Need help identifying vintage pliers

[TheDuckBuster]

I have a pair of channel-lock style pliers I picked up over the weekend at a flea market/antique store. I can't for the life of me figure out who they are made by. There may possibly be more markings/stamping on the pliers underneath the "comfort grip" rubber, however I can't get them to come off without cutting them which I don't want to do. The only visible marking on the pliers anywhere is the "Made In USA" you can see in the photo, other than that there is nothing, and they are pretty pristine so i dont think anything wore off/was ground off over time. So thought maybe someone here could help.

 

[RTM]

I don't know that these are too vintage, almost look like 2000 onward, hope someone else chimes in w more knowledge than I.

 

[TheDuckBuster]

I don't know that these are too vintage, almost look like 2000 onward, hope someone else chimes in w more knowledge than I.

I wouldn't disagree...I mean they seem fairly new... or were just really really well taken care of or literally never used. I just assumed they were somewhat vintage because one; since 2000 onward made in usa tools are less and less common, and the ones that still exist(ed) are proud of being USA made and it's pretty easy to find the manufacturer on the tool. And two; I've looked at hundreds of pictures of pliers online modern and vintage alike and the modern ones are much easier to find pictures of so I've seen many and have yet to find a match.

The thing that throws me for a loop typically and I've yet to find on any other pliers (other than channel-lock brand, I've seen some manufactured this way particularly their newer stuff); is that both sides of the pivot "screw" holding the jaws together are round rivet type heads, and typically all the photos I see online of various brands one side has the round head and the other side with a "nut" of some form or another.

 

[3baygarage]

Sure looks like a Channellock Griplock.

 

[The Cobbler]

to me the grips look cheap, they do not look to be very robust , but that's my opinion .

 

[RTM]

My opinion is based on: The finishing looks cheap and new, and the Vee grip jaws look modern. The Made In USA does not look vintage, even the font is off. And yes, the grips look cheap, especially the top edge of the bottom in the left pic.

Could also be cheap 1950s stuff, but I'm leaning newer.

¢¢

 

[thefraze_1020]

That font looks similar in style to a pair of newer Channellock oil filter pliers I have. My pliers have the blue grips, but there are no other markings. I would advise pulling up the Channellock website through the Wayback Machine. That's how I identified mine.

 

[TheDuckBuster]

I am in agreement, that they are more than likely modern, I just wasn't sure. As for the grips...they may appear cheap, and I agree they definitely do look like El cheapo harbor freight grips...however having them in hand I can and will say they are not cheap grips. They are relatively thin compared to some more modernized grip styles. However, whatever they are made of is damn strong/tough, hence why I am unable to get them off the pliers without destroying them by cutting them off. It makes me wonder if the previous owner added them themselves with something similar to Plasti-Dip but much stronger and better. I have some new crescent pliers, as well as some newer channel-lock pliers and the grips are about the same thickness, but no where near as durable I could put a knick or even possibly hole in them with my fingernail... the grips on the ones pictures I don't know if I could even harm them without something like a sharp knife or a nail or something.

 

[TheDuckBuster]

Sure looks like a Channellock Griplock.

They definitely do look all but identical to Griplocks, and the "Made In USA" marking font looks almost identical to the "Made in USA" marking font on the channel-lock Speedgrip pliers. So I'm thinking they are likely channel lock, modern also...I just wonder how modern because they are obviously not part of their current offerings.

 

[d42jeep]

Perhaps the markings identifying them as Channellocks was originally marked on the plastic handle and has worn off. I could see that happening on these.
-Don

 

[TheDuckBuster]

I've all but confirmed 100% that they are indeed Channellock Griplocks. I'm thinking the previous owner replaced the Channellock blue grips with whatever those black ones are. Here is a picture of a Griplock 12" version. With an identical "Made In USA" stamp. Mine are just a different time period because they are 9.5" and not marked as so like the 12" pictured has the 12 stamped on it. Im happy whether they are vintage or nkt considering i only paid $4 bucks for em.... I also picked up an almost complete set of SK 3/8 drive 12pt metric sockets with the flip top case in excellent condition. Ita only missing the 12mm which was replaced by a usa craftsman 12 pt 12mm, and the 8 mm is an SK 6 point instead of a 12 pt. It was only $30 bucks.

 

[d42jeep]

Craftsman used handles that look very similar on some of their pliers. I suppose that it’s possible that Channellock was supplying those to Sears.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

^ that sounds far more likely than someone replacing handles with those spongy black things.

 

[AreBeeBee]

DuckBuster: Possibly heat-shrink tubing on the handles?

 

[TheDuckBuster]

DuckBuster: Possibly heat-shrink tubing on the handles?

No it's definitely not heat shrink... I am an industrial maintenance tech, so I have seen ALOT of heat shrink and typically work with it in some capacity almost daily repairing something or soldering up new switches and potentiometer on aluminum mig welding "guns"... whatever it is it seems like it's made for what it is being used for like a textured grip for plier, other tool handles, possibly handle bar handles etc. Best way I can describe it is it's similar in texture and appearance to the cheap harbor freight Pittsburg pliers grips, but it's on steroids and definitely much stronger and 100 times as durable.

 

[TheDuckBuster]

So after doing some research here is what I've come up with.... they are channel-lock griplocks from the late 90's era. As for the grips they look like the older craftsman pliers grips so best theory I have is the previous owner for whatever reason put those grips on in place of the original channel-lock grips. Here are some pictures of my findings...one shows the same exact pliers I have in the new channel-lock package and the other shows the date highlighted in yellow

 

[AreBeeBee]

Craftsman is/was a brand, with tools made by others. It doesn't seem crazy to me that Channellock made your Craftsman pliers, but may have refused to allow the use of their own trademarked blue plastic handle covers. They trademarked that color as "Channellock Blue" in 1988, according to Alloy-Artifacts. Companies can lose their trademarks if they allow a competitor to use a trademark without defending (= legally challenging) it, and the company may have put its foot down on the matter, insisting on a different color.

 

[TheDuckBuster]

I am in agreement it is definitely possible that's what happened. However the only question i have is if they are in fact "Craftsman pliers, produced by Channellock for Craftsman" why is there no Craftsman branding on them whatsoever? The other possibility I could think of that could maybe explain this is; these pliers are indeed Craftsman pliers produced by Channellock, that were a part of a Craftsman "mechanics tool set" type package that generally has/had lesser quality tools and or less "finished" tools than the stand alone tools you buy singly. So Craftsman didn't go the extra mile to mark their branding on the pliers themselves because of this.

 

[American Iron]

Need help in figuring why these Stanley cutting pliers (Stanley 75-455 ) aren't really to be seen anywhere on the internet? Picked them up last weekend as I've not seen one like them before with the Stanley brand. They are in really good shape and are very sharp. Not even an image online. Figured I'd go to the best source for tool info and post it here. Only guess I have is that they were a part of a larger tool kit that didn't list individual tool part numbers. Maybe an electrical tool kit? Thanks in advance..