Is Knipex making snap ring pliers for Wurth?

[brollona]

Recently I'm buying some basic tools to fill my home toolbox and I bought some stuff from Wurth. Between the others, I bought 4 piece snap ring plier set since it was cheap (arround 43$) and looked decent on images. I thought that Wurth tools will be mostly rebranded Taiwanese stuff but during unboxing I got surprised when I saw 'Made in Germany stamped on handles. With little googling arround I found that they look almost identical to Knipex basic precision snap ring plier models.

Could it be that Knipex is making these pliers? If so, it is suprising that Wurth set is half price than regular Knipex one.

Knipex models, top one looks almosr the same as Wurth model
http://www.knipex.com/index.php?id=1216&L=1&page=group_detail&parentID=1365&groupID=1457
Below is Wurth model that I bought

 

[jimmyin3D]

They do look very similar but the tips look a bit different. You are right though that Wurth relabels a lot of their tools. $40 is a steal either way!

 

[measuredtwice]

"If so, it is suprising that Wurth set is half price than regular Knipex one."

Where did you buy them? Are there more? $43 is a lot less than the actual retail price for the 4pc set.

 

[Professional Tool User]

A good chunk of their stuff is private label Made in Taiwan stuff. Not sure about their snap ring pliers, but if you have ever seen their flyers before, there are certain styles of Knipex pliers that they do rebrand like the mini bolt cutters. If it looks identical, then it's rebranded unless there's another German manufacturer that makes something similar looking. Unless you or your workplace have a big discount with Wurth, I don't know how you got it that cheap.

 

[brollona]

Regarding price, it's not possible to buy something from Wurth as person, they only deals with registered jobs (pardon my bad English for this clumsy explanation), but there are guys who re-sell their stuff for some fee. This guy gave me that price for these pliers, for another set of general pliers (these do not have CoO stamped on them) he charged me 73$ what is expected price, but for 3/8 zebra socket set he charged 140$ (that set is advertised on wurth web site for 112$).

Btw, I live in Europe, Croatia so I guess this is not interesting for USA guys.

 

[Tallpilot]

That grip texture looks identical to Knipex. I don't see how that couldn't be a Knipex rebrand. Nice deal you got.

 

[mikehaugen]

I wonder if knipex sells their less than perfect sets to be rebranded. They may have a certain tolerance for their own stuff, then a less-stringent tolerance for stuff that gets re-branded. It would be a smart move as it would help eliminate some of their stuff getting scrapped. Also, sometimes when companies do this, if they can't fill the demand with rejects then they start shipping stuff that is better.

 

[brollona]

I wonder if knipex sells their less than perfect sets to be rebranded. They may have a certain tolerance for their own stuff, then a less-stringent tolerance for stuff that gets re-branded. It would be a smart move as it would help eliminate some of their stuff getting scrapped. Also, sometimes when companies do this, if they can't fill the demand with rejects then they start shipping stuff that is better.

I don't think this would be case, these pliers look and feel pretty high quality. Cannot find any signs of cheap manufacturing, like mismatch in tips length or different tips angle, or anything that would point on fast and cheaper production.

Maybe it is basic and the most simple precision model and Wurth is huge buyer.

 

[brollona]

I just browsed trough Wurth combination pliers and water pump pliers catalogue. Some combination pliers are also made in germany and it looks it is NWS , while plenty of water pump pliers are 100% Knipex, cobra models etc. They are not even rebranded, Knipex name is forged into metal.

 

[CR888]

I think they are NWS.

 

[Professional Tool User]

I wonder if knipex sells their less than perfect sets to be rebranded. They may have a certain tolerance for their own stuff, then a less-stringent tolerance for stuff that gets re-branded. It would be a smart move as it would help eliminate some of their stuff getting scrapped. Also, sometimes when companies do this, if they can't fill the demand with rejects then they start shipping stuff that is better.

I highly doubt it. The Craftsman version of the Knipex Cobras I purchased for my home box looks, feels, and performs just as well as my Knipex branded ones at work. Those who rebrand Knipex pliers must have their own supply contracts. Unless both parties agree to lower specs or the buyer pays on the low end of things, I don't think it will happen. Even then, Knipex has a reputation to maintain as a professional tool brand. I don't see them cutting corners like Mercedes and producing low end models or factory seconds while not caring about their reputation.

 

[Lasu]

Knipex made

 

[lilcraigford]

As others have said, that is undoubtedly a relabel of the Knipex 48 11 J2 that you linked in your original post.

Kind of a neat detail I noticed - Würth has concealed who the original manufacturer is by machining down the face where the Knipex lettering is normally embossed. On the Knipex tools sold under Mac and Matco this embossing is retained. On the other hand, the Craftsman labeled Cobras were produced from a unique forging which replaced "KNIPEX Cobra" with "CRAFTSMAN".