# Favorite way to break in kleins?



## RMRiggs (Feb 16, 2015)

So it's that time for me again... Kleins we're getting dull so I decided to us the lifetime warranty and get a new pair, which means it's time to break them in... I go through my usual routine that involves oiling them dropping them in sand or dirt, working it in, cleaning them out with WD-40, then adding gun oil... I usually just repeat these a few times til they are loose. 

I know there are about a million methods for breaking in your kleins, but what is your favorite method? TNT? Microwave them? Buy knipex instead? Just curious...


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## Black Dog (Oct 16, 2011)

RMRiggs said:


> So it's that time for me again... Kleins we're getting dull so I decided to us the lifetime warranty and get a new pair, which means it's time to break them in... I go through my usual routine that involves oiling them dropping them in sand or dirt, working it in, cleaning them out with WD-40, then adding gun oil... I usually just repeat these a few times til they are loose.
> 
> I know there are about a million methods for breaking in your kleins, but what is your favorite method? TNT? Microwave them? Buy knipex instead? Just curious...


Beat them, soak them in water then let them rust a little bit then work them to get the rust out.

Use this stuff..


*11 oz. Penetrating Catalyst Lubricant*


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## cabletie (Feb 12, 2011)

That is the method that always works for me.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

Funny, you never see a "Breaking in Knipex" thread.

Sorry, I never read your complete post. Brand new Klein still seem like old clunkers compared to Knipex. I wouldn't use anything else.


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## Kaffeene (Feb 11, 2014)

I love the PB Blast stuff.


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## markbrady (Jun 2, 2014)

Open them up, put sand in the bottom and spray a little wd40, open and close them for a few minutes being careful not to get sand on the cutting part, spray with wd40 to get all the sand out and repeat the procedure. Drop some oil in them and work until it comes through the rivet,wipe off oil and within 10 minutes they are broken in


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## mdnitedrftr (Aug 21, 2013)

Use'em.


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## walkerj (May 13, 2007)

Sand and water and kroil


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## Jmiester (Apr 8, 2015)

I see which ones hanging on the pegboard at the wholesale house are loose before I buy them, works for me.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

markbrady said:


> Funny you never hear about those Klein American workers who support their families making tools and the numerous trade people who work in their factories, either.


You have a point but I don't have any issues supporting a German manufacturer.


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## cdnelectrician (Mar 14, 2008)

markbrady said:


> Funny you never hear about those Klein American workers who support their families making tools and the numerous trade people who work in their factories, either.


If Klein could make good quality tools like they used to I would spend the money on them again. I just bought a new pair of nines made in their new Mansfield Texas facility and the handles were WAY too spongy, I've since returned them and am still using my 10 plus year old pair 
.


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

99cents said:


> You have a point but I don't have any issues supporting a German manufacturer.


I dont really care as long as its quality.


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## Black Dog (Oct 16, 2011)

chewy said:


> I dont really care as long as its quality.


You need an avatar......


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

99cents said:


> You have a point but I don't have any issues supporting a German manufacturer.


The Germans know how to make a pair of pliers.


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

I tried out Knipex but never liked the feel of them compared to Klein. They are high quality to be sure.


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## daveEM (Nov 18, 2012)

An old Journeyman used to get punch and smack the sh!t out of the center pin. << the right way as one can tighten them also.

As for 99's comment, he don't care about the USA made stuff and neither do I. We both come from 'Perky Nipples', - wherever that is. It is in Canada tho. 

I don't think we manufacture anything in Canada now. Way back (1953) we used to make the Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Canada_CF-105_Arrow 



















Then some political stuff hit and all our smart boys went to the USA and your space program was born and we taught you how to build a war plane.

The ones we had flying were crushed? WTF happened there is... well I don't know, but I'm thinking it was scary for the USA and a deal was struct.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

daveEM said:


> An old Journeyman used to get punch and smack the sh!t out of the center pin. << the right way as one can tighten them also.
> 
> As for 99's comment, he don't care about the USA made stuff and neither do I. We both come from 'Perky Nipples', - wherever that is. It is in Canada tho.
> 
> ...



And to thank you, we sent you our draft dodgers. :laughing:


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## RMRiggs (Feb 16, 2015)

Crap... I started another knipex vs Klein thread...


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## eejack (Jul 14, 2012)

RMRiggs said:


> I know there are about a million methods for breaking in your kleins, but what is your favorite method? TNT? Microwave them? Buy knipex instead? Just curious...


I give mine to an apprentice and have them open and close them all day, mixed in with squirts of kroil or pb blaster.

And no...knipex don't need breaking in, shoddy tolerance control mean they need to be tightened before being used. Germans are really good at marketing.


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## eejack (Jul 14, 2012)

Jlarson said:


> The Germans know how to market a pair of pliers.


