New Knipex Pliers: A Longer Needle Nose and a Metric Wire Stripper

Introduction

Knipex has quietly rolled out two new pliers that build directly on tools that already earned a strong following: an extended version of its combination needle nose plier and a metric-sized variant of its wire stripper. Both are aimed at electricians, technicians, and anyone who does detailed wire and terminal work. Here is what each one offers and who they make sense for.

The New Long Needle Nose: Knipex 0822, Scaled Up

The original Knipex combination needle nose plier has one clever trick: a small notch at the tip that turns a two-point grip into a three-point contact. When you grab flat or tapered material, that extra contact point stops the workpiece from spinning in the jaws, something traditional needle nose pliers struggle with because they tend to hit at only two points and let the part rotate.

The new release takes that same design and scales it up to 185mm in overall length, compared with 160mm and 145mm versions in the existing range. That means the same well-engineered grip feature in a longer, higher-reach plier, with a likely slightly larger jaw for grabbing bigger bolts and round stock. The tips also function as small flat-end cutters, though the cutters are fairly tiny and not the main selling point.

If you liked the original short version but found yourself wishing for more reach, this longer format looks like the natural answer.

The Metric Wire Stripper: Knipex 1372

The second release is essentially the metric counterpart of Knipex’s existing wire stripper. The 10 to 20 AWG version has been popular for stripping wire cleanly without adjusting a dial, and the new variant covers a metric range from roughly half a millimeter up to six millimeters instead.

Everything else appears identical: the same handle options, the same width, the same self-adjusting stripping and cutting features. This is clearly aimed at European and metric wire work, where a lot of specialty cable sizes do not line up neatly with AWG markings, and where guessing the right hole on an AWG stripper is an easy way to nick a conductor.

How They Stack Up Against the Snap-on LN46ACF

The most interesting angle in this release is size. The Snap-on LN46ACF, a long-reach plier that has been popular but notoriously hard to get, measures about 185mm overall. That puts the new Knipex long needle nose at almost exactly the same footprint, making it a direct competitor in scale.

The feature sets differ: the Snap-on offers anti-twisting tips, the ability to grab larger bolts and round stock, and small flat-end cutters, while the Knipex leans on its three-point grip notch. If the new Knipex proves easier to actually buy, that alone could swing a lot of purchasing decisions.

Beyond Pliers: Storage and Mobility

Knipex is also expanding its storage and mobility lineup, including a tool bag with multiple interior compartments and a separate top section sized for a laptop or books. The broader takeaway is that the brand is investing seriously in solutions for carrying and organizing tools, a category the source material describes as genuinely lacking in innovation. The bag is an interesting option, and the wider range is worth watching if you haul gear between job sites.

There was also a mention of a substantially larger plier in the range, at around 245mm, suggesting the lineup will keep growing in both directions.

Buying Advice

If your work involves reaching into tight spaces where a standard needle nose falls short, the new 185mm combination needle nose is the one to watch. If you handle metric wire sizes regularly, the metric stripper removes the guesswork from matching conductors to AWG holes. And if you have been chasing the hard-to-find Snap-on LN46ACF, the new Knipex may finally give you a realistic alternative at the same overall length.

Conclusion

Both new Knipex pliers refine proven designs rather than reinventing them: a longer reach for the grip-notched needle nose, and a metric wire range for the self-adjusting stripper. Availability for the new long needle nose is still worth confirming before ordering, but for the right trade, each tool fills a clear, specific gap.