Comfort Vs Dipped

[ccasey109]

What is your choice for pliers handles? Tried and true vinyl or comfort grip?

 

[Davefr]

It depends on who's "comfort grip". I absolutely hate the thick/bulky, hard plastic handles you see on certain Channelock, Knipex, Klein Journeyman and Lindstrom pliers.

SO grips on their Talon Grip needle nose are much better.

I also like plain old vinyl and certain foam grips they use on precision pliers.

 

[Jtels85]

I prefer dipped. I have actually run into situations where the bulky handle obstructed what I was attempting to reach.

 

[jives]

Agree with the two above. Hate the bulky grips.

 

[Djosbun]

Always dipped unless it's for high leverage situations.

-- Dave

 

[joshmodelskidoo]

Dipped here to.

 

[alcorelli]

Dipped

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[Professional Tool User]

It depends on what you use the pliers for. If you are getting them greasy all the time, dipped handles are generally easier to clean. Soft handles are easier on the hands.

 

[macgee]

Skinny dipped

 

[gatewaysysop]

It depends on who's "comfort grip". I absolutely hate the thick/bulky, hard plastic handles you see on certain Channelock, Knipex, Klein Journeyman and Lindstrom pliers.

SO grips on their Talon Grip needle nose are much better.

I also like plain old vinyl and certain foam grips they use on precision pliers.

This.

Almost everything I have is the dipped, standard grips (Knipex, T&B, Channellock, Craftsman, etc.) but I do have a handful of NWS with their comfort grip (and maybe one without). By and large not a comfort grip person, but I make exceptions now and then.

Oddly, it's the same for me with writing implements. I cannot stand overly thick grips on pens or pencils, they are annoying to use and some I find outright unusable.

 

[dnschmidt]

Dipped.

 

[bwringer]

It's completely personal taste, but I always prefer the "dipped".

Looks like I have lots of company here, anyway.

The heavily greebled "comfort" handles always seem to get in the way sooner or later, they deteriorate MUCH faster when used around common fluids, and, well, they're just never actually "comfortable".

I hate comfort grips on ratchets, too, for the same reasons.

 

[neophyte]

It really depends on the grip design, material/s and the general use for that particular plier type.
The skinnier vinyl dipped grip are arguably better for finely manipulating pliers.
Dipped grips are also easier to repair with something like Plasti Dip if you use or store the pliers roughly and the grips get messed up.

As far as “ergonomic” grips go, it can vary a bit.
The two component grips vary in ergonomics by company.
Some pliers, like the last generation Facom CPE grip pliers had asymmetrical grips, that didn’t feel the same depending on which hand you used.
Most companies use symmetrical grips, like Knipex.
I sort of liked the Facom pliers the best as far as the two component grips went, at least as far as the pliers I’ve tried went.
The type of rubber used in the two component grips also varies by company.

Honestly, if there’s some type of plier you use a lot, and may need an extra pair of, just buy a single pair of whatever plier grip you want to try, and use the pliers a bit.
It’s really the only way to tell if the plier grips will work well for you, similar to screwdriver handles.
Also, despite all the fancy ergonomic grips you can get nowadays, high end metal shears like those made by Erdi/Bessey in Germany, and Stubai in Austria, still usually come with steel handles that are just painted.
The same is true for US made Klenk Snips.
Sometimes just bare or painted steel and a pair of leather gloves, is the more ergonomic option for lots of hand work.
“Grippy” grips can actually cause blisters.

 

[Sumboodie]

Ribbed for her pleasure..

Sorry had to.

I'm not fussy. Just happy if I can find pliers when I need them usually.

 

[Kurt4440]

Ribbed for her pleasure..

 

[DeeKay]

I prefer dipped unless I have to use insulated for work, then they're all "comfort" grip like.

 

[Bannik254]

I love Knipex's smooth dipped, textured dipped, and their comfort grips. Strength and weaknesses, depending on the situation. Generally find myself prefering their comfort grips given most of my use cases. Mini bolt cutters are dipped, wish every day I use them that I had gotten the comfort gripped version instead. My small 7'' pliers wrench are comfort gripped, wish they were dipped instead. Just depends.

I've found anything that requires high leverage with a lot of repeated gripping, comfort grip is the way to go.

SO's gummy semi loose sleeves, people call "dripped" (HA!), are utter trash. Anything that requires gorilla squeezing and twisting and those dirt seeking, slippery, cheesy cheap SO grips just rip or tear right off. Worse, get sweaty hands while working and good luck holding the things. I remember an armature rush job, twisting formed copper bars into the commutator, was using Talon grip needle nose pliers, middle of the job the SO grips gave me so much grief, one of the grips came loose, just kept rolling/slipping around one of the handles, and the other shortly after tore half way down. Trying to work around and readjusting the pliers in my hands every 10 seconds or so, I pulled my knife out, cut the remaining part of those eboxy glued sleeves off the pliers and finished with bare metal handles. "SO dipped grips are best!" Yeah, yikes, do some real work and come back and tell me that. Cheap trash, designed for ease of warranty and service by the dealer. Sad.

 

[Fedwrench]

Dipped for the most part.

 

[BTJHP]

Dipped of course

 

[Sumboodie]

I love Knipex's smooth dipped, textured dipped, and their comfort grips. Strength and weaknesses, depending on the situation. Generally find myself prefering their comfort grips given most of my use cases. Mini bolt cutters are dipped, wish every day I use them that I had gotten the comfort gripped version instead. My small 7'' pliers wrench are comfort gripped, wish they were dipped instead. Just depends.

I've found anything that requires high leverage with a lot of repeated gripping, comfort grip is the way to go.

SO's gummy semi loose sleeves, people call "dripped" (HA!), are utter trash. Anything that requires gorilla squeezing and twisting and those dirt seeking, slippery, cheesy cheap SO grips just rip or tear right off. Worse, get sweaty hands while working and good luck holding the things. I remember an armature rush job, twisting formed copper bars into the commutator, was using Talon grip needle nose pliers, middle of the job the SO grips gave me so much grief, one of the grips came loose, just kept rolling/slipping around one of the handles, and the other shortly after tore half way down. Trying to work around and readjusting the pliers in my hands every 10 seconds or so, I pulled my knife out, cut the remaining part of those eboxy glued sleeves off the pliers and finished with bare metal handles. "SO dipped grips are best!" Yeah, yikes, do some real work and come back and tell me that. Cheap trash, designed for ease of warranty and service by the dealer. Sad.

I've done the same with some older Craftsman pliers. Recently replaced a few with new through warranty at Lowes.

 

[bcschief]

I prefer none I like the feel of steel in my hands. You young whipper snappers want to be comfortable all the time.

 

[subroc]

As a general matter I would rather have and use dipped.

That said, for some bench work a softer larger handle would work fine and be welcome.

 

[PugetDude]

I prefer dipped...
(now where's that red dress picture...?)

 

[Bockscar]

I like these.

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