Being involved in the plier-making business since 1882, Knipex has become an industry leader raising the bar for hand tools each decade. The Knipex brand was registered in 1942 and 12 years later in 1954 the company went through a modernisation process and expansion in their product range. Starting from the early 70s and up to the late 80s, Knipex introduced three new products, the Alligator, Cobra and Cobolt each came with a unique feature and significant improvements over standard pliers. With the release of yet another tool in 1994 and with the expansion in other countries two years later, Knipex saw an increase in exports. This led to them winning multiple awards in the following decade and they are now a leading brand in the plier-making and hand tools market.

Cutting Pliers

Diagonal VDE Wire Cutter 70 06 160

The narrow head style of this VDE tested diagonal wire cutter is made so the tool can be used in confined areas. Like most diagonal Knipex tools Australia wide, the 70 06 160 is meant for all-round use and it comes with induction-hardened cutting edges. This tool has an elongated cutting edge and handles that are insulated with multi-component grips which makes it usable for up to 1000V AC and 1500V DC.

CoBolt Bolt Cutter

The CoBolt is capable of cutting rivets, nails bolts and more up to 5.2mm in diameter and compared to conventional high-leverage diagonal cutters it requires 60% less effort. This is thanks to the ingenious lever action mechanism which amplifies the cutting force by 30 times. This is a tool made of forged and multi-stage oil-hardened chrome vanadium heavy-duty steel which can also be used for flush cutting thanks to its 20° angled head.

Electronic Super Knips Side Cutter Pliers 78 61 125

These pliers are meant for ultra fine cutting of electronics and fine mechanics as the precision shaped tips can cut wires resting on a board from 0.2 mm diameter. The joint has a stainless steel rivet which allows for smooth movement and minimum operator fatigue. The 78 61 125 is great for cutting fibre optics while it also comes with multi-component grips and very sharp cutting edges without a bevel.

Gripping Pliers

Snipe Nose Side Cutting Radio Pliers 25 02 160

The half-round, long tapered jaws of the 25 02 160 side cutting radio pliers are suitable for finer gripping and cutting work. The electric steel of this tool is also forged and multi-stage oil-hardened like a lot of Knipex tools Australia wide. Its cutting edges are made for soft, medium-hard and hard wires and they are additionally induction-hardened with an approximate hardness of 61 HRC.

Halogen Bulb Exchange Pliers

These altramentized, head polished, plastic coated pliers are made out of chrome vanadium electric steel like its snipe nose counterpart. This product is unlike the above mentioned Knipex tools since it is meant for a very specific application which is the installation of wedge base bulbs. These pliers also have knurled gripping surfaces and they weigh 120g.

Snipe Nose Side Cutting Stork Beak Pliers 26 22 200

Weighing 77g more than the halogen bulb, exchange pliers stork beak pliers are distortion tolerant and they come with elastic precision tips which can stay in one piece even when twisted. The long jaws on this tool are half-round and tapered whilst it has handles with multi-component grips. The 26 22 200 stork beak pliers are black altramentized as well as head polished.

Combination Pliers

High Leverage

These heavy-duty pliers require 35% less effort than conventional combination pliers due to the optimised leverage. Their long cutting edges are meant for thicker cables and the tool also comes with gripping zones for flat and round material which makes them versatile. Cutting is not the only thing made easy with these high leverage combination pliers, gripping is more powerful as well as bending and pulling.

Chrome Vanadium Combination Pliers

This tool also comes with flat zones for flat and round material and long cutting edges for thicker cables. The gripping jaws are wear resistant and have a hardness of 53 HRC whilst the induction hardened cutting edges have an approximate hardness of 64 HRC. These heavy-duty steel pliers are VDE tested and can be used to cut soft, hard and piano wires.

Lineman’s Pliers

Using Lineman’s pliers will require 50% less effort thanks to the optimised transmission ratio and its solid construction can endure the heaviest strain and is universally applicable. They have a knurled cross-hatched gripping zone in the jaws for strong gripping and pulling as well as an additional gripping zone below the joint which allows for powerful pressing and leverage. The handles are ergonomically optimised to allow for a firm contact and reduce operation fatigue.

Basic Maintenance

Like every other hand tool, it’s important that you maintain your Knipex tools clean in order for them to reach their full life expectancy. Basic maintenance includes rinsing your tools with fresh water after each use, especially if you’ve used them in salty water.

After you’ve rinsed them, dry them with a clean towel and make sure you treat them occasionally with an anti-rust spray such as WD-40 and once again give them a good wipe down afterwards. Removing sticky residue is best done with a multi-surface cleaner or baby wipes as they are not harsh which makes them less likely to damage the plastic or rubber on the handles. You should also oil the fulcrum to keep the pliers working at their best.