# Why, Channellock? Why?!?! (topic: cable cutters, country of origin)



## BP_redbear (Jun 22, 2008)

The Channellock plant is in Meadville, PA, approximately 100 miles from where I live. They have a long US tool manufacturing history, similar to Klein, as we all know.

Virtually ALL of Channellock's hand tools are made in the USA. I wanted a cable cutters. I Have seen Klein's and Ideal's. Both well-made products. (Ideal's almost look like they are made by Channellock, but I have no facts on that).

With the relative proximity of the Channellock plant, I shopped around for Channellock cable cutters (mini rabbits - listed at up to 2/0 Cu).

I purchased the cushion grip model. Thought it was odd that the tool is not stamped with the name. Well, "I know they're made in the US!" Later, in the comfort of my own home, I read the back of the package.

All very tiny lettering. The three-language thing. One note in English, then Spanish, then French. Next note in English, Spanish, French, and so on.

Then I come to it: 

'Pliers made in USA'.

'Grips a product of China'.   

Whatever. "You make me sick!"

Are you telling me that they can't compete by buying grips that are made in the USA? Or, they just can't be found or made here? Or, they just want to make that much more of a profit than they could if they paid a little more for a grip supplied by a US or Canadian supplier?


----------



## Frasbee (Apr 7, 2008)

Who cares?

Dipped grips are better anyway.

Plus, consider that they use those same grips on Ideal's tools, some of which are made in Taiwan, was it?


----------



## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

Frasbee said:


> Who cares?


We should all care :no:

Anytime a US company imports a part from China or any other 3rd world country, it costs an American job somewhere.

THAT person is now out of work and won't be spending any money eating out, buying clothes, or going on vacation.

It all trickles down and affects all of us sooner or later.


----------



## BP_redbear (Jun 22, 2008)

Frasbee said:


> Who cares?
> 
> Dipped grips are better anyway.
> 
> Plus, consider that they use those same grips on Ideal's tools, some of which are made in Taiwan, was it?


I care. 

What's your deal *frasbee*? Man, I thought we were a lot more alike than this... :blink:

The style of the grips has no bearing (although I did buy these because of the wider, cushion grips to better spread the load on the hand when cutting wire, as opposed to plain dipped grips). 

If the U.S.A.-made tool were shipped to China, and then the Chinese dipped the pliers to add grips, I would be saying the same thing...


----------



## Frasbee (Apr 7, 2008)

Black4Truck said:


> We should all care :no:
> 
> Anytime a US company imports a part from China or any other 3rd world country, it costs an American job somewhere.
> 
> ...


So then maybe Channellock should stop making tools with special molded grips. If it irritates you guys that much, just go buy their normal blue dipped tools.

Grips, cut them off and dip them yourselves, or buy klein's replacement handles.


----------



## BP_redbear (Jun 22, 2008)

Frasbee said:


> So then maybe Channellock should stop making tools with special molded grips. If it irritates you guys that much, just go buy their normal blue dipped tools.
> 
> Grips, cut them off and dip them yourselves, or buy klein's replacement handles.


Not bad points, there.

I'm not saying that all these 'dual-material' cushion grips are necessary on every pliers. Seems like that's the fad, now.

It does seem like every manufacturer is trying to get on the bandwagon with the cushion grips. Maybe more of a novelty, than is truly practical, with all the stories of them pulling off. When the grips pulled off my Klein J-man series side cutters, I just used them "gripless" for a few weeks before I finally epoxied them back on.

I bought a Knipex 09 01 240 'American-style' lineman pliers with the red dipped grips, just so I wouldn't have to deal with the hassle. That's what I have been using, lately.


----------



## Nephi (Mar 20, 2010)

I dont live very far from meadville. Im in jamestown Ny


----------



## BP_redbear (Jun 22, 2008)

*cool*



Nephi said:


> I dont live very far from meadville. Im in jamestown Ny


I'm just at the other end of the lake from you!


