Knipex German Forging quality aesthetics

[maico]

I really like the way the Knipex are finished. I don't see it as them skimping out at all, this is the first time I've ever actually heard people whine about their lack of shininess on their tools.

The material itself is rock solid, I abuse these, my plier wrenches, cobras, cutters and my snap on duck bills all day. I'm glad they don't have a chromey, flakey finish. It wouldn't really make sense on a tool with this kind of use in mind when it was designed.

Funny cause no one is whining about how the finish is on Snap-On pliers, it's the same style, rough, industrial oxide finish.

The pliers wrench is chrome finished, a satin chrome my preferred finish. It highlights forging marks rather than hiding them as dark oxide. What would look poor is high gloss chrome on an unfinished metal. The infamous Chinese 'who flung dung' look.

My original post was an observation rather than a complaint.

 

[Davie]

As long as the finish doesn't peel off like Bleu point spanners I don't care... Those spanners hurt when they flake and cut you...My only gripe with knipex is the warranty on the Snap On van... Its almost no existent. I refuse to buy anymore.

 

[03protege]

In this post, we are not talking about material strength, we are talking about surface finish. If the Chinese can make a $5 plier with good surface finish, the German should be able to do it as well with a $40 plier.

I do have some Snap On industrial wrench (black oxide) that have not too great of a surface finish. Seem like they just stamped the wrench and put black oxide on it without polishing the wrench first.

I don't think most Chinese tools, at least the ones I own, have a good surface finish. Sure it looks smooth and shiny but you can find scratches on it from just putting it in the tool box. I use the **** out of my Snap on ratchets and it took awhile before scratches started showing up. I also bet the finish is thick enough on the Snap On I could polish the scratches out, should I feel inclined.

Also from what I have seen industrial tools get spray painted (to code which tool box/set they came from), left outside, and otherwise abused. Saving a few bucks on the item for less desirable finish is well worth it since they are going to be abused and replaced in short order anyway.

 

[Monte]

My only gripe with knipex is the warranty on the Snap On van... Its almost no existent. I refuse to buy anymore.

maybe online/local dealers can offer a better warranty service:
http://www.vektools.com.au/knipex-m-72.html?v=all
https://www.masters.com.au/masters/...Hash=a7c049987d6ec00f29be01fefdc18da74b578c7c
https://www.alltoolsnt.com.au/hand-tools/12873-tri-250mm-sidecutters-knipex.html
http://justtools.com.au/knipex-180mm-high-leverage-combinations-pliers-0202180
http://www.totaltools.com.au/www/64...frombox=true&searchstring=knipex&selecttype=2
http://www.tridon.com.au/products/Knipex/

 

[Wizzard]

... You have to cut a few corners to make good quality pliers with US workers, and good quality US steel, when your main plier competition (at Home Depot etc.) is China made using average quality steel...

Problem is that USA made doesn't mean using USA sourced steel. Most of our steel comes from China and most of that steel heads to USA factories that make USA made products. I've worked on the shipping docks and most of our steel yards get imported China steel.

 

[SASORacing]

As long as the metals finish is consistent and uniform then it's supposed to be like that. I think it looks better in the first pictures with the contrast.

 

[stikman56]

I"d be fine with that. If it helps keep the price down, better yet. Quality of the tool when I use it is the only thing I care about.

 

[malykaii]

I"d be fine with that. If it helps keep the price down, better yet. Quality of the tool when I use it is the only thing I care about.

But how much more would it cost? Another dollar or two? When the tool is already $40 most wouldn't even notice the 5% increase in cost.

 

[maico]

I noticed varying finishes on 10" Knipex pliers wrenches when I was buying them off the shelf. I just picked the ones with the least slop (I do this for all plier type tools)...even though some of the others had a better 'finish.' But tighter tolerances are more important to me than looks.

I live in the sticks and have to buy most things mail order. I must admit it never occurred to me something made with modern forging techniques and CNC machining could have sample variation.

 

[d.mcfarland]

Cornwell uses only Pittsburgh steel according to a video they had on youtube.

 

[bsaint]

Cuz Knipex is junk.

Does anyone wanna see the finish on my Snap-On pliers?

 

[Jure]

Cuz Knipex is junk.

Does anyone wanna see the finish on my Snap-On pliers?

you mean ****-On pliers

 

[bsaint]

Okay do you want to see the finish on my Mac house brand pliers? Or Channellocks?

 

[300300]

Never had a good pair of Snap On cutters soft jaws & cost a fortune the Nipex tools I have are old & still cut Even the compound cutters that I use to cut 1\8 SS rod, the SnoN ones lasted about 5 months new jaws then broke gave them back to van man. The Nipex 86 03 250. 1" 3\4 pliers wrench is a real good tool love it.

 

[bahcoswed]

Cuz Knipex is junk.

