What specific type of pliers are these?

[edro]

My grandfather gave me some of his old tools.

These are standard needle nose pliers, with side cutters at the base.
The only difference is that they have this unknown feature, shown in the pics.

I assumed it was a wire stripper for solid conductor wire, but the hole seems too small for that.

Does anyone know? Google has failed me.

Here
And Here

 

[BoomerD]

Wire stripper of some type. Could have been specially made for a company.

I have diagonal cutter pliers (dikes) that have a similar notch for stripping wire.

 

[GasX]

Is it a smooth hole with a taper from one side to the other?

Probably a crimper

 

[Tsaico]

I think your first guess was pretty good. Perhaps it was stripper for a smaller guague? I agre it looks too small for 12 guage. Perhaps back in the day the guage was smaller than it is now?

 

[edro]

Originally posted by: GasX
Is it a smooth hole with a taper from one side to the other?
Probably a crimper

Yes, it's an acorn shaped taper. I can't think of what it would crimp.

It looks like the machine they use to draw out wire to make it a smaller gauge.

 

[DrawninwarD]

No clue. They look pretty old.

 

[notposting]

Telephone work. Stripping hole.
Google Klein 71980 for pics.
Other companies make similar.

 

[Redfraggle]

It looks like it would hold a piece of metal and crimp it shut. The shape reminds me of some aid climbing gear I've seen. Much early climbing gear had odd origins. I can't find a picture of what I mean. But it had an acorn sort of shaped bulb of copper on the end of thick wire, and is meant to be pounded into the smallest imperfections in rock while aid climbing. I could see that said gear could origins related to the tool you are describing. This is a really roundabout way of saying I think it's a crimper of some sort.

 

[edro]

Originally posted by: notposting
Telephone work. Stripping hole.
Google Klein 71980 for pics.
Other companies make similar.

Good job! Those are it!
I guess telephone wire is ~22 guage, which is .0253", so a .03" hole would be good to rip the insulation off.

Thanks, my life is now complete!

 

[Perknose]

Originally posted by: notposting
Telephone work. Stripping hole.
Google Klein 71980 for pics.
Other companies make similar.

Learned something today! Thanks for posting, notposting!

:laugh::thumbsup:

 

[I Saw OJ]

ATOT always comes through with the geeky random facts.

 

[ViviTheMage]

I have one of those too, I use it to strip wires.

 

[skyking]

cool! Most telecom guys use Klein electrician's scissors these days.
http://www.homedepot.com/catal...1-6eec20136c10_300.jpg
Not the stripping notches on top of the blade, that I never use.
We just grab the jacket in between the serrated blades with a fine touch and strip that way.

 

[Old Hippie]

Originally posted by: notposting
Telephone work. Stripping hole.
Google Klein 71980 for pics.
Other companies make similar.

My Dad worked for the Bell systems-AT&T for 42 years.

I though those looked familiar. :laugh:

 

[Fayd]

Originally posted by: ViviTheMage
I have one of those too, I use it to strip wires.

only wire strippers i use are ideal stripmasters.

suprisingly, the design is unchanged in like 60 years.

 

[ivan2]

your grandpa was trying to test the drill bit on the pliers.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

I have some of these at home. It's for stripping phone wires.