American tool company, Channellock, Inc., recently launched four new products to make contractor jobs a lot easier, including three new SpeedGrip Pliers and a new CHANNELLOCK 968 Forged Wire Stripper.
Created with pros in mind, these pliers are designed for superior quality, greater ease-of-use, and they’re proudly 100% “Made in the USA” with pride by Channellock’s associates in Meadville, Pennsylvania.

Channellock recently added three new SpeedGrip Pliers and the new CHANNELLOCK 968 Forged Wire Stripper to its product line.
Channellock is adding SpeedGrip pliers in 8, 10, and 12-inch sizes to its family of more than 75 different sizes and types of pliers and hand tools. This line of Tongue & Groove Pliers is made from 100% forged high carbon U.S. steel for ultimate strength and is specially coated for rust prevention.
Additionally, the SpeedGrip has:
- A fast and easy push-button adjustment that locks securely into undercut channels
- Strong, laser heat-treated crosshatch teeth, which grip 2.5 times better than classic CHANNELLOCK 90-degree teeth
- A solid alloy steel fastener that is strong and dependable
- A SAFE-T-STOP feature that prevents finger pinch
- A reaming feature for easily deburring pipe
- CHANNELLOCK BLUE molded non-slip comfort grips, designed for ultimate comfort and control to ease hand fatigue
Channellock is also introducing its new 968 Forged Wire Stripper, a tool that customers have been asking for. The 968 Forged Wire Stripper combines the precision of needle nose pliers and the strength and durability of forged pliers with the functionality of a wire stripper.
This specialty tool:
- Strips 10–20 AWG solid and stranded wire
- Has screw shears that are precision-machined to prevent damage to threads when cutting 6–32 and 8–32 machine screws
- Has a curved shear that is uniquely shaped to contain material during handling
- Features CHANNELLOCK XLT Xtreme Leverage Technology, requiring considerably less force to cut than traditional high leverage designs and reducing hand fatigue
- A reaming head to deburr, clean and flare up to one-inch conduit with the versatility and strength of a forged reaming head with precision-machined grooves
- A spring-loaded handle for easy, one-handed operation
- A lock for safe storage
- CHANNELLOCK BLUE Comfort Grips
“The 968 stands out from other wire cutters as the ultimate multi-tasking tool,” said Ryan DeArment, VP of Sales and Marketing for Channellock, Inc. “When you combine the tool’s XLT joint technology with its refined wire shear and channeled reaming nose, you’ve got a tool that not only cuts like butter but is incredibly durable.”
Filed Under: Tools for fastening
Tell Us What You Think!