Requiem for an Eagle Grips

A look at the most magnificent locking pliers ever made, Malco Eagle Grips plant closure, and a short discussion of USA vs ChiCom tools
#toolhaul
#tools
#Malco
#EagleGrips

[MyKnifeJourney]

With all the high ratings of the Malcos, I bought a pair of the 7's. Curved and straight jaws. They are among the finest pliers I've ever handled.

[Rusty_ok]

Now we know why these are so hard to find. You have them all.

[Donthetoolman]

Them are nice I have vintage Peterson grips and they can work circles around everything else I agree with everything you said they are superb and worth every penny I just posted a old pair of Peterson grips on my channel going to do a follow up on the clean up nice job on the video you now have a new subscriber

[pauldiesel]

Thanks for a very informative video. I think Irwin did the town of Dewitt pretty dirty, for what a couple of dollars? I work overseas and I always bring American made Vise Grips ( look for the roll pin in the release lever) with me! I agree with every one of you’re points!

[Mohagrus]

whats the point of straight jaws i just don't see the use vs the curved seems like if you need straight jaws you should be using a knipex pillers wrench

[authalic]

I just ordered the 10" and 7" curved jaw. I have been following this Eagle Grip story since the Project Farm video. I still have several vintage USA-made Vice Grip locking pliers from the early 90s, so I probably don't need more, but I agree with everything you said about US manufacturing. American consumers don't value quality. Tools seem to be considered disposable items, not durable goods. US manufacturers are more concerned about the cheapest possible unit cost, and they will destroy the industries in the domestic supply chain to compete with inferior goods built by slave labor in prison states. It's sad to see it, especially when companies in other countries seem to be able to market their products in terms of top quality materials and design.

[thomasgronek]

I have, and I use cheap Chinese garbage, and I hate working with crap tools. I just bought both curved and straight jaw, 7 and 10 inch. We need to keep industry in this country.

[WorXToolZ]

Nice video man I’m going to check those out they look awesome with the strong power ring end and the Allen to tighten is way cool!
Good strong vise grips are priceless. I had a blue point set of them and didn’t like it traded them back in for the snap on set. They are better. Usually you get what you pay for the cheap ones don’t hold and strip the teeth first time you try to hold something..SUBSCRIBED 🔥

[unwired]

I agree. Unfortunately the majority of people don’t give a fuzzy damn like we do.

[rogerice]

I have my fingers crossed that some American company picks up where Malco left off. Channellock could be an excellent candidate to pick them up as well, but they seem to be heading in a different direction.
I would love to hear your opinion on trade. I think we are headed in a different direction, with everyone buying all this cheap junk there won't be any good jobs left and no one will be able to afford American made products leading to collapse of even more American companies. Even if Chiwan prices themselves out of the market someone somewhere will end up producing cheap junk, who knows maybe Africa or South America, they have both the resources and the manpower, and the banana Republican governments to pull it off.

[jayusher]

Its time to make VICE GRIPS great again...

[rge]

Wilde tools out of Hiawatha Kansas should pick up the product line. They are relatively close geographically.

[RedShiftedDollar]

When Taiwan gets blockaded, the supply of tools might be cut off completely. They are such a massive manufacturing center for hand tools that such a reduction in supply could push prices up considerably. And if there is some roundabout expensive way to keep the foreign tools flowing, they will likely be much more expensive to the point where picking the USA made stuff becomes a no brainer. How much will the 45 dollar Malcos be worth when the 7 dollar chinese pair you can buy today goes for 30 dollars in the future after Chinese duties and tariffs kick in? The Malcos will be worth 100 if that happens. If you've ever clamped down hard with cheap locking pliers you know the jaws move laterally and the workpiece twists out. And because the grip oomph occurs with that tiny last bit of jaw closure, a little jaw twist relieves the locking pressure and the pliers are useless. The best way to avoid trade dispute problems and inflation problems is to buy what you want right now while your money has purchasing power.