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KNIPEX Tools
Quality — Made in Germany

What makes a good pair of pliers

Millions of pliers are manufactured worldwide every year. Most of them serve their general purpose. But when you hold a high-quality pair of pliers in your hand, you will feel it immediately. What makes KNIPEX pliers different than all the others?

The forged-in axel in this diagonal cutter, is of great importance and says a lot about the quality of the tool.

 

 

No break-in period

The first impression that you get when opening and closing a pair of pliers provides a good indication of its quality. A high-quality pair operates smoothly and without play from day one. The handles of the pliers open slightly, but they do not fall apart immediately.

 

The construction of a powerful, long-lasting pliers joint is a highly demanding engineering feat, since the precise production requires the latest technologies and processes. KNIPEX devotes all its creativity and competency to both.

 

 

 

Design of the working edges

The gripping surfaces or cutting edges of KNIPEX pliers are precisely shaped and designed with a keen attention to detail.

 

The gripping surfaces are designed so that workpieces can be gripped safely without slipping. For some applications, it is necessary to ensure that sensitive surfaces are not damaged. Cutting edges are manufactured with cutting angles, alignment and surface quality down to a hundredth of a millimeter.

 

Together with the right choice of material, this enables a wide variety of materials to be cut precisely and easily.

 

The gripping surfaces of the KNIPEX Cobra® are equipped with precise teeth.

The cutting edges are induction hardened, which makes them very durable.

Longevity of the pliers

Careful manufacturing and first-class materials for the manufacturing of the high-quality pliers ensure an outstanding service life.

 

Cutting edges and gripping surfaces are exposed to particularly high loads which is why these areas are induction-hardened. This is how we achieve the intended load capacity and ensure a long service life.

 

The right balance is crucial here. If the active areas are too soft, they wear out quickly, if they are too hard, they become brittle and break. The right proportions can only be found – as KNIPEX does – by combining engineering knowledge and experience gathered over generations.

 

 

 

Optimized force distribution

It is easier to work with KNIPEX pliers.

 

This is because KNIPEX pays special attention to the design of the joints, which dictates how much force has to be used to handle a workpiece. The correct position of the fulcrum and the possibility of using large leverage despite the compact design are the hallmarks of a highly effective pliers joint.

 

In the case of diagonal cutters with high leverage, the required manual force can be reduced to more than half compared to commonly available products – of the same length.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This simulation of a diagonal cutter shows where the pliers are subjected to high loads during the cutting process.

The handles of KNIPEX pliers are designed to optimally fit the hand.

Comfortable design

KNIPEX pliers are lighter so you can comfortably carry the tool with you.

 

The tools are designed with lowest possible weight paired with maximum resilience which leads to a significant reduction in fatigue in daily work. Thanks to the ergonomically designed handle shapes, KNIPEX pliers fit well in your hand. The width of the pliers handles as well as their shape and material are ideally adapted to the hand.

 

KNIPEX pliers are available in different handle and lengths. This way every user can select the pliers that meets their particular requirements and preferences.

 

 

Quality steel

The steel used is essential for durable and safe pliers.

 

Pliers must be designed for different requirements depending on the type, which is why KNIPEX uses specially selected and composed steel alloys that are melted and rolled in metallurgical plants in Germany and neighboring countries. The result: high-quality, durable tools.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The quality of the steel is guaranteed by modern test methods.

Heat treatment in the hardening oven: a critical step in the development of a pair of pliers.

The right heat treatment

Resilient and controlled work is achieved when the hardness of the working edges and the slight yielding of the pliers handles are in a balanced relationship.

 

For this purpose, at KNIPEX, the respective materials receive their special molecular structure in several coordinated heat treatment stages and thus the optimal ratio of hardness and toughness. The result is the high level of reliability, ease of use, resilience and service life for which KNIPEX pliers are known.

 

Reliable quality

In order to achieve outstanding and consistent quality, great care and precision in production are essential.

 

The exact test procedures that continuously accompany the manufacturing process at KNIPEX are described in a certified quality management system; test results are continuously documented and statistically evaluated.

 

This enables our many years of experienced, trained and highly motivated employees to achieve the desired tight tolerances and the properties of the pliers from series to series - with every single pair.

 

 

 

 

The KNIPEX Cobra® is known for its biting force and resilience – properties that it has to prove time and time again on the test bench.

Many small steps, each one carried out with great care and passion for the product, turn a pair of pliers into something special.  A KNIPEX pliers.