We are well aware of counterfeit everything. Brings me to this. I bought some new tools at a flea market knowing they might be counterfeit but I didnt really care as they are extras. One is a set of klein wire strippers. I have a genuine set also and if these are fake they are super close. One set of fonts is a little dim but that's all I could visually spot. Its the second tool that got me. Its the ICON 10" plier wrench which is a Knipex knockoff. So are we seeing knockoffs of knockoffs now?? Or do you think these are genuine? If they're genuine they almost have to be stolen I would guess.

Depends what genuine is. Snap-on uses IRWiN for their tap and die sets, but they charge 3 times more than IRWiN.

Matco, mac tools and cornwell don't manufacture most of their tools, they are rebrands of good quality tools such as Lisle tools, OTC tools, Lang tools etc... I believe Mac electric impacts are nothing but a DeWalt in wrong color. And Matco uses Launch scanners that they put their name on.... There are so many examples I can tell....

Knipex tools are sold on many tool truck, they are very heavy duty German made tools. The markings on them are not laser printed, they are engraved. Counterfeit Chinesium alloy tools usually just put paint or laser markings on the tolls.

Also so many tool brands are switching manufacturing to overseas, and their quality and warranty goes down drastically. Good example Is SK tools.

Only hand tools I personally feel confident buying from trusted dealers are:Snap-on, Armstrong, Proto, Williams, cornwell, matco, mac, Lisle, SK, grey pneumatic, knipex...probably forgetting a lot...

Some tools that are also really good quality but a lot cheaper and are: Goodwrench, tekton, KD tools, Carlyle, Klein, channellock... There are plenty, just a few from top of my head

Best multimeters are FLUKE in my opinion. Their oscilloscopes are great as well.

Good budget scanners are : Autel scanners and launch scanners.


Here is actually a very good website that exposes all the rebranded tools that big boys use. Hope it's helpful to you all, I give this site to all new techs, so they can save a ton of money buying tools:


I wish I knew this 20 years ago

I’ve gotten to the point with tool trucks it’s bare minimum or something I really don’t have to be better at my profession. There’s a good and bad to tool truck stuff and warranties. Professionally the big names last and work longer I believe but I am biased being they come around every week and whatever I want warrantied gets warrantied. The top of my tool cart with sockets is probably what most people have in tools for a lifetime and I’m not even saying that’s good .
You can find good stuff still but like Vlad if you’re in the industry you realize a lot of stuff is made from the same oven but rebranded for profit or sold to a conglomerate. I’d pay for genuine USA made because that helps everyone(made and spent in this country) but it’s getting hard to justify costs with tools when you know the backend.
They command the same price for a completely different product that was built on one thing annd reputation and now it is not.

I use Craftsman wrenches and Cresent has been mentioned. I have 2 sets of them, in their cases. One I keep in the house and one is in the shop with all of the other tools and tool boxes (I finally had to get a 3rd storage box, on wheels, also a Craftsman $20 - Pawn Shop) I agree on the FLUKE meters and actually own an older oscilloscope. Instead of flea markets, I shop our 2 PAWN Shops for "extra" tools and get them super cheap. Just throwing in my .02.

Do you guys think there are ICON tool fakes? Seems unlikely.

I haven't seen any ICON tools Paul, who sold or sells them?

1990TSIAWDTALON said:

I haven't seen any ICON tools Paul, who sold or sells them?

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I goit at the flea market. I was in new packaging

So it appears that HF is the distributor but I haven't found anywhere that has a knockoff since its kinda a knockoff already, so I say no, no knockoff but I'm not the tool expert. I did some digging tho!
I haven't seen ICON in the Bartlesville OK store (closest one to me) and I was in there just a couple weeks ago.

Harbor freight doesn't manufacture any of their tools as far as I know. They use Chinese manufacturers that give them exclusive rights to put a brand name on whatever tools they manufacture. I believe Infran tool industrial company makes most of their Icon and Pittsburgh brands which they are already a clone of other tools. Here is an example :
This is one of my old spare Snap-on liers that I had for years. Probably would cost about $60-80 new, if they still manufacturing it.

Here is an ICON clone



Looks exactly the same but only costs a fraction. I don't know if it's any good or not. I personally don't have much experience with ICON. I had a 1/4 inch flex head soft grip handle ICON ratchet someone gave me saying that it's a great rachet, I used it in a shop occasionally for a year or two, it was OK, but the locking mechanism was binding occasionally and turn angle was not the greatest, although I think it stated 72 teeth on it. I think I still have it somehow in one of my tool boxes, but I don't really care that much to use it.

I doubt someone is gonna make a copy and label it ICON just to resell it. Icon is already a cheap brand to begin with. I do believe tho that the INFRAN doesn't only sell tools to HF, and many other small name brands can buy their product and put their name on it... But that wouldn't make it fake.

Knipex pliers are great here is some that see daily use for many years, and are still in great shape. If I vouch for anything it's knipex quality .

Actually it's INFAR not Infran....sorry. Had to type on Google to verify

Yeah I pointed out the ICON stuff is already knockoffs of other brands so is there now fake ICON stuff? This thing was less than half price.

pauleyman said:

Yeah I pointed out the ICON stuff is already knockoffs of other brands so is there now fake ICON stuff? This thing was less than half price.

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If it makes financial sense for someone to copy ICON, which I already a cheaper brand, I'm sure someone will do it.

But if someone wants to sell fake replicas, why just not put the original brand name of the expensive tool brands on them... Maybe put an R in a Snap-on and sell them as strap-on.....no one will ever know.....

I've decided i'm not buying any more of this stuff. I will also say I've used the pliers (lightly) and they work well. Just household crap anyway. For 15$ it was worth it I suppose.
I just hate the idea of an inferior product. I expect stuff I buy to be durable.

1990TSIAWDTALON said:

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**Marty has somehow managed to keep his 10mms from slipping into the void...I must learn his secret**

I got all 5 for .50 cents at my Pawn Shop

Reading this thread inspired me to ask google ai something I've wondered about for a long time.
"What ever happened to a wrench brand that was called "Bonney"? I have one (1) that I bought about 50 years ago and it is such a beautiful wrench and still as good as ever."
The response was interesting, a little sad, and not very surprising.

We're on Boost said:

Reading this thread inspired me to ask google ai something I've wondered about for a long time.
"What ever happened to a wrench brand that was called "Bonney"? I have one (1) that I bought about 50 years ago and it is such a beautiful wrench and still as good as ever."
The response was interesting, a little sad, and not very surprising.

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Odd you mentioned that. I have one bonney wrench i acquired long ago and it is my go to favorite on dsms. Extra long, offset double box end 12x14 and its polished. It is THE wrench to own on a DSM. Bonney is long gone but you can find them. Tekton makes one also and its real close.