Well, I quit.

I'm done using crappy hose clamp pliers that frustrate me almost every tie I use them. ERP KP-2's, in particular. As I alluded to in another thread recently on the site, I wish ERP or one of the other KP-2 clone mfgs would build them with actual Vise-Grip pliers, instead of the shitty cheap knock-offs that don't totally lock, or twist their way off the hose clamp making a comical "SPROING!" sound that just somehow makes me even madder but also kinda amused. 

Anyhoo...

I did a quick "prior art" search on google Patents for "spring hose clamp pliers", and nothing similar shows up in the first page. I know that's not an exhaustive search, but The packaging doesn't reference a patent, either. I'm moving forward under the understanding that the design isn't patented, especially considering how many knockoffs there are on Amazon and Ebay, all called KP-2. I might call mine KP-3, or KP-V, maybe?

So, I dove in. I dusted off my rusty HF mini lathe, and my even rustier lathe skills (though I never actually had any lathe skills to rust in the first place.) I think this is the more difficult of the two jaws, but I'm still sheepish to admit it took me around an hour. Some of that was setup time, and repetition and practice will make them faster, but still, here's one part for a prototype.

Banana show for scale.

Sláinte, Fam!