----------



## Voltech (Nov 30, 2009)

Frasbee said:


> So then maybe Channellock should stop making tools with special molded grips. If it irritates you guys that much, just go buy their normal blue dipped tools.
> 
> Grips, cut them off and* dip them yourselves*, or buy klein's replacement handles.



How does that work? I saw some dip in the hardware store the other day, wondered if it was worth it.


----------



## electro916 (Jan 16, 2009)

Voltech said:


> How does that work? I saw some dip in the hardware store the other day, wondered if it was worth it.



The dip works okay. I used it on my ratchets and chisels, I tried it on an old pair of linemans and I could not get it thick enough even after it was dipped 5 times per side.


----------



## mikeh32 (Feb 16, 2009)

when it comes to plastics and moldings. its a **** load cheaper to have it made in china. 

Hate to say this, but i have heard from numerous people that the plastic injection biz is way more advanced in china.


----------



## Frasbee (Apr 7, 2008)

BP_redbear said:


> Not bad points, there.
> 
> I'm not saying that all these 'dual-material' cushion grips are necessary on every pliers. Seems like that's the fad, now.


This is exactly my point. Channellock still makes their pliers same as they ever did. Only difference is they noticed these rainbow molded grips are all the rage. I just can't fault them for swapping out for such a non-essential aspect of their tool. And the majority of their products are still blue dipped.

I will say, the blue dipped handles don't hold up well to oil, which is one reason to switch to molded.


----------



## Fredman (Dec 2, 2008)

I wait till the handles wear out a bit then I rip them off and use "dual wall" heat shrink tubing on them. The glue they use really holds.


----------



## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

Fredman said:


> I wait till the handles wear out a bit then I rip them off and use "dual wall" heat shrink tubing on them. The glue they use really holds.


 

3m?,,,,,,,,,,


----------



## Fredman (Dec 2, 2008)

mcclary's electrical said:


> 3m?,,,,,,,,,,


Sourced from a local wiring supply company called Waytek. I was curious and called. They said they are a distributor only and cannot (will not) say who the manufacturer is... :blink:

Great product though. It could well be from 3M. I've used many types over the years. This is the best industrial grade stuff I can find.


----------



## BP_redbear (Jun 22, 2008)

Now, these Channellock cutters are made very well.

They are ground very sharp. They move smoothly, yet the joint is very solid.
They cut clean through 1/0 Copper THHN one-handed with little effort.

How much thought and engineering does it take to design a grip with a rounded edge? (As opposed to a nearly square corner.) I mean, why go through all of the work involved in designing a two-component cushion grip, and leave the butt end of the grip all-squared-off, at the point where I put the most pressure when cutting? That's how I use them anyway, with my hand as far toward the end as practical, at least for 1/0, 2/0, etc. copper wire, not 12-3 SO cord (that I would probably choke up a bit toward the cutters).

They certainly thought it important enough to have the Channellock name embossed in the grip.

















*I couldn't just leave it alone... Notice the cutter's grips at the end compared to a Knipex two-component cushion grip on a 9 1/2" lineman pliers.*









*Then, notice the shape that the grips have, after a bit of shaving with a utility knife with a new blade and a smooth flat file...*









As I watched my youngest son drink out of a cup, I could not help wondering if Gerber and Channellock have the same plastics supplier... *note the gnarly grips on that sippy cup* :thumbup:









I believe the Gerber cup is made in the US... Yet, Channellock used grips made in China. *The pliers are made in the USA*, (at least the packaging says that they are), but they can't put that on the pliers?? I would be okay with the pliers saying Made in U.S.A. regardless of where the grips are made. The pliers will work without the grips.









Anyway, I *just had to show how I modified the grips*. They feel MUCH better on the hand. Someone commented that Klein's screwdriver handle grips have the ergonomics of a 2x4... I wouldn't say that Klein grips are near that bad... 

My new cutters had that 2x4 feel at first, but now they don't!

:whistling2:


----------



## Frasbee (Apr 7, 2008)

You think that squared edge was bad?

Try Greenlee's molded grips, they're HORRIBLE.

They really feel like a 2x4, you can feel them for yourself at any sears, or maybe Lowe's.