Does anyone wanna see the finish on my Snap-On pliers?

Snap on has great other tools, but their pliers doesnt play in the same league as knipex...Miles away! Ok the finish is maybe nice and shiny

 

[Jure]

Snap on has great other tools, but their pliers doesnt play in the same league as knipex...Miles away! Ok the finish is maybe nice and shiny

this..i was just too lazy to type it

 

[bsaint]

Its funny you say that because of all the brands of pliers I own, Knipex stay in my ownership the least amount of time.

 

[PureLeaf]

Problem is that USA made doesn't mean using USA sourced steel. Most of our steel comes from China and most of that steel heads to USA factories that make USA made products. I've worked on the shipping docks and most of our steel yards get imported China steel.

Wright doesn't make a pliers wrench like Knipex, but this is the reason I buy Wright. Straight from their website (http://www.wrighttool.com/why_wright_tool.asp):

"Made Entirely in the U.S.A.
From the design and engineering to the forging and finishing, all work on Wright tools is performed in the United States by skilled American workers. We do not use foreign blanks or forgings. Even the steel we use is American-made."

 

[Adam.C]

I love German cars and I really want to love German tools, but I just don't. Does this look like a quality tool to you?
View media item 50473
The outer surface of the pliers in the foreground look to have come straight from a very coarse grinding operation. You could say this is a non-functional surface, but you'd be dead wrong. The smoothness of the exterior of the jaws affects the strength of the jaws. And pliers like these are designed for grabbing and twisting. They should be smooth, with corners rounded like the other pair to protect hands and any nearby surface. Look how nasty the chamfer is!

View media item 50474
This picture shows an expensive pair of duck bills ground too thin and very uneven (top). These are compared to pliers that are as they should be (bottom). Is this the fantastic German quality everybody raves about?

My Snap On duck bills were a few bucks more but light years better. Better finish, harder steel, better grips. No comparison. Maybe these are the made in Viet Nam Knipex?

 

[Fcvapor05]

I love German cars and I really want to love German tools, but I just don't. Does this look like a quality tool to you?

The outer surface of the pliers in the foreground look to have come straight from a very coarse grinding operation. You could say this is a non-functional surface, but you'd be dead wrong. The smoothness of the exterior of the jaws affects the strength of the jaws. And pliers like these are designed for grabbing and twisting. They should be smooth, with corners rounded like the other pair to protect hands and any nearby surface. Look how nasty the chamfer is!

This picture shows an expensive pair of duck bills ground too thin and very uneven (top). These are compared to pliers that are as they should be (bottom). Is this the fantastic German quality everybody raves about?

My Snap On duck bills were a few bucks more but light years better. Better finish, harder steel, better grips. No comparison. Maybe these are the made in Viet Nam Knipex?

I've said it before and I'll say it again... Knipex makes some stuff that's really really great (alligator/cobra, pliers wrench, snap ring pliers, cutters of all varieties) and some stuff where you'd be better served by Klein/Snap-On/NWS. In my opinion their needle nose/duckbill/linemans pliers are not great. They're not garbage, but there's better options out there.

Just like Snap-On, they excel in some areas and not others. You can't just say 'all Knipex tools are best in class' just like you can't say 'all Snap-On tools are best in class'.

What source are the better pliers in your above comparision? NWS?

 

[maico]

I've also got a 180mm basic Knipex pliers. That is exactly what they are, a no frills tool costing under 9 euros pre tax in Germany (about $9 USD)

http://www.tbs-aachen.de/Knipex_pli...entized_plastic_coated_180_mm_i2790_43664.htm

You are not going to get a nicely finished tool from a high cost country for that sort of money.

 

[Monte]

I love German cars and I really want to love German tools, but I just don't. Does this look like a quality tool to you?

Looks like a functional tool A quality tool is a tool which don´t break.

 

[Adam.C]

Looks like a functional tool A quality tool is a tool which don´t break.

Functional? No, not really. They need to be smooth enough to not tear my nitrile gloves.

Quality? I think those duck bills with the uneven jaws were over $40USD.

Anyone who can look at these tools and think for one second that they are functional or quality has lost their integrity. These pliers are **** and I returned them. All the pliers in the pics above are knipex.

I like the pliers wrench because there's nothing else like them. I like the Cobras, tho I wouldn't call them high quality. Knipex are premium priced pliers, not premium quality.

 

[maico]

What's the model number of those duckbills ?
Can't seem to find them in the catalogue.

 

[Adam.C]

What's the model number of those duckbills ?
Can't seem to find them in the catalogue.

28 01 200

The first pic shows 20 01 160

 

[maico]

Ah I see, they call them assembly pliers

http://www.tbs-aachen.de/Knipex_pli...entized_plastic_coated_200_mm_i3026_43783.htm