Lee Valley Grip-On Locking Pliers Basic Workholder Set

While locking pliers are often thought of as somewhat crude tools, these stand apart with a design that’s more refined than others we’ve seen. Made in Spain by a company that has specialized in locking pliers for over 35 years, they have a rugged all-steel construction with a tough epoxy coating for resistance to wear and corrosion.

The release mechanism is particularly well designed – just a light one-finger squeeze on the lever unlocks the jaws without a struggle and without them springing open abruptly. Aside from their obvious use as pliers, we find the smaller sizes particularly excel when used as a hand vise to grip items firmly without your fingers getting in the way.

The basic workholder set includes 10″ regular-jaw pliers and a jobsite holder that expands their utility by letting you create an improvised vise almost anywhere.