Comments on: It’s Just Cool: Unidentified Plier-Type Thingy

By: fritzgorbach

fritzgorbach — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 01:23:17 +0000

The way my dealer explained to me…blue point is rebranded items from another manufacturer; while snapon is “either” made by snap on, such as wrenches, pliers, screwdrivers, sockets, and other main tools, or made to snap on’s specifications regarding material strength, dimensioning tolerances, etc.
There is also a pretty full line of basic hand tools, made in taiwan, vs snap ons made in USA, which dealer tells me is not made to quite the same strength as sanp on, but compareable to craftsmaan and other store brands, at a much reduced price compared to snap on.
In any case, all te tools carry the same warranty if they are under snapon or blue point brand, in many cases, better than anyone else’s warranty.

By: Captain G

Captain G — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:42:15 +0000

I have a ball peen hammer that belonged to my dad that’s a Blue Point. He got it in the mid ’70’s.

By: Coach James

Coach James — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 18:45:42 +0000

“I think Blue Point is actually a catchall for any tool not made by SnapOn but sold by SnapOn”

There are other tools with the SnapOn name not made by SnapOn. Their thread chasers, tap and die sets and some others are made by other companies and rebranded. My C-man thread chaser set is made by Kastar and is also identical to a friend’s SnapOn set.

By: Older Than You

Older Than You — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 10:51:52 +0000

Back in the old days (wish I had a buck for every time I heard an old fart start a story with that line) Snap-On sold any stuff that they didn’t make themselves under the blue point label. It didn’t matter where it was made. I still have a drift punch I bought around 1970 labeled Blue Point that clearly has Made in U.S.A. stamped into it.

By: Dan Clemens

Dan Clemens — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 07:33:44 +0000

Do I get a Scooby Snack for correctly identifying the mystery tool?

By: Phil

Phil — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 03:28:25 +0000

Yep, that’s a GM a/c clutch service tool, I’ve used one in the past. Beats the hell out of trying to dig that retaining ring out with awls or screwdrivers.

Blue-Point tools can be likened to the Lisle, Cal-Van, K-D and other service-related tools found at most ’serious’ auto parts shops. I have a number of Blue-Point branded tools that tend to be specialized service tools, though I do have a couple BP air tools as well. Not all of it is foreign sourced, in fact, of the number that I have, most are U.S.-made. Also, many of the Blue-Point tools can be found under other brands, sometimes for less cost.

Note that Snap-On has stooped to ‘licensing’ their name and logo, which is now used mostly on cheap Chinese made flashlights and other near-novelty items often found in Ace hardware stores. At least the stuff is priced accordingly.

By: toby

toby — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 01:38:14 +0000

A smaller one would have been perfect to remove the master cylinder snap ring on my 77 CB750A…it was a nightmare because normal snap ring pliers would’t fit…I had to use pics and patience!

By: Slow Joe Crow

Slow Joe Crow — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 01:07:16 +0000

I think Blue Point is actually a catchall for any tool not made by SnapOn but sold by SnapOn. I have a screw extractor set I bought from a SnapOn truck in 1990 that says Bluepoint on the plastic case, but all of the metal parts are stamped Ridgid since they OEMed it. I also saw a lot of Bluepoint branded service tools that appeared to be K-D back in the day as well. Nowadays this probably does mean imported tools rather than US made.

By: Coach James

Coach James — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:21:06 +0000

Zoel, you are correct, Bluepoint is not made by SnapOn. Bluepoint is to SnapOn what Task Force is to Kobalt or Companion used to be to Craftsman. Most Bluepoint is China/Taiwan and used by SnapOn as a cheaper line on their trucks.

By: Dan Clemens

Dan Clemens — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 22:44:39 +0000

This is a snap- ring pliers for removing the recessed snap- ring on G.M.
(Harrison) inline- type AC compressors. This tool is required to remove
the clutch assembly from the main shaft of the compressor. This type
of AC compressor has not been used on G.M. cars for over 25 years,
so the tool is somewhat obsolete, but as the saying goes, “BETTER TO HAVE IT AND NOT NEED IT THAN TO NEED IT AND NOT HAVE IT”.

By: Zoel

Zoel — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:08:00 +0000

Isn’t Blue Point just Snap-On’s foreign manufactured affiliate? I used to get lots of stuff from the snap on truck and the guy told me initially that they were manufactured for Snap-On by Chinese/Taiwanese companies.

By: george

george — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:26:59 +0000

i have one. its for clips that are installed on shafts as they are on transmissions or clips that are counter sunk. rather a specialized tool. i used mine very rarely but when needed it was the only thing to go to.

By: Adam

Adam — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:22:06 +0000

I have seen them before for use in heavy equipment/agriculture repair. I believe they have a very specialized use on a certain model of a certain brand of tractor. I don’t recall exactly however. They are desinged to slip over a splined shaft, and remove the recessed snap ring.

By: Chris Byrne

Chris Byrne — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:14:26 +0000

I was thinking it looked like a connecting rod pin end clip tool.

By: tscheez

tscheez — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:55:47 +0000

I guess if the snap ring is really recessed in to something you’d need a pair of pliers like that. Like inside an axle housing or something.

By: Zeros

Zeros — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:50:35 +0000

A google search shows a website (californiaauctionguide) selling them as Blue point acp-1 snap ring pliers.

By: Zeros

Zeros — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:39:24 +0000

I have no idea what it is, but I can verify that Blue Point was made by Snap-on. Our snap on guy used to sell blue point stuff on the truck. I have a Blue point multimeter that I purchased from Snap on.