The Klein Tools Story
Because Every Story Starts Somewhere
If you had to make a list of some of the most popular hand tools manufacturers and brands located anywhere in the world today, Klein Tools would undoubtedly be right at the top. Anyone who has ever used one of their products can tell you that it's readily apparent that the Klein family, and by extension the brand itself, is a different type of company.
They clearly believe in what they do and only put the best their company is capable into the market. On top of that, Klein tools are proudly made in the United States - meaning the Klein family has been employing Americans and providing excellent quality tools for most of U.S. history.
Speaking of that history, many people often fail to realize that the Kleins have actually been in business for a lot longer than most realize.
The Company
The story of Klein Tools actually begins over a century ago, dating all the way back to 1857 in beautiful Chicago, Illinois. Originally founded by German immigrant Mathias Klein, the first tool made under the banner was actually a pair of side-cutting pliers designed specifically with telegraph lineman in mind.
The company was always known for its quality from those early days, but the brand exploded in popularity after the Civil War. By the 1960s, the company was aggressively expanding to move beyond those original pliers and into things like leather and canvas products, occupational safety equipment, electrical terminals and connectors and more.
Flash forward to today and the current Klein product lineup has clearly grown far larger than any one of its original founders could have imagined. Not only do they offer more than 3,800 different types of tools, but their attention to detail and true care for their marketplace has allowed them to develop more than 165 unique types of pliers alone.
In fact, Klein has become so popular and so synonymous with quality that lineman tools like lineman's pliers are often simply referred to as ""Kleins"" around the world - in an example of a genericized trademark similar to the way that people call all tissues ""Kleenex.""
Regardless of what it is that you're looking for, what you're trying to accomplish or what problem you need to solve, one thing is clear: both the spirit of the Klein family and its products will dutifully stand by your side every step of the way.
The Products
Though the company itself may have changed in a variety of ways since 1857, the qualities that the organization was founded on, along with the host of unique tools and other products that it offers, have not. There's a reason why Klein is currently the number one preferred hand tool manufacturer in the electronics industry today. People truly appreciate the variety, the versatility and the exceptional craftsmanship offered in categories like the following:
- Coax Tools and Testers. Whether you're looking for F-connectors, strippers, crimpers, testers or something else entirely, Klein Tools has you covered in more ways than one.
- Cutting Tools. All jobs are easier when you've got Klein electrical tools at your side, including options like utility knives, splicing kits, wire strippers, replacement blades and much, much more.
- Fish Sticks, Tape and Conduit Tools. Don't just get the job done right - make sure it gets done in the safest way possible as well. Klein offers a number of options for you to choose from, including fish sticks, fish tape, glow rods, pull lines, lubricants and beyond.
- Network Crim Tools, Strippers and Testers. With product offerings that include crimp tools, strippers, network cable testers and everything in between, guaranteeing the optimum signal integrity of your entire network has truly never been easier.
- Pliers. Klein Tools even makes a number of exceptional quality pliers for you to choose from depending on your needs, from high visibility models that are designed to glow in the dark to cutting, long-nose pliers and more.
- Screwdrivers. If you're the type of person who thinks that one screwdriver is completely interchangeable from the next, you obviously haven't seen what Klein has in store for you. Whether you're looking for hex keys, Phillips, flat head, nut drivers or more for jobs like assembly and demolition, all of your needs are well and truly taken care of.
- Testers. Regardless of exactly what it is you need to test, you can rest easy knowing that you'll be able to do it with Klein. From thermometers to network and coaxial testers to borescopes, remote kits (for signal testing) and more - it's incredibly clear that Klein is the partner you need when you need it the most.
- Tool Bags and Cases. But absolutely no job would be complete without a way to properly store and care for all your items and, wouldn't you know it, Klein has this taken care of too. All of their quality tool bags, backpacks, coolers and phone holders help you not only stay organized but also stay protected - guaranteed.
- Work Lights. Regardless of the size of the site you're trying to illuminate, Klein has the option for you. From work lights to pen lights to accessories and beyond, this is certainly one problem that you do NOT have to worry about any longer.
- Tool Sets. Do you know that you've got a big, important job coming up but aren't quite sure what you're going to need to get it done properly? Don't worry - you can be prepared for anything and everything with Klein's fully stocked data and coaxial cable tool kits.
But in the end, the true benefit that Klein Tools brings to the table with all of its offerings can be summed up in a single word: family. With a lot of large companies, you can often feel an IPO lurking just over the horizon. They're trying to build a name and insure quality, yes - but only to the point where they can go public, at which point the original founders head for the hills and the brand itself is left in the hands of people who only care about the bottom line.
But with Klein, this clearly has never been - nor will it ever be - a priority. For over 159 years, the company itself has remained in the original family's hands - five generations of that family, in fact. They're not businessmen or stock obsessives. They're handymen. They're electricians. They're journeymen, above all else.
The Kleins have truly grown their company organically, and over more than a century and a half have established a reputation for both that organization and their products, all of which goes an incredibly long way towards making them highly-respected by insiders in the industries they serve.
