

My grandfather and I both too call them the same-even though he and I both have offbrand (all made in the Far East and junk, mine messed up on a bolt) and Craftsman branded ones too (I suspect the latter may actually be made by Petersen as they're also USA made and of great quality, but he's had them since the '70s). I often EDC a pair of Petersen 6LN Vise Grips. We use them as clamps and wrenches, and to get a grip on something. This concludes this short pictorial romp through some interesting multi-tools.īoth my grandfather and I use Vise Grips widely. Much like the Kershaw A100, these feature a side saddle knife blade. Their models designations are 5WR, 6LN, and 5CR.
Sheffield multi tool vicegrip series#
Irwin came out with a series of 3 Vice-Grips. They gave it their sliding players treatment. Gerber came out with their version of a unique locking pliers design.

The ST6 Tough Tool also came with a nice molded plastic sheath. Each model also have a different pliers shape.this tool is no different. That same year, Schrade also came out with the ST6 Tough Grip which differs from the ToolBox line in the number and type of tools on offer. Next is the 6LC ToolBox which came out in 2002. There is the 5WR ToolBox, the the 6LC ToolBox, and the ST6 Tough Grip. There are 3 models in this collaboration between Schrade and Vice-Grip. The Crunch is a bit fiddly to set up.but I have to admire the design that went into this tool. I lack that skill, even though I tried for a time. There are people out there who have the skills of being able to one hand the Crunch open. This allows the Crunch to fold up into a tight package. The whole design hinges on a broken hinge which snaps into place. It is the most compact design out there, and because of that, is the easiest to pocket carry. The Leatherman Crunch is one sleek piece of engineering. There are even different minor variations of the Crocodile. Note the Sheffield Crocodile does not have side saddle knife blade as with the original A100.

You may not be able to tell, but the Sheffield Crocodile is an attractive multi-tool as it has a beautiful swirl finish on the metal surface. Sheffield came out with the Chinese produced Crocodile. Like with any good design, copies will be produced. Of interest is a small hacksaw blade which could be useful for those working with metal.īesides the nylon sheath, there was also a nice black leather sheath which is now relatively rare to find.įor a time, Sears had a brand specific model sold in their stores. The main handle also holds several tools. The A100 has a knife blade in a side saddle configuration. As with many tools manufactured in the USA, quality is excellent throughout. Introduced back in 1997, this long and sleek tool was produced in the United States by a Japanese company. It just may be the first of its type produced commercially. I have yet to see this feature combined with other tools in a multi-tool configuration as of yet.but I imagine something like this will show up in the future. You can now get a set of locking pliers that automatically adjust themselves. Today, even that basic design has been tweaked and played with. Those changes started to happen in the mid to late 90's when someone thought it would be a great idea to add extra functionality to the standard locking pliers model. It took a while for the locking pliers to advance further from the basic design. If you are however interested in the background history, please read the following link. I myself tend to do this.much like tissue paper is always called Kleenex around my house. Because Vice-Grips were the first, many folks call any Locking Pliers Vice-Grips. The first locking pliers, invented in the mid 20's, came about because of a need.
