Knipex Handles Musings

[neophyte]

Just so you know, this type of VDE tool has a yellow layer underneath. If yellow starts to show from wear you are supposed to discard the tool. And I think thats its purpose, to have a visible indicator as to whether the tool is safe or unsafe. Some companies require this.

Safety Rated Insulated tools are required to use different colors for each layer, if a tool handle has to be dipped more than once, or the tool handle has different layers comprising different materials.
Some manufacturers of safety tools also use this, and advertise this, as a way to indicate safety if a tool handle gets damaged.
Some manufacturers just seem to use multiple layers of the same material, in different colors for the insulation.
I have some older insulated Crescent pliers, were the under layer seemed to be a slightly softer but still dense foam like material, and the outer layer was closer to typical wire insulation.
I have no clue who did the insulation and testing of the Crescent pliers, but it wasn’t Cementex, who does the insulating for a lot of Safety Insulated tools.
There is a British manufacturer that directly molds a single thick layer of fiberglass reinforced nylon over tool handles, and their videos seem to show the single layer of nylon may be way more durable than other options.
I still like the dip insulated Knipex though.

 

[oldpliers1]

Crescent in the USA used to use a similar textured material for their dipped grips.
It was one of the things I hated even though I liked the pliers.
The current Harbor Freight Icon pliers use a nicer material, even if the material is sort of similar.

I really dislike those Crescent Cushion grips they are also conductive and offer zero protection

 

[Big Bob]

I bought a pair of linesmen pliers with the comfort grip and hate them. It was a rare purchase from Amazon so I didn’t know how uncomfortable the grips were. My bad, should have gone downtown to Epsteins.

 

[F-22]

VBW may have changed their grips.

I bought some on a deal about ten years ago and they really were like sandpaper. Awful things. Nothing like the PB Swiss Santoprene, much rougher.

Got some new VBW pliers in the cobra style. The grips are like rough sandpaper. I'd rather have bare ones!