History of Knipex

Knipex was formed in 1882 in a small village in Germany, and over the last 135 years Knipex has become the world’s leading specialist for professional pliers.

By 1927 Knipex had around 27 employees and was producing roughly 7,000 pliers each week. The small craft business had now become a small factory.

In 1942 the “Knipex” brand was developed and registered.

During 1973 there was a breakthrough in the field of gripping pliers which became known as the “Alligator®”, which was a new type of water pump pliers that grip round and angular workpieces. With these new types of pliers, it was no longer necessary to press the handles together during use, as the plier’s jaws have a self-locking effect.

By 1984 Knipex had developed the “Cobra®” water pump pliers, which can be adjusted quickly and with fine gradations at the push of a button.

In 1988 Knipex had launched the “Cobolt®” compact bolt cutters. The bolt cutters are designed to be simple and compact.

By 1994 Knipex had invented the “pliers wrench”, which at the time was a completely brand-new tool to the market. The pliers wrench has parallel gripping jaws and a ratchet function that gently grips even sensitive surfaces.

During 2016 Knipex launched “ErgoStrip^®” which is a universal stripping tool. The tool combines three cable processing tools in one and enables the user to work quickly and effectively.