----------



## BP_redbear (Jun 22, 2008)

Frasbee said:


> You think that squared edge was bad?
> 
> Try Greenlee's molded grips, they're HORRIBLE.
> 
> They really feel like a 2x4, you can feel them for yourself at any sears, or maybe Lowe's.


I suppose it wasn't _horrible_... just not to my liking.  LOL.


----------



## paulcanada (Feb 6, 2009)

i bought the code blue gripped channies just because the rainbow grips are more durable and dont get the ends poking out like the dipped ones. they hold up better with oil too which is good for me. 

they are taking longer to break in though - for whatever reason.

i think its funny how my kids have the same sippy cup too. 

paul.


----------



## CEC_king (Mar 14, 2010)

http://www.tnb.com/ps/fulltilt/index.cgi?part=SC4KIT

If any of you guys ever use this stuff it also works great as a dip for handles. i just spread it on and hang my tools for the night and in the morning they are perfect. i like to use the handles on my channys to stick in the threads in rigid condulet to make them tight without scaring up the fittings. when i scar my handels this fixes them right up.


----------



## BP_redbear (Jun 22, 2008)

CEC_king said:


> http://www.tnb.com/ps/fulltilt/index.cgi?part=SC4KIT
> 
> If any of you guys ever use this stuff it also works great as a dip for handles. i just spread it on and hang my tools for the night and in the morning they are perfect. i like to use the handles on my channys to stick in the threads in rigid condulet to make them tight without scaring up the fittings. when i scar my handels this fixes them right up.


Your link directs to a page for T&B sealing compound. Is this what you intended to show?

Are your grips smooth in texture?


----------



## BP_redbear (Jun 22, 2008)

The center image (from my link to Plasti-Dip) shows the old standard hardware store model that I used to see when I worked in a 'old school' mom 'n' pop hometown hardware store as a young 'un.

Thinking about getting some.

Someone recently mentioned dipping plier handles and being unable to get the thickness desired. I was going to mention, in my experience, each coating has to dry (or partially dry) before additional coats can be applied to add thickness. Otherwise, it just keeps running off the excess. You can only achieve a certain thickness in one dipping.


----------



## paulcanada (Feb 6, 2009)

i used that stuff to glue my file handle back on the file. that stuff is magic.


----------



## CEC_king (Mar 14, 2010)

BP_redbear said:


> Your link directs to a page for T&B sealing compound. Is this what you intended to show?
> 
> Are your grips smooth in texture?


oh yeah! the stuff works like magic. It is like a very tough plastic/rubber. Very smooth in texture if applied right. Plus it is designed to help make stuff explosion proof so it is pretty tough. Only practicable if you are using the stuff to pour stx connectors tho, due to it being pretty expensive.


----------



## CEC_king (Mar 14, 2010)

paulcanada said:


> i used that stuff to glue my file handle back on the file. that stuff is magic.


you mean SC-4? if so then yes I agree. I have done the same thing. Friggin mastercraft files the handles always come off as soon as you buy them. Also works great on the toes of work boots. Pretty much everything.


----------



## Johnpaul (Oct 2, 2008)

Country of origin is often a fiction with the parts made in Asia, assembled in Mexico (where with NAFTA there is no duty charged when they come across the border), and packaged in the USA (Porter Cable and Bosch and Lenox and other companies do this all the time). Just about all the light cans we install are made overseas, all the cordless tools are made in China or Taiwan or Indonesia or Malaysia (where they can put on Made in USA thanks to a giant loophole in the laws). What bugs me is how all the small tool companies have been gobbled up by large corporations over the past 10 years with companies like Vermont American and Irwin and DeWalt all becoming part of multi-billion dollar conglomerates which tends to kill innovation. Most of the new tools I see at the trade shows like NECA and Electric West are coming out of the small tool companies and the best hole cutters are coming from China, Taiwan, Japan, and Germany. When I talk to the managers at the tool companies and ask them about this they say they can't get the money to buy the new machinery to produce the new tools - another effect of the bank fraud and current recession.


----------

