How to Use Locking Pliers

The first patent for locking pliers was filed by Danish immigrant William Petersen in 1921. Petersen, a failed farmer, was having a go at being a blacksmith when he realized that his job would be easier if he had a tool that held the pieces he was working with in place. And at that moment, a new tool was born.

There are several different types of locking pliers today. One distinguishing feature is the mechanism by which the pliers lock in place. Some locking pliers rely on a screw to tighten the grip of the pliers. This type is the most similar to Petersen’s original design, which eventually came to be known as the Vise-Grip wrench.

Blacksmiths are known for making tools (and things like swords and shields, too). So it’s fitting that the inventor of the locking pliers would be a blacksmith. Petersen found the tool useful for holding metal pieces in place while applying heat to them. Today, there are a few different types of locking pliers and they have multiple uses. Here are a few:

C-Clamp Pliers

• As its name suggests, this type of pliers closes its jaws into a C-shape. They’re often used to hold wood or metal pieces together and are common in carpentry or welding.

Curved-Jaw Pliers

• Curved-jaw pliers (usually a type of round-nose, meaning that the jaws are rounded over the edges), have a curve-shaped inner jaw that closes in a cylindrical shape. They’re ideal for holding things like pipes in place. The inner sides of the jaws can be smooth or serrated. 

Straight Jaw Pliers

• Available as long-nose or flat-nose (and sometimes round-nose), straight jaw pliers can also have smooth or serrated inner jaws. But unlike curved-jaw pliers, they’re designed to close over flat surfaces.

There are a couple of different mechanisms that enable locking pliers to lock. The original design requires a screw at the bottom of one handle to lock the handles in place. This is typically the type of tool people are referring to when they say Vise-Grip pliers. More updated versions of this same idea have also added a pivot, allowing the handles of the pliers to be adjusted to smaller or larger widths.

A second type of locking pliers relies in part on a spring to automatically lock the pliers in place. Learning how to use this type of locking pliers is even simpler, and often designed to work one-handed.

How you use locking pliers depends on the type of pliers you are using. But the basics mostly remain the same. Determine which part of an item you want the pliers to lock on to. When using them as clamps—to let glue dry, for example—consider putting them directly over the part that you want to stay permanently intact. Consider using C-shaped locking pliers if you may need space around the pliers to continue sanding or working around the area.

When using curved-jaw pliers, make sure the jaws of the pliers are wrapped securely around the cylindrical object you’re working with. For flat-surface pliers, find an area to grip where the pliers can be pulled at without slipping off. Once the pliers are secure (if you’re using Vise-Grip-style pliers), squeeze both handles together with one hand and then use the other hand to tighten the screw at the bottom of the handle. The screw is properly tightened when you can pull at the pliers without them budging. 

With auto-lock pliers, simply position the pliers in place and squeeze the handles together. On this type of locking pliers, there is usually a lever release at the bottom of one of the handles to unlock the grip. 

Figuring out the best pliers for the job will help you get the most out of your pliers. That said, throughout history people have been quite creative with how they use their pliers (thanks to their multipurpose function). From jewelry crafting to nail-removing and even taking a hot pan off the stove (that one gets extra points for creativity), locking pliers tend to be an essential tool for most handy people and are as common in tool boxes as wire cutters, hammers, and screwdrivers.

The product statements contained in this guide are intended for general informational purposes only. Such product statements do not constitute a product recommendation or representation as to the appropriateness, accuracy, completeness, correctness or currentness of the information provided. Information provided in this guide does not replace the use by you of any manufacturer instructions, technical product manual, or other professional resource or adviser available to you. Always read, understand and follow all manufacturer instructions.