Klauke: brand history

When I open an electrician’s toolbox for high-current work, there’s a good chance I’ll come across a crimping tool stamped Klauke. The German brand doesn’t have the mainstream recognition of a drill manufacturer, but in its niche, connection and crimping, it is one of the historic benchmarks.

Klauke is first and foremost a long story: 1879, a forged-pliers workshop in Remscheid, then a shift toward cable lugs and crimping in 1960 that defined its entire current identity.

This article retraces that trajectory, details what the brand really makes, its place within a large global group, and what its range is actually worth for an electrician working in 2026.

1879: a brand born of watchmaker’s pliers

A pliers workshop in Remscheid

The story begins far from electricity. In 1879, Gustav Klauke, 24, founded the company Gustav Klauke with his brother in the Osterbusch district of Remscheid, with five employees. Remscheid was then the German cradle of forged tools, and the workshop produced high-quality pliers and pincers.

These pliers found an immediate outlet, mainly in watchmaking, thanks to very fine hand forging. This was fine precision, the kind used to work on delicate mechanisms, not yet on electrical cable.

The international shift

The company grew on this know-how. In 1906, it was entered in the commercial register as a general trading company, and the factory floor area reached 1,200 m². By 1912, the workforce stood at around sixty people. The brand took an international turn early on.

As early as 1925 the first pliers catalogue appeared in English, followed in 1930 by French and Spanish versions. Klauke targeted export markets long before that was a given for a regional German workshop.

Family succession

Succession took place within the family. In 1948, after the death of Gustav Klauke II, the company became a limited liability company, run by his son-in-law Gustav Diederichs alongside Max Klauke. This family continuity shaped the firm for a long time.

1960: the shift to crimping and connection

Producing lugs and tools

The decisive turning point was 1960. The growing electrification of post-war Germany pushed management to decide to produce cable lugs and the corresponding tools. This was the moment when Klauke stopped being a mere pliers manufacturer to become a connection specialist.

The switch was clear-cut on the production side. In 1968, traditional pliers manufacturing was stopped, while the production of lugs and crimping tools was expanded. The brand abandoned its original trade to bet everything on crimping.

An identity built on connection systems

That choice fixed its identity. Even today, Klauke presents itself first and foremost as a manufacturer of connection systems: the lug and the tool that crimps it are conceived as a pair, not as two separate products.

Crimping is not a detail. A badly crimped lug heats up, works loose and ends up creating a hot spot, exactly the mechanism that explains a sizzling power outlet on a failing clamp. On large cross-sections, this defect costs dearly.

A cold and stable joint

That is why a manufacturer that masters both the geometry of the lug and the crimping force has a real argument. With the correctly matched conductor, connector and approved tool or die, crimping can produce a mechanically stable electrical connection. An incomplete or mismatched crimp can still overheat; screw terminals likewise require installation to their specifications.

In 1979, Gustav Klauke GmbH celebrates its centenary in Remscheid, by then firmly established in its role as a specialist. The founder’s name has remained, but the product has nothing in common with the original watchmaker’s pliers.

What Klauke really makes

Families of consumables and tools

The current range is easier to understand if you break it down into families.

Electrical connection technology brings together the consumables: copper lugs and sleeves, aluminium or Al/Cu bimetal, crimped lugs to the DIN standard, wire end ferrules, connectors and insