If You Could Have Only (1) Pair of Pliers/Wrench…

[foakes]

Most of us have plenty of pliers and wrenches.

And like most of us, many times I have searched other skill disciplines for specialized tools —- electronics, machinists, camera repair, watchmaker tools, hobby shops, RC suppliers, gunsmithing tools,etc..

Last year, my wife was having her flute restored that she used in High School Marching Band.  She just bought a new Pearl, and wanted her old one restored, since I explained that like reels —- any instrument or tool that is not working to its full potential is just a paperweight.  And actually a rock would be a better paperweight, anyway.

We took it to a local shop, and while I was curiously looking around the shop —- I spied these Knipex Duckbill parallel vise grip pliers.

Asked him where to get these, he said he ordered them from Music Medic, in Wilmington, NC.

So I looked into the company —- and ordered the larger of the (2) sizes.  I already had the smaller size in the non-duckbill version from Knipex.

What these guys did —- is find the highest quality tool available —- then modify it into a duckbill design.

Clever and unbelievably useful.

Check out their you tube videos.

Best, Fred

https://www.musicmedic.com/knipex-duckbill-pliers.html

[MarkT]

Pretty cool but $108? Buy a standard plier wrench and take your grinder to them! Knipex's patent ran out so there's a Harbor Freight version now as well as the Kleins with reversible jaws.

[Bryan Young]

Those are pretty cool pliers. Hmm. Need or want?

[jurelometer]

Pretty cool but $108? Buy a standard plier wrench and take your grinder to them! Knipex's patent ran out so there's a Harbor Freight version now as well as the Kleins with reversible jaws.

Klein OK, but  Harbor Fright???  - uggh.  I'm with Fred on the Knipex products.

Curious as to the use of these plier-wrench things.  A couple of normal combo wrenches is going to do a better job of turning nuts with less clearance.  Maybe bending parts back into alignment?

Also the Knipex plier-wrench is high and then low temp tempered.  I wonder why the aftermarket milling was done without coolant, especially considering the mill is in an enclosure.  Milling dry like that can't be helping to maintain hardness. Their video shows that this is the second version of the mod with beefier jaws to "improve strength"

Probably fine for light duty work like tweaking saxophone parts or turning nuts on a spinning reel.  I'd be inclined to go with the stock Knipex for about half the price unless I had need for the extra clearance.

-J

[handi2]

There are other flat jawed pliers out there that are just as good for a lot less.

I had a pair marketed to grip and tighten thick monofilament line.

In commercial plumbing I had a large pair of flat grip pliers to tighten the chrome nuts on the exposed flush valves on wall hung toilets. Made by Ridgid tools.

Knipex has plenty of other flat jawed pliers too.

[MarkT]

Pretty cool but $108? Buy a standard plier wrench and take your grinder to them! Knipex's patent ran out so there's a Harbor Freight version now as well as the Kleins with reversible jaws.

Klein OK, but  Harbor Fright???  - uggh.  I'm with Fred on the Knipex products.

Curious as to the use of these plier-wrench things.  A couple of normal combo wrenches is going to do a better job of turning nuts with less clearance.  Maybe bending parts back into alignment?

Also the Knipex plier-wrench is high and then low temp tempered.  I wonder why the aftermarket milling was done without coolant, especially considering the mill is in an enclosure.  Milling dry like that can't be helping to maintain hardness. Their video shows that this is the second version of the mod with beefier jaws to "improve strength"

Probably fine for light duty work like tweaking saxophone parts or turning nuts on a spinning reel.  I'd be inclined to go with the stock Knipex for about half the price unless I had need for the extra clearance.

-J

If you're going to experiment would you rather use Knipex or Hazard Frought? A Plier Wrench is like a Cresent wrench... one will fit everything... and you don't need an Imperial vs Metric. However, in general,  a pair of Knipex Cobras are the way to go if you're going to only have one pair of pliers. I'd go for the 200mm/8" model.  I have the 8 & 10" versions of both the plier wrenches and cobras. No knockoffs!

[handi2]

The only regular pliers I would use are the Douglas Water Pump pliers.

The jaws open large enough to fit the larger drain fittings. Regular "channel locks" cannot do this and their jaws are shorter.

Knipex makes water pump pliers too.

The pliers Fred used are for working on woodwind instruments. The reed's and such

Keith

[MarkT]

Keith, you don't sleep anymore?

[jurelometer]

If you're going to experiment would you rather use Knipex or Hazard Frought?

Good point.

[JasonGotaProblem]

A thread titled "if you could only own one pair of pliers" turned out to be a story about Fred buying another pair of pliers. 

[jurelometer]

A thread titled "if you could only own one pair of pliers" turned out to be a story about Fred buying another pair of pliers. 

I think we have to declare the winner of this thread right here

-J

[handi2]

Keith, you don't sleep anymore?

You caught me..!

No I don't sleep well at all

[thorhammer]

A thread titled "if you could only own one pair of pliers" turned out to be a story about Fred buying another pair of pliers. 

I think we have to declare the winner of this thread right here

-J

That's funny and X2 on winner!For whatever reason I have accumulated at least ten deep each in hammers, wrenches, pliers, dikes, driver sets, etc etc but I feel like compared to Fred's shop that's like carrying a cane pole into the Fred Hall show.

[handi2]

A thread titled "if you could only own one pair of pliers" turned out to be a story about Fred buying another pair of pliers. 

I think we have to declare the winner of this thread right here

-J

That's funny and X2 on winner!For whatever reason I have accumulated at least ten deep each in hammers, wrenches, pliers, dikes, driver sets, etc etc but I feel like compared to Fred's shop that's like carrying a cane pole into the Fred Hall show.

Too funny but true!

[foakes]

You guys are really pretty funny!  😄😄😄

Everything is —- personal preference, trade-offs, and priorities.

Me, I like to work with fine tools that work well for me.

And while I have some HF tools, and some other lesser quality tools —- if I can justify it —- I was always taught to save up for the quality tools that might last a lifetime.

Just buy em once...

To put things into perspective, at least for me —-

A 10-pack carton of cigarettes is around $50.  I don't smoke, but if I did a carton a week —- that would be $200 a month —- with nothing to show for it except maybe lung cancer.

A decent bottle of Scotch generally might be $50.  A 24 pack of beer is around $1 a can.  If I did a case of beer a week and a bottle of Scotch a month —- that's $150 with nothing left over to show for it.  I don't drink.

We are probably saving $400 a month by only going out to eat perhaps a couple of times a month, instead of 2 or 3 times a week, like we used to.

We have only gone out to 2 movies in the past year —- instead of a movie, snacks, and dinner twice a month —- which is around $100 each time —- not counting gas for a 100 mile round trip.

So add up $400 + $150 + $200 + $200 = $950 a month. 

$11,400 a year!!

So hopefully —- fairly healthy, no hangovers or lung cancer...

And I can spend a few extra $$$ on quality tools that I enjoy.

And I will always have the tools that I prefer to use —- until I  move along —- and then someone else will be happy with the quality tools.

Just the way I look at things —- not for everyone by any means.

Best Always,

Fred