Yep....now that looks right. :thumbsup:


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## Wpgshocker (Jan 25, 2013)

eejack said:


> I give mine to an apprentice and have them open and close them all day, mixed in with squirts of kroil or pb blaster.
> 
> And no...knipex don't need breaking in, shoddy tolerance control mean they need to be tightened before being used. Germans are really good at marketing.



I have both. I call bullish!t. Klein has been slipping lately.
Knipex were smooth the 1st day, still are. 
Every pair of kleins I have had needed to be worked in. 
On top of that, the cutters are misaligned on the Kleins. The knipex are precise and the cutting edge is perfect. 

And Klein is a German name FYI, oh the sweet irony.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Dan the electricman (Jan 2, 2011)

I buy these; made in the US, lightweight, and no need to "break them in".


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## ponyboy (Nov 18, 2012)

I don't understand these "breaking in tools" threads. Buy them and use them and be happy. It's strange to me anyone would go through so much trouble to get a pair of pliers in working order 


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## MWayne (Nov 8, 2010)

Way back when I started out and had a brand new pair of Kleins, the Master I was working with stuck em in used transformer oil!


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## Wpgshocker (Jan 25, 2013)

MWayne said:


> Way back when I started out and had a brand new pair of Kleins, the Master I was working with stuck em in used transformer oil!



Ahhh good ole PCB's!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## eejack (Jul 14, 2012)

Wpgshocker said:


> I have both. I call bullish!t. Klein has been slipping lately.
> Knipex were smooth the 1st day, still are.


I actually use tools to the point of failure and beyond.

You can call whatever you want - knipex ain't great. Like most common german junk folks buy into the marketing. I've tried them and they break just as easily as my kleins, blades shatter, handles break, forget the crappy insulation that slides off or cuts easily. I had to beat the pin in order to get the slop out of the last pair of knipex ***** I tried. 

Kleins are not great either but they are consistent and American made.

I will give a shout out to Witte screwdrivers - they actually are worth the money and they do it with none of the hype.


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

Dan the electricman said:


> I buy these; made in the US, lightweight, and no need to "break them in".


I have the Ideal version of those (Channelock makes them for Ideal) and I like them a lot. They take a little bit of getting used to since they have different cutting jaws (knife/anvil unlike Klein) and the jaws are much lower profile. But otherwise, they are excellent pliers and have held up well over the years.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

eejack said:


> I actually use tools to the point of failure and beyond.
> 
> You can call whatever you want - knipex ain't great. Like most common german junk folks buy into the marketing. I've tried them and they break just as easily as my kleins, blades shatter, handles break, forget the crappy insulation that slides off or cuts easily. I had to beat the pin in order to get the slop out of the last pair of knipex ***** I tried.
> 
> ...


 I bet the guy who sold you your Knipex pliers sold you a Rolex watch at the same time.


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## Chris1971 (Dec 27, 2010)

I usually make sure the circuit is energized before I cut the conductors. That breaks in the kleins.:laughing:


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

Chris1971 said:


> I usually make sure the circuit is energized before I cut the conductors. That breaks in the kleins.:laughing:


:lol::lol:


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## Black Dog (Oct 16, 2011)

Wpgshocker said:


> Ahhh good ole PCB's!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


That's why he looks like this....


#*33* MWayne 
Senior Member

 

Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Texas
Posts: 365 
Rewards Points: 256 

:laughing::thumbsup:


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## CzechMate (Jan 16, 2015)

I'm going to avoid the knipex vs Klein issue and speak about the breaking in. My linesman's came pretty loose and a little pb blaster was all that was needed to get them to fall open. I then got diagonals and really had to work them with pb and silica sand. Eventually they would fall open about a third of the way so I just kept going and going with the sand and a mix of wd40 and pb blaster. Finally I got them to the point where they would not stick open but now there is wobble in the handle.


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## AllWIRES (Apr 10, 2014)

I have a buddy in the poco that fills a spray bottle with used transformer oil for me. It's amazing for tools. I've found pikers in the dirt rusted to no function, after a night soak in transformer oil the move smooth. Two nights and they're perfect. Every so often I oil all my hand tools.


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## Kaffeene (Feb 11, 2014)

Chris1971 said:


> I usually make sure the circuit is energized before I cut the conductors. That breaks in the kleins.:laughing:


I was actually going to say something similar to this. 
Along the lines of breaking my Kleins. It used to happen all the time when I was working for this company and someone would swear that the circuit was de-energized. Without checking, I'd cut, and Pop. 

I just got a nice 14awg wire stripper built into the cutting edge of my Kleins. :001_unsure::


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## bduerler (Oct 2, 2009)

MTW said:


> I have the Ideal version of those (Channelock makes them for Ideal) and I like them a lot. They take a little bit of getting used to since they have different cutting jaws (knife/anvil unlike Klein) and the jaws are much lower profile. But otherwise, they are excellent pliers and have held up well over the years.


Ideal makes them for ideal. They have bought the rights to use the same dies as channel lock. However that will soon change as ideal bought western forge and will be moving to their plier design. Look at SK hand tools for a current idea as SK is also and ideal company


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

bduerler said:


> Ideal makes them for ideal. They have bought the rights to use the same dies as channel lock.


That's not what an Ideal rep told me.


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## bduerler (Oct 2, 2009)

MTW said:


> That's not what an Ideal rep told me.


That what the head of their hand tool division told me when I got to tour the manufacturing floor. So I will take his word over a rep.


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

bduerler said:


> That what the head of their hand tool division told me when I got to tour the manufacturing floor. So I will take his word over a rep.


Cool story bro.


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

RMRiggs said:


> So it's that time for me again... Kleins we're getting dull so I decided to us the lifetime warranty and get a new pair, which means it's time to break them in... I go through my usual routine that involves oiling them dropping them in sand or dirt, working it in, cleaning them out with WD-40, then adding gun oil... I usually just repeat these a few times til they are loose.
> 
> I know there are about a million methods for breaking in your kleins, but what is your favorite method? TNT? Microwave them? Buy knipex instead? Just curious...


Dirty Cutting oil...only and lots of work.


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## bduerler (Oct 2, 2009)

MTW said:


> Cool story bro.


Don't hate.


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## gnuuser (Jan 13, 2013)

place in freezer for a day then put a little lock ease in the joints and work them a bit
after that a drop of penetrating oil once a day til smooth.
once they are smooth use wd40 silicone spray once a month


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## Voltage Hazard (Aug 10, 2009)

I just don't understand this thread. I buy em, I use em, they get loose. It does not take long, and I've never had to do anything but USE THEM.


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## Black Dog (Oct 16, 2011)

bduerler said:


> Don't hate.


He's a sissy...:laughing:


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

Black Dog said:


> He's a sissy...:laughing:


And you're drunk. :thumbsup:


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## Nschtib (Dec 10, 2014)

My favorite way to break in Kleins is to buy them, stick them in the pile of tools I probably won't use, and buy a pair of Knipex.


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## theJcK (Aug 7, 2013)

Ive seen sand work.. also just worked them loose manually while on break first week.. but powder graphite, Hilco, PB, WD-40 and 2-26 all work. FYI want to tighten them beat a few holes in sheetrock.


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## markbrady (Jun 2, 2014)

Good to see you using Kleins rather than that that other over hyped brand that if abused (ie cutting nails or the metal chairs that iron workers use to elevate the second layer of rebar) has the blade chip 

Have seen it happen 3 times so far to that other hyped up brand but never to Kleins


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## Lone Crapshooter (Nov 8, 2008)

A couple of drops of extra fine valve grinding compound does a good job and is quick also. Make sure you get it all cleaned out. You should be able to get it at NAPA. LC


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## Ionspot (Aug 9, 2013)

Rubber ball between the handles...three sets of as many squeezes as you can manage, with a minute’s rest between sets...switch hands.
Do it when watching Dancing with the Stars.


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## Tulbox (Sep 11, 2009)

*Why buy expensive pliers you have to break in??*



RMRiggs said:


> So it's that time for me again... Kleins we're getting dull so I decided to us the lifetime warranty and get a new pair, which means it's time to break them in... I go through my usual routine that involves oiling them dropping them in sand or dirt, working it in, cleaning them out with WD-40, then adding gun oil... I usually just repeat these a few times til they are loose.
> 
> I know there are about a million methods for breaking in your kleins, but what is your favorite method? TNT? Microwave them? Buy knipex instead? Just curious...


Just buy Knipex since they are ready to go on day1.


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## BlueOval5272 (Jul 25, 2015)

Wd40 and some banging around usually does it for me.


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## lj973gm (Aug 30, 2012)

markbrady said:


> Good to see you using Kleins rather than that that other over hyped brand that if abused (ie cutting nails or the metal chairs that iron workers use to elevate the second layer of rebar) has the blade chip
> 
> Have seen it happen 3 times so far to that other hyped up brand but never to Kleins


Complete opposite here. The very reason I stopped using Klein brand linesman is that I chipped the front 1/8" of a cutting edge. Previous to this I had a set of kleins linesman drop off a 6' ladder and one side of the head broke off. 

Knipex Linesman reside in my bag now.


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## Satch (Mar 3, 2011)

lj973gm said:


> Complete opposite here. The very reason I stopped using Klein brand linesman is that I chipped the front 1/8" of a cutting edge. Previous to this I had a set of kleins linesman drop off a 6' ladder and one side of the head broke off.
> 
> Knipex Linesman reside in my bag now.


Pretty much my experience as well. My Knipex 02 05 225(05 designates chromed jaws) cuts things my last pair of Kleins could not. Not without some serious force. 

The question was; How do you break in a pair of Kleins? For me it stared with a a good flush of penetrating rust buster of some kind in the joint. Then thoroughly scrubbed with Brake Clean aerosol spray. Then a good dose of some lubricant. I still think you should not have to break in a $35-45 pair of pliers.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

Buying new Kleins is like buying a new truck with a carburetor.


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