Gearwrench USA Made Pliers?

[Jtels85]

I apologize if this is old news, but I was just cruising Amazon and noticed a few new pairs of Gearwrench pliers, stamped with their new logo and “U.S.A.”.

Are these real?

 

[bobcatdan]

Nice to see USA tools, but $28 for a needle nose pliers when a channellock is what, $15. Probably just made by Western Forge so the same more or less as the old USA craftsman pliers.

 

[Jtels85]

Nice to see USA tools, but $28 for a needle nose pliers when a channellock is what, $15. Probably just made by Western Forge so the same more or less as the old USA craftsman pliers.

I’m a huge fan of Western Forge made pliers. If these are WF sourced, I’m all in

 

[Brownsfan]

Im guessing ProAmerica made. I looked at Gearwrench.com and they have a whole new line of pliers USA made

 

[Yarpo]

****, this is going to offend some people. I should go dig up all the quotes of people saying Gearwrench is cutting every cost possible and moving all production from Taiwan to China. They also offer a few other made in the US tools still, their oil filter socket set being the most recent US made tool I found.

I'm going to order some of these up along with some Zephyr bits tonight, I'll report back.

 

[xcopx]

Nice find. They're on Zoro so you might be able to use one of their regular 20% coupons

 

[Professional Tool User]

It may be NOS. Possibly Western Forge sourced if the black handles mean anything. There are a handful of GW tools that are made in USA like their deadblow hammers. At close to $30, this is around Klein pricing.

 

[Jtels85]

Looking at them on the website, they sure do look like Western Forge pliers. The resemblance is uncanny.

Loving my Tekton plier purchases lately but will add these to the stable.

 

[measuredtwice]

There are 5 or more pages worth of USA made pliers on the Gearwrench website. Searching "pliers" and "usa" --> https://www.gearwrench.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=pliers+usa

 

[four.cycle]

Im guessing ProAmerica made.

That would be my first guess as well.
Compare to similar models on Proamerica's site: https://proamericatools.com/
(terrible photos)
Much better photos on BowersTool Ebay listings: https://www.ebay.com/sch/m.html?_ss...m=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=proamerica+pliers&_sop=15

It's not a big deal to put different colored plastic handles on a pair of pliers at the factory.

Those fancy linemans pliers look oddly familiar:



(* note that mine are the older style before they went to the fancy blue and red plastic-coated handles *)

 

[four.cycle]

(* note that the Tekton model shown IS made in China *)

 

[Brownsfan]

Those long cutters above are what made me think of ProAmerica pliers. Also some of the Gearwrench USA pliers on the site look a lot like the ProAmerica sourced USA made Southwire pliers at.lowes.

 

[kythri]

It may be NOS.

New logo, new color scheme? Not new old stock, just new stock.

 

[redragoon]

It would be nice to see Apex put more USA tools under the Gearwrench name since they shut down the Armstrong and Allen plants here in SC.

 

[lardy1]

I think it's great. COO still means something to some of us and I'll give credit where credit is due.

 

[Fedwrench]

It would be nice to see Apex put more USA tools under the Gearwrench name since they shut down the Armstrong and Allen plants here in SC.

who would make them? they closed the factories and sent the tooling overseas

 

[vssjim]

I think people are confused about APEX group the only tools I know of that are made in USA by them are the original APEX industrial sockets and bits etc. which are made in OHIO if I remember correctly and they are really sold through industrial sales. If it was made by Danaher/APEX in Sumter SC. Springdale Ar. or Springfield, Ma. it is gone and not coming back. The Sumter SC plant is the main warehouse for imported goods they make in Taiwan and China. The few US made items in Gearwrench are certainly made by somebody else.

 

[Y00PER]

I think people are confused about APEX group the only tools I know of that are made in USA by them are the original APEX industrial sockets and bits etc. which are made in OHIO if I remember correctly and they are really sold through industrial sales. If it was made by Danaher/APEX in Sumter SC. Springdale Ar. or Springfield, Ma. it is gone and not coming back. The Sumter SC plant is the main warehouse for imported goods they make in Taiwan and China. The few US made items in Gearwrench are certainly made by somebody else.

I don't know where there traditional (for lack of a better word) Wiss snips are made, but they are still marked as U.S. Made

 

[jeffmoss26]

definitely look like WF to me.

 

[Professional Tool User]

It would be nice to see Apex put more USA tools under the Gearwrench name since they shut down the Armstrong and Allen plants here in SC.

There's a difference between would be nice and would I buy it and put my money where my mouth is. At $30 per pair, I'd much rather blow the money on Klein, Knipex, or even Snap off.

 

[Jaysreal]

I don't know where there traditional (for lack of a better word) Wiss snips are made, but they are still marked as U.S. Made

Midwest???

Sent from my ASUS_I01WDX using Tapatalk

 

[Yarpo]

Not sure what I'm going to do with them but they're pretty nice. A solid star above any of my recent channellocks which while crude are still fine tools. Paid like 22 dollars for these. Teeth look pretty great, jaws align pretty well, the joint is stiff but smooth, similar to my Snap On pliers before they got used. I'd guess WF as well, tho they are finished much nicer than the last pair of western forge pliers I got. The pliers market is tough, looks like knipex sells chain nose pliers in that same price range, so take that as you will. I just figured I'd buy them so I can offer somewhat of a real opinion on them.

 

[Farmall450]

Im guessing ProAmerica made. I looked at Gearwrench.com and they have a whole new line of pliers USA made

Wow, that's new. I wonder if Apex was trying to get away from a partner turned competitor or something?