The Channellock 317 is an 8-inch long nose plier forged from high-carbon C1080 steel, with crosshatch jaw teeth that bite small parts tightly and an integrated side cutter at the base of the jaw for trimming wire without switching tools. The knife-and-anvil cutting edge mates precisely instead of crushing — the kind of detail that decides whether a cut conductor strips clean or frays.
It’s sized for electricians, telecom techs, and jewelry or model work where reach into a tight cavity matters more than leverage. The tapered nose slips into junction boxes, around stud pairs, and behind existing wire runs, and the electronic rust-prevention coating keeps it working through humid basements and outdoor service calls.
Channellock has been forging pliers in Meadville, Pennsylvania since 1886 — the same small American factory, now five generations into the same family. The company is known for the blue-handled tongue-and-groove pliers that defined the category, and every tool in the core line is made in the USA from forged high-carbon American steel.
