Now Offering the Full Catalog of Knipex Pliers

Knipex Pliers One of our favorite brands here at Haus of Tools is Knipex, a brand that’s totally worth it, with a primary focus on making high quality pliers – all made in Germany. When a tool company focuses solely on making pliers, they can focus on making sure they’re the best quality pliers on the market AND they can come up with unique innovations for pliers that someone making every kind of tool just may not even consider. While we’ve been carrying Knipex for a while, we’ve recently expanded our catalog of Knipex tools to encompass pretty much their entire catalog. Without a doubt, Knipex has quite a plethora of pliers types that will suit just about any situation.

One of the things that sets Knipex apart from other brands is their selection of specially designed pliers, most named after deadly and awesome animals. The three brands in this category are the Alligator, the Cobra and Raptor pliers. Alligator and Cobra pliers are both a style of Knipex’s water pump pliers with hardened teeth for an extra strong grip and they have a self-locking feature to pretty much eliminate slipping. The Alligator pliers typically have a longer reach than the Cobra pliers and have 30% more gripping power than your standard pliers.

Knipex alligator vs cobra pliersAlthough at first glance the Alligator pliers and Cobra pliers look the same, there are some key differences and knowing those differences is going to help you decide which one to use on a given job. Firstly, Alligator pliers have nine different positions and you have to unlock the jaws manually to adjust them. The Cobra pliers on the other hand can be adjusted to 25 positions, substantially more than the Alligator. Cobras also move by use of a push button. Because of their extra selling points, the Cobras are often favored for automotive work. The only downside to Cobra pliers aside from their shorter reach is that they typically cost a little more than Alligators, however they make up for that with their extra features.

Some of our bestselling models for each of these two styles includes the Alligator 88 01 180, the 88 01 250, and the insulated Alligator pliers 00 31 20. For Cobra pliers, the 87 01 25, 87 02 180 and the two-piece set 00 31 20 are some of our bestselling pieces. You can also show off and impress your friends (or just actually use it for testing) with the Alligator/Cobra test support. You’ll see photos and videos online of people using one of these pliers and then standing on it. It’s not recommended you do that without proper safety precautions, however it does demonstrate the strength and workmanship of the pliers. Alligators and Cobras both have gripping teeth on the jaws, but if you want something smooth you can go with the pliers wrench.

The Raptor pliers are a completely different and innovative design of pliers wrench specifically designed to tackle hex fasteners. The Raptors have a clear advantage over wrenches and ratchets in that they can be adjusted to the size of the specific fastener and on top of that you can get far more gripping power and leverage making it an excellent choice for tight spaces. Raptors also feature some bonus design features such as box joint design, push button adjustment and a forged on pinch guard. There really is only one size of Raptors but you can buy them with or without retail packaging.

Knipex alligator and cobra test frame Moving from Knipex’s specialty pliers, we also carry more standard pliers made by Knipex used for every sort of job you can think of. For precision electronics pliers, the 35 11 115, and the 34 42 130 gripping pliers are a couple popular models. The gripping pliers feature some latticing that enhances your grip on small electronics parts. The best value for precision Knipex pliers though would be the seven-piece set that includes pliers, snips and a tweezers all in a sturdy case to protect your tools. If you need something a bit more substantial but still for use in tight spots, Knipex long nose pliers are a great addition to any toolkit. Knipex 26 11 200 and 32 11 135 are two good starting points and if you need something insulated, Knipex 26 16 200 are also a good choice. We carry many sizes in insulated and non-insulated, so be sure to search out the best for your situation.

insulated knipex pliersFor electricians and other handymen, one of the most versatile types of pliers is the combination pliers, also known as linesman pliers. Knipex makes them in a number of styles from the standard 02 01 180 to the slightly nicer 03 02 200 featuring gripping zone handles. Knipex also makes combination pliers with high leverage and of course, there are also insulated combination pliers. While combination pliers can be used to crimp a small amount of connectors, sometimes you need dedicated crimping pliers. You’ll need to do your due diligence, but some popular models have been the 97 81 180, the 97 71 180, 97 61 145 and the PreciForce crimping pliers. Any and all of these pliers are the highest quality and will be a reliable addition to your toolbox.

With this expanded selection of Knipex pliers you’ll be able to find any pliers you could possibly need for a given job. Knipex is dedicated to quality and you can see from videos of people online using the testing frame that Knipex pliers are top notch and strong enough take a couple hundred pounds with a tight grip. Knipex believes in their quality so much that they offer a lifetime warranty for any sort of verifiable defect. If you need pliers for any reason, Knipex pliers are absolutely some of the best pliers on the market, and if you have a thing for German tools, they are the best German pliers out there.


2 comments


  • Jonathan

    My Alligator (88-250) is the first Knipex, way back when it was made in West Germany. Super tool, even after all these years. I also have the a 13 82 8 T Installation pliers with MultiGrip. I find I prefer red plastic grip over MultiGrip, to me the MultiGrip is to thick. But it’s a personal call.


  • Michael Burton

    I love all my knipex tools


Please note, comments must be approved before they are published