At a Glance#
Product : KNIPEX Cobra XS Water Pump Pliers (87 00 100)
Brand : KNIPEX
Best For : EDC enthusiasts and technicians who need compact pliers for tight spaces and everyday tasks
Form Factor : 4-inch mini water pump pliers, 2.2 oz
Buy Now : View on Amazon
Key Highlights:
- Full Cobra functionality in a 100 mm pocket-sized body
- 11 fine adjustment positions for precise jaw sizing
- One-handed fine adjustment: place the upper jaw half on the workpiece, push the lower jaw forwards
- Grips pipe up to 28 mm across, which KNIPEX also prints as "1 Inch", and nuts up to 24 mm across the flats
- Specially hardened teeth, around 60 HRC, plus a pinch guard against crush injuries
- Meets DIN ISO 8976, the standard that defines how water pump pliers must be built
Who Should Buy This#
The KNIPEX Cobra XS fills a gap that most tool kits ignore: a real pliers small enough to carry everywhere. It delivers the same box-joint design and self-locking grip mechanism found in full-size Cobras, but at a fraction of the size and weight. It holds firm on pipe up to 28 mm across, which is what KNIPEX rates it for.
Perfect for:
- EDC enthusiasts who want a capable grip tool that fits alongside a pocket knife and flashlight
- HVAC and plumbing technicians who need to reach fittings in cramped spaces where 10-inch pliers won't fit
- Cyclists and mechanics who work on small fasteners, brake fittings, and cable adjustments in tight frames
- IT professionals and network techs who deal with cable glands, connector nuts, and rack hardware daily
Design & Build Quality#
KNIPEX publishes 62 g and 100 x 30 x 10 mm for the 87 00 100, which is genuinely pocketable. There is no plastic dip on this one, and KNIPEX explains why: "To keep them as slim as possible, the handles are not plastic-coated. To ensure good grip, they are cross-textured on the outside." Its technical attribute rows record the pliers as grey atramentized, the head polished and the handles "embossed, rough surface". Our own listing's auto-generated attribute table says the opposite — "Handle Material: Plastic", "Material: Blend" — which is the field to distrust here, because KNIPEX states in its own copy that the handles are deliberately uncoated. The box-joint pivot removes the wobble you find in cheaper slip-joint pliers.
The slim jaw profile is the real design win here. It slides into spaces where standard pliers physically cannot reach. The jaws open to 28 mm across, which KNIPEX prints in both units as "Capacities for pipes (diameter) Ø 1 Inch" and "Ø 28 mm" — that is a jaw opening, so read it as 28 mm of outside diameter rather than a nominal US pipe size. They take nuts up to 24 mm across the flats, which covers most small fittings and hex fasteners you meet in everyday work.
Key Features#
One-Handed Adjustment#
KNIPEX's own instruction has no button step in it at all: "Simply place the upper jaw half onto the workpiece, then push the lower jaw forwards." It settles into one of 11 positions, and KNIPEX summarises the whole thing as "open, push, fits!" — a mechanism it describes as new and patented. In tight spaces where your other hand is holding a pipe or a flashlight, that is a genuine advantage over channel-lock pliers you have to reposition two-handed.
Self-Locking Grip on Round Objects#
The Cobra jaw geometry creates a self-locking effect on round surfaces. That is the whole point of the design, in KNIPEX's own words: "Self-locking on pipes and nuts: no slipping on the workpiece and low handforce required." On hardness KNIPEX prints two figures on the same page — its product data sheet and its own descriptive text both say "specially hardened teeth, hardness approx. 60 HRC", while the summary bullet list on the product page says 61 HRC. Read it as approximately 60, which is what two of the three surfaces say. KNIPEX also fits a pinch guard, which "prevents operators' fingers being pinched".
Compact EDC Form Factor#
At 100 mm and 62 g, the Cobra XS fits in a jeans pocket, tool roll or glove compartment without bulk. KNIPEX's own family table puts the mid-size Cobra 87 01 250 at 250 mm and 335 g — more than five times the weight. You lose jaw capacity in return: KNIPEX gives the 87 01 250 a 2 inch / 50 mm pipe capacity against the XS's 1 inch / 28 mm. The family now runs from 100 mm all the way to 560 mm.
Box-Joint Pivot Design#
Unlike slip-joint pliers that wobble under load, the box-joint keeps both jaw halves precisely aligned. The pivot is carried on both sides rather than one, which is what KNIPEX means by a dual guide, and it is the reason KNIPEX rates the joint for "high quality and durability" rather than merely for feel. KNIPEX also lists a DIN ISO 8976 conformity for the XS and explains what that buys you: the standard "specifies how water pump pliers must be designed", and the Cobra XS "grips workpieces up to 28 mm in diameter with parallel jaws".
Technical Specifications#
Overall Length : 4 inches (100mm)
Weight : 2.2 oz (62g)
Overall Dimensions : 100 x 30 x 10 mm
Jaw Capacity, Pipe : 28 mm diameter, which KNIPEX also prints as "Ø 1 Inch"
Jaw Capacity, Nuts : 24mm across the flats
Adjustment Positions : 11 fine settings
Jaw Type : Gripping surfaces with specially hardened teeth, approx. 60 HRC (KNIPEX's own bullet list on the same page says 61)
Standard : DIN ISO 8976
Joint Design : Box joint, one-handed adjustment by pushing the jaw
Finish : Grey atramentised body, polished head
Handle : Bare steel, "embossed, rough surface" — KNIPEX describes it as cross-textured, uncoated to keep the handles slim
Safety : Pinch guard against crush injuries
Spare Parts : KNIPEX sells a spare parts set, 87 09 100, covering the 86/87 0X 100 pliers
Country of Origin : Germany
Model Number : 87 00 100
Pros & Cons#
Pros:
- Genuinely pocketable: KNIPEX publishes 62 g and 100 x 30 x 10 mm
- Full Cobra self-locking jaw mechanism in miniature, on KNIPEX's own wording
- 11 adjustment positions, adjusted one-handed with no button step
- Box joint with a dual guide, which KNIPEX rates for quality and durability
- Pinch guard against crush injuries, and conformity to DIN ISO 8976
- KNIPEX Quality, Made in Germany, with a spare parts set (87 09 100, for the 86/87 0X 100 family) still catalogued
Cons:
- Jaw capacity stops at 28 mm / 1 inch, so larger fittings need a bigger Cobra
- Short handles provide less leverage than full-size pliers
- Premium pricing compared to generic mini pliers
- Bare metal handles: KNIPEX leaves them uncoated deliberately, so there is no insulated grip for electrical work
- No warranty term on the product page or the data sheet; the lifetime limited warranty KNIPEX publishes is its North American arm's and covers the USA and Canada only
Final Verdict#
Buy it — the Cobra XS is the rare compact tool that doesn't compromise on function. KNIPEX publishes 62 g and 100 x 30 x 10 mm, 11 adjustment positions, a 28 mm / 1 inch pipe capacity and 24 mm across the flats, hardened teeth at approximately 60 HRC and a pinch guard, all of it conforming to DIN ISO 8976 — the same self-locking box-joint mechanism as the full-size Cobras, at a fifth of the 87 01 250's 335 g. The trade-offs are real and small: less leverage from the short handles, no insulated grip because KNIPEX deliberately leaves the handles uncoated, and no warranty term on the product page or the data sheet - KNIPEX Tools LP publishes a Lifetime Limited Warranty, but scoped to the USA and Canada.
Our recommendation: Pair it with your existing full-size pliers. The Cobra XS handles 80% of quick-grab tasks at a fraction of the size. Pick one up here: View on Amazon