Welper Pliers - Some Blatent Trademark Infringement Out There

[EddyCurr]

In shopping for some Welper Mig Pliers as mfg in Japan I've discovered
that a number of vendors call their product Welper and display an image
of Welper pliers with their logo and blue grips, but list another mfr name
in the details.

Grainger is a good example of this practice.

Drillspot is another

You'd think someone's lawyer would raise a fuss.

.

[motorcyclemac]

I'm not 100% sure but I think the Welper is a tool that originates from Japan. I don't think I've seen any that are made in USA. The ones I have are marked Japan...and are better quality than those sold at horrible freight which are marked China I think. The Chicom versions don't seem to close all the way making the wire cutter portion worthless.

If anyone has a US made Welper I'd like to see them....not to prove they are better ....but just because I've not seen a US version.

There is so much off shore contract manufacturing and rebranding of tools it is hard to tell what comes from where. It is really easy to have a Welper made with any color handle you like and then have it marked "Miller" or "Hobart" etc.

Seems that Welper is being used as the name of the tool rather than the brand.

[EddyCurr]

Seems that Welper is being used [generically] as the name
of the tool rather than the brand.

Exactly

Trademark details (Zibb.com)

Welper® is a registered trademark used for Plier, Cutting Plier
For Welding Torch and owned by Kabushikigaisha Taimu Kemikaru.

Goods and/or Services: Plier, Cutting Plier For Welding Torch
Serial Number: 74539165
Registration Number: 1898598
Filing Date: Jun 17, 1994
Last Applicant(s)/Owner(s) of Record:
Kabushikigaisha Taimu Kemikaru
7-7, Hirai 4-Chome, Edogawa-Ku
Tokyo JP

As in the OP, the real Welper® originates from Japan and this is the
tool I want.

What I find offensive is the number of vendors depicting images of
real Welper® mig pliers with the logo figuring prominently, using the
trademarked Welper® name in descriptions and charging Welper®
prices when they intend to ship poor quality chinese copies distributed
under names like Firepower, Shark Welding and so on.

It isn't such a big deal for those buying domestically who probably
get free shipping and fast delivery in the first place. But buying
across an international border has additional costs, delays and
barriers to returning unsatisfactory goods.

Outfits like Grainger and others who blatently ignore registered
trademarks in order to pull these bait-and-switch con jobs ought to
be held to account in the court of public opinion, if not a court of
law.

.

[Jim Caudill]

Here ya go. Just order yourself a pair or 2.

http://weldingsupply.com/cgi-bin/ein...UNDEF:OR:YS-55

[rancherbill]

My guess is that these Welper Pliers are real Welper pliers. I think they are a one product company and are reselling through established tool lines.

I can think of one other company like this. They have the slickest crimp pliers for PEX tubing. I have seen several "Brands" selling them and they always have the logo of the company that invented them. Every pro plumber has them. There is no way a one product company could sell that many with Branded partners.

[Mike Nash]

Urban dictionary has it that welpers are people that sodomize livestock with onions, http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Welper and those are some strange looking pliers.

So I learned two new things today.

[EddyCurr]

My guess is that these Welper Pliers are real Welper pliers.

The Grainger link I provide previously has expired but
if you look closely at Grainger.com's listing for item #6TNK5, they
state that the brand is actually Firepower, not Welper and that
the CoO is China, not Japan. All the while showing an image of
genuine Welper® pliers with the polished sides, their logo and the
familiar blue grips.

Here ya go. Just order yourself a pair or 2.

http://weldingsupply.com/cgi-bin/ein...UNDEF:OR:YS-55

Ahh, look again more closely.

Welding Supply is my preferred vendor for such equipment and
they were the first place I checked. As you can see, they display
an image of Welper® pliers. BUT drill down using the 'Details' link
and you are shown Oki-Bering brand mig pliers - same price, yet
no polished sides, no logo. A cheap substitute for the Welper.

Like others playing this con game, these counterfeits even use
the same P/N on their packaging, YS-50.

Confusing the issue, if you scroll down in the pop-up window
you see what I think are genuine Welper® in genuine Anchor
packaging. These are listed with a P/N of 100-YS-50 and show
a different, higher price but there is no apparent way of selecting
the Welper®/Anchor version.

.

[EddyCurr]

Here is the authentic Welper® plier



These are packaged by Pearson and the Miller lable shown at the bottom
right side of the image was stuck onto the back of the Pearson package
I received.

I suspect that the pliers packaged by Anchor are also genuine Welper®,
but do not know with certainty.

The forging and the finish of these Welper® pliers are leagues beyond
that of the pair packaged under the Shark Welding brand that I received
first. A better grade of plastic is used for the Welper® grips and, unlike
the Shark unit, there is no molding flash. Lastly, the Welper® cost 70%
of the 'Trade Price' I was charged for the Shark unit.

My vote is that if you are shopping for a quality pair of mig pliers, the
Welper® is the most satisfying choice. Just be careful that you don't
get tricked into ordering a counterfeit substituted by an unscrupulous
vendor.

.

[torker]

I have an old pair of Welper pliers. Maybe 15 years old? Thye still work like new ones. My work...they supply us with el cheapo look alikes....bloody awful pliers. The grips get warm...then fall off....the nozzle reamers are so soft, they round over within the first week....yep...they don't snip the wire clean...they mash it...then the tip won't go back over the wire. Save a couple bucks...then the welders waste hours fiddling with this crap...
I don't take my good ones to work...they will get stolen for sure.
Russ

[vpt]

Says they are made in japan, is that better than made in china?