Wednesday, November 6, 2002

Tool evolution leads to new products, better performance

You can teach an old tool new tricks.

Tools have come a long way in the last few years. When today's modern implements are compared to those found in toolboxes years ago, there is a world of difference.

The recent tool evolution has led to various improvements to existing tools and the manufacture of new products. For example, some of the new tools developed in the past few years include a portable vise, curved bar clamps and a hand-held laser level tools that probably weren't found in the workshops of yesteryear.

Yet some of those older tools like Vise-Grip locking pliers that were invented in 1924 by a Nebraska blacksmith are toolbox mainstays that last for years. Those tools have been the ones that people have turned to over the years when they need a reliable solution to fix a problem.

Vise-Grip locking pliers have been used for everything from working on the car in the garage to helping get the lures ready on the fishing boat. And they have also reportedly been used for other non-tool related uses, such as helping women get a better grip when they pull up the zippers on their skin-tight jeans. But that's another story.

Throughout the years, competing brand names and products have come and gone, but Vise-Grip has remained as one of the most recognized brand names not only in the hardware industry but around the world.

Now the famous Vise-Grip locking tools are offering a new line of options for the next generation of tool users. The new Soft-Grip tools feature a comfortable composite grip on the handles.

"Skilled tradesmen and casual do-it-yourselfers alike will appreciate the new soft-grip handle," said Paul Hemingfield, the senior product manager for Vise-Grip. "The newly designed handle reduces vibrations and hand fatigue and also helps avoid oily, greasy hands from slipping off of the tool. It's great for working on the car, tightening bolts on a bicycle, putting together shelving or any other project around the house or workshop."

The Vise-Grip Soft-Grip includes the same features of the traditional line of locking pliers such as heat-treated, high-grade alloy steel, a heavy-duty wire cutter built into the jaws, an adjusting screw for determining exact pressure, a guarded release trigger that quickly unlocks the grip and hardened teeth that are designed to grip from any angle and apply up to one ton of pressure.

The rubberized grips live up to the traditional toughness and durability characteristics of the Vise-Grip product line. In fact, market research found that 84 percent of the users who tested the Vise-Grip Soft-Grip rated the durability of the grips as either "good" or "excellent."

"Tool manufacturers have to keep their customers in mind when developing tools," said Hemingfield. "As needs change and technology improves, good companies will deliver quality, innovative products customers want."

The new line of tools is available at hardware stores and home improvement centers nationwide. More information is available at www.vise-grip.com.

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