Can anyone tell me who makes "top quality" hand tools these days?
The first thing I'm going to say is that after you reach some point in quality (tough in todays world....), after that point, among similar brands, feel, fit, and little details will start to trump the quality. It needs to be good enough to last indefinitely, but it has to do what YOU expect it to do as well. Absolutely you should seek quality, but if one brand of those combination pliers for example has jaws that close tight at the end, and another has them slightly open? The use that you envision will become more important than a hypothetical quality gain among top tier brands. (FWIW, if you were a lineman, where those originated, you'd WANT the jaws to not close quite all the way. It's not a defect.....). The length of the wire cutters, and with or without the "nut cracker" section are other options that blend the lines between those and lineman's pliers. Don't loose sight of exactly what you want.
The second thing I'm going to say is that finding "one brand" that is best, is probably not going to suit you well. I have found that one pair of pliers from one brand greatly out performs another, but in a different style, it's just the opposite. Both design and quality can go that way.
Like the kind I assume professional craftsman would choose?
The best tools don't make a good craftsman, but to be a good craftsman you need adequate tools. Someone doing production work will probably demand higher performance in some or several aspects....
For example, I'm looking for new pair of good quality, general purpose, combination pliers (like the type in the photo) and I'm prepared to pay for them.
That one you put a picture of, that's the kind of crossover/bridging tool that electricians (building wiring types) tend to prefer. For the life of me I can't figure out why..... They always look/feel awkward to me, but darned if they don't get a LOT of (crap) done with 'em.... In that realm, I'm a big fan of Thomas and Betts, and Klein Tools. Both quality pieces in that type of pliers, Both of a quality level that you'll never have to question if they're good or not, (they are good), and again, the actual features you're looking for, that is what will make the difference between and within those two brands, and I'm sure many others.
For that style of pliers, I would make sure to peek at the electrical section at the big box stores, and if there's any electrical supply houses near you that still deal with the public, that's the trade that these combination pliers are aimed at.
For other pliers, you'd be remiss for not considering Knipex. They've never made a bad pair of pliers. Unique enough that if you get the wrong one, you'll hate it, but if you get the right plier for what you're doing.... Unconditional recommendation. I've also got a couple of very specific automotive pliers (hose clamp pliers, and otiker clamp crimpers) from NWS, another German company. These tools are good, and if you have easy access, I'd recommend investigating any particular pliers you're looking for. I can't speak for those (yet), but I was impressed with the couple that I got.
Somebody brought up Snap On? Heck no. Snap ON, Matco, MAC.... Just no. Cutters aren't sharp, jaws aren't any harder than any other hardware store brand, they rust like no tomorrow, and just generally so overbuilt (due to the guarantee) that they don't fit where other pliers will. I'm a career long tool truck customer for things they excel at, but pliers are not on the list. Except that they ALL sell Knipex pliers. I've paid the tool truck tax to have those delivered.
channellock.com
