The Knipex 40 14 250 SBA Universal Grip Pliers with Pivoting Jaw are 250 mm (10-inch class) locking pliers for mechanics, fabricators, welders and maintenance techs who need a clamp that holds odd shapes. This is a locking grip plier designed for clamping round, square, hex and flat workpieces. Model Number: 40 14 250 SBA. The SBA suffix is Knipex retail-carded packaging; the tool is the same 40 14 250.

The pivoting lower jaw is the reason to buy this over a standard locking plier. It rocks to match the workpiece, so you get full jaw contact on a hex nut, a square bar or a round pipe instead of two pinch points that slip. Capacity runs up to 1-11/16 in. on round stock, 1-5/8 in. on square stock and 1-3/4 in. across hex.

Clamping force comes from a toggle lever. Dial in the size with the adjustment screw, squeeze to lock, and the plier holds with high pressure until you hit the release lever. That makes it a third hand for welding fit-up, holding parts for drilling, or freeing rounded fasteners.

The body is high-strength rolled steel and the gripping jaws are forged chrome vanadium electric steel, with a galvanized, bright zinc-plated finish for corrosion protection. It weighs about 1.34 lb and is made in Germany.

Buy it if you clamp mixed shapes and are tired of locking pliers that only grip round work well.

A Locking Plier That Actually Grips Flats

The Knipex 40 14 250 SBA fixes the oldest complaint about locking pliers: they only hold round stuff well.

• Who it's for: Mechanics, welders and maintenance techs clamping nuts, bar stock and pipe.
• Why it stands out: The self-adjusting pivot jaw gets full contact on hex and square work.
• Worth knowing: This is the retail-carded (SBA) package of the 40 14 250. Same tool, different packaging.