I wouldn't deal with WalMart -- it degrades your brand. Or maybe I'm just too stuck in old ways and don't realize that it mightn't matter to a lot of people.
Vinko
Well-known member
Has it already happened? Or in the process of happening, WERA didn't exactly put out an advertising campaign about moving to the Czech republic, neither has every other mfg that went to China.
I'm not sure that I've got a huge problem with buying something made in Czech Republic, as Monte and others have commented, elsewhere, there's a tradition of quality manufacturing despite their political problems in the second half of the 20th century.
Vinko
Well-known member
Merkava_4
Banned
Will Walmart force the Germans to outsource production to China?
Will the Germans swallow their pride and give in to Walmart?
Will the Germans swallow their pride and give in to Walmart?
american lockpicker
Banned
I have no problem with buy Czech stuff the gun I'm carrying now and the bullets in it are made there and they are very high quality. Also I've noticed some of Milwaukees tools are made there and the quality is fine.
hahaha .... Again Walmart is not the vendor only the middleman. Whoever wants to buy from Knipex-Tools USA probably can do this. Maybe the big box stores want to offer their customers something different after selling channellock + other brands for decades so now the market is set and maybe sales dropped so you have to offer your customers something new. Knipex is available from Algeria to C(Z)yprus )) so i don`t think they depend on a single vendor. Walmart left germany after 9 years in 2006 so they couldn`t walmartize germany and they can`t walmartize Knipex.
For all concerns regarding origin and the walmart issue you also could contact Knipex USA directly:click
Again Walmart is not the vendor only the middleman. Whoever wants to buy from Knipex-Tools USA probably can do this. Maybe the big box stores want to offer their customers something different after selling channellock + other brands for decades so now the market is set and maybe sales dropped so you have to offer your customers something new. Knipex is available from Algeria to C(Z)yprus )) so i don`t think they depend on a single vendor. Walmart left germany after 9 years in 2006 so they couldn`t walmartize germany and they can`t walmartize Knipex.For all concerns regarding origin and the walmart issue you also could contact Knipex USA directly:click
You have no idea how much that made me happy... I recall the horror that went thru my mind as I saw all those small beautiful villages and towns with their "Stadtmitte" or old city "mom and pop" shops going out of business as the German version of Walmart opened up just outside town!
I see the German zoning laws and the far more conservative and traditional culture managed to resist them, and for this I give you a giant "Prost!"
As for Knipex and Walmart... he's right, they're just listing items that Knipex USA just drop ships you from their NJ location. I've purchased mots of my Knipex from Crawford Tools and AC Tool Supply here in Phoenix and all of it came out of the NJ location.. nothing was kept in "Stock".. only the few items I got thru Sears actually came from Sears..
so i called Knípex and they said the 3 screwdrivers are not from Wera or Germany but from the "EU" ......
EU Works for me... Sure beats China or some other 3rd world hellhole.
american lockpicker
Banned
I agree 100%.
so i called Knípex and they said the 3 screwdrivers are not from Wera or Germany but from the "EU" ......
Good answer, but pretty weak... I thought country of origin is supposed to be disclosed???
american lockpicker
Banned
I think that only applies in the US as we have laws saying it must be disclosed.
Over here you only have to put your name or a sign on what you sell/produce so the product can be traced back to the manufacturer/importer. Only food and alcohol has to be marked with the origin. In other countries you have to put the origin on the goods like in Ecuador, Mexico,USA,Saudi-Arabia etc.
So you could contact Knipex USA where the screwdrivers are from because they have to put that on the package so they know, or just buy the set
So you could contact Knipex USA where the screwdrivers are from because they have to put that on the package so they know, or just buy the set
Over here you only have to put your name or a sign on what you sell/produce so the product can be traced back to the manufacturer/importer. Only food and alcohol has to be marked with the origin. In other countries you have to put the origin on the goods like in Ecuador, Mexico,USA,Saudi-Arabia etc.
So you could contact Knipex USA where the screwdrivers are from because they have to put that on the package so they know, or just buy the set
This is sadly true. I am an avid Marklin train collector and recently purchased two models that were imported from Marklin into Marklin USA but the sticker wasn't affixed as to where it was made (in this case it was China), and so when I found out that they were in fact made in China, I called the Marklin USA people and told them I'd report them to the FTC if they allowed boxes without the COO label on them into the US again. I also then returned the models to my dealer and told him to never sell me any Marklin that wasn't made in Germany again!