# lineman pliers used as a gauge (the nose)



## BP_redbear (Jun 22, 2008)

I saw a carpenter who was installing drop ceiling grid border and beams.

He was using the nose of his Klein side cutters that has the area which is ground at the factory, as a gauge.

He would set the beam on top of the end of the pliers, and adjust the pliers up or down to get the laser beam right on the edge of the grind.

On a previous job site, a different carpie was setting his laser at the height where the grid was set (not using pliers as a gauge).

Just wondering if this is the reason for that little ground-in area on our lineman pliers. Is it designed as a gauge?

Stripping gauge, perhaps?


----------



## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

I seriously doubt that's what the ground area is for. It was just handy for that particular carpenter.

There's two schools of thought of installing items to a laser line. One school of thought is to have that laster line be exactly were the item will go. The other school of though is to keep that laser line a certain set distance from where the item will go, and gauge it along the way. This is handy if what you're mounting has some protruding features that might block the laser here and there.


----------



## BP_redbear (Jun 22, 2008)

Well, that's pretty much what I thought. (Knowing that they're 'lineman pliers' and not 'carpenter pliers') :laughing:

So, then, there must be a reason for this feature on side cutting pliers.

Does it go back to earlier linemen or wiremen? Was it useful to them for a particular reason? And, what do we use it for, now?


----------



## Rudeboy (Oct 6, 2009)

You mean the flat part on top of the pliers?


----------



## BP_redbear (Jun 22, 2008)

Rudeboy said:


> You mean the flat part on top of the pliers?


yeah, on the side that the cutter is on.

























...the side opposite the cutter is just flat, no grinding area.
Why?


----------



## Electric Al (Mar 13, 2010)

Isn't that the part that some electricians use as a hammer ??? :laughing:


----------



## BP_redbear (Jun 22, 2008)

Electric Al said:


> Isn't that the part that some electricians use as a hammer ! ! :laughing:


I always use the side _opposite_ the cutters to hammer with. Don't want to chip out the cutter...

I had a Ideal side cutters that got a fairly large chip in one of the cutting knives. All I can figure is that it happened while hammering. This is why I only hammer with the other side from then on, with either my Klein or Knipex.


----------



## Rudeboy (Oct 6, 2009)

I honestly have never thought about it. And I can't at the moment think of any reason why that they make them like that.

... I just went to my truck and took a look at my pliers, my Knipex combos don't have that feature.


----------



## drsparky (Nov 13, 2008)

The tip is used as a reamer for conduit or the inside of metal boxes to clean out the little nib after you knock out the slug. If they did not ground the tip it would be too round to do anything.


----------



## walkerj (May 13, 2007)

I do use my kleins to space conduits in a pipe rack.
I also use them to guage ~9"

I use the side with the blade for hammering, only I don't hit with the blade.
The tip for finesse and the joint for staples/nails


----------



## BP_redbear (Jun 22, 2008)

Rudeboy said:


> I honestly have never thought about it. And I can't at the moment think of any reason why that they make them like that.
> 
> ... I just went to my truck and took a look at my pliers, my Knipex combos don't have that feature.


The newer Knipex 9 1/4 inch pliers have it, as pictured above.

It's the New England nose that is made this way. European-style 'combination' pliers, are not (obviously).

I use my pliers to ream as mentioned above. The Knipex have a slightly different shape to the rounded part of the nose than Klein, Ideal, Channellock, etc.

Knipex actually ream inside conduit better as a result, in my experience.


----------



## Rudeboy (Oct 6, 2009)

BP_redbear said:


> The newer Knipex 9 1/4 inch pliers have it, as pictured above.
> 
> It's the New England nose that is made this way. European-style 'combination' pliers, are not (obviously).
> 
> ...


If I'm reaming a lot of pipe (like I will be the next couple weeks) I use a pipe reamer. If it's just a few pieces I use just about anything. 
Hopefully I'll have some extra cash soon and I'm going on a tool buying binge for sure. I'll probably ebay some of it and buy some quality items new online.


----------



## Rudeboy (Oct 6, 2009)

I was checking craigslist for tools today and some guy is selling "Knipex 79-16 came cutters" for five bucks.

What the heck is that?


----------



## BP_redbear (Jun 22, 2008)

...

























...there's two types of side cutter noses.

New England and Regular.

I don't know if Knipex (notice the slightly different profile and the way they form the whole head) is actually categorized as New England nose style, but their -09series 'American' lineman pliers do have the grind that we are discussing here.

Klein rounds the outside of the plier head, whereas Knipex has more of a flat (but curved) grind. Hope it shows in the pics. Me not know if thy words of sense, any make... :whistling2:


----------



## BP_redbear (Jun 22, 2008)

Rudeboy said:


> I was checking craigslist for tools today and some guy is selling "Knipex 79-16 came cutters" for five bucks.
> 
> What the heck is that?


I can't find any 79 16 product in the Knipex General Catalogue 2007.

*79* (designates pliers basic model) here, denotes Precision electronics diagonal cutters series and precision electronics side cutters (more like diagonals).

*16* would indicate style of head and/or handles/grips.

Then, there would typically be a 3-digit number for the length e.g. *180* (mm).

Like the *09 11 240* lineman pliers pictured above.
09 (model 'American' lineman pliers)
11 (crimping, tape pulling, dipped grips)
240 (mm/9 1/4")

















FYI


----------

