Knipex Comfort Grip: Which Models?

[oldschoolcraft]

I've been reading old posts and watching videos from tool influencers like American Electrician, Last Best Tool, and a few others. I also picked up my first comfort grip pliers this week, the end nippers, and I have some thoughts. The biggest factor seems to be size that the tools takes up. Comfort Grip/VDE take up much more space in toolbags.

It seems like VDE (1000V) and Comfort Grip take up the same space, weigh the same, offer similar padding except the comfort grips have a bit of added surface area to make it grippier compared to VDE. But, given VDE is functional, so it seems to me that if both VDE and Comfort Grip are offered, I think VDE makes more sense. I also like the VDE color better

Doc (Last Best Tool) claims he doesn't feel the need for comfort grip on large pliers because he will wear thick work gloves when using them. I personally disagree. If I have time to go grab gloves and put them on, then I wouldn't be using hand held tools, I'd be using some 20"+ bolt cutters or something battery operated. But he does do overlanding with limited tools.

Personally I think any kind of large cutters should be comfort grip. Unfortunately, Knipex only makes 8" CoBolts in comfort grip. The 10" only comes in dipped handle. I picked up the end nippers in comfort grip and traded my dipped ones to a friend because the first time I used t, I tried to nip a small nail sticking out of concrete and I was unsuccessful and it hurt my hands. I think any kind of large cutters should be comfort grip or VDE, and any kind of small cutters should be dipped because you probably shouldn't be using small cutters for anything that hard to cut, and the dipped is easier to store.

Nearly all YouTubers claimed comfort grip / VDE on cobra pliers and pliers wrench are silly. One YouTuber commented that he did demo work, ripping up carpet staples for 16 hours, two days straight and wish he had comfort grip. Seems reasonable to have one 7" Cobras in comfort grip for demo work, maybe.

American Electrician likes bigger pliers like 10" Diagonal Cutting and 9.5" Linesman make the most sense in VDE so you get the more comfortable grip and allow it to be more safe for electrical work. Seems reasonable to me, even as a non-electrician to follow that route.

The one plier I'm unsure of is the TwinGrip. I can see comfort grip making sense if you're trying to extract some rusted bolt, but also I can see dipped grip being better due to being more portable in a toolbag. This is GJ so maybe one of each, dipped for mobile tool kit and comfort grip for your garage toolset.

Most of the older GJ threads on this subject tended to be people arguing whether they liked comfort grip or not in general, without consideration for the actual application. I think having all three handles can make sense depending on the pliers.

From reading old threads it seems like most GJer's prefer dipped handles, so I'll ask the question from this perspective: Which specific models of knipex, if any, does comfort grip make sense on to you? I know VDE is required for some professional electricians, so the decision is out of your hands, so lets say for the hobbyist who isn't subject to any rules, which pliers do you get in VDE instead of dipped? You shouldn't be working on hot lines but maybe you like the colors

 

[Wamsutta]

The pliers wrench is what needs the comfort grip the most. If anybody has a comfort grip 10 inch and would like to trade up for the regular grip version, I'm game. I got a brand new pair in the box.

 

[JradM]

I think it mostly depends on your hands. E.g. I like comfort grip on smaller-sized pliers, dipped on larger ones.

Generally 6" and smaller pliers are all comfort grip, 10" and over dipped. In-between it depends.

There's a width where I find my hands have the most power and control, so I'm fine tuning the plier grip width by choosing dipped or comfort grips.

 

[Hohn]

A major aspect of pliers to me is "feel" since they are basically an extension of my hand. I find the sometimes a comfort grip feels a bit "numb" and it's harder for me to calibrate the gripping force.

So I'd say any and all cutting pliers could be comfort grip since you are always going to apply cutting force and that might be a lot.
For holding/gripping pliers, my thinking would suggest that comfort grip is better for larger sizes where they're already big and clunky and the forces involved are likely to be larger. But smaller sizes where feel is important, space penalty at a greater premium, and peak forces are low-- skip the comfort grip IMO.

 

[KnurledNut]

This topic was recently discussed in this thread:
Knipex Handles Musings

 

[Jeff]

I got a set of comfort grips on a deal years ago. Being they're small the comfort grips are too big. I couldn't finesse any of the pliers, especially when working on my motorcycles.

For most pliers I prefer a dipped grip. However, NWS are my go to large pliers. Their comfort grips fit better and get more use.

This is my back-up drawer of pliers. I haven't used any of those Knipex in years.



My current plier drawer

 

[Steve_P]

I like the NWS comfort grip as well; most of my NWS are this way. I also have a few NWS dipped handles in cutters and needle nose for when working on something filthy. For Knipex I have dipped except for the Cobolt; I prefer the comfort grips on the Cobolt.

 

[shafferds]

I have both just depending on what I'm working on.

 

[sandyeyes]

I like the NWS comfort grip as well; most of my NWS are this way. I also have a few NWS dipped handles in cutters and needle nose for when working on something filthy. For Knipex I have dipped except for the Cobolt; I prefer the comfort grips on the Cobolt.

Why would you do dipped for cutters??? Wouldn’t you want comfort grits for cutting so if your cutting something hard when you finally break through you don’t get that shock in your hands?

 

[Hakeem]

Why would you do dipped for cutters??? Wouldn’t you want comfort grits for cutting so if your cutting something hard when you finally break through you don’t get that shock in your hands?

If the “shock” from cutting through something is too much to bear for your delicate hands, I’d suggest using a power tool instead.

 

[Chester in Florida]

All of my pliers are dipped. Never felt the need for a comfort grip pliers.

 

[mikey03]

Never heard of comfort grip until just now I got the regular dipped pliers wrench off Amazon recently and it’s cool. I could see if you wanted to hurt your hand less cutting wires then for dykes you could get the comfortable grip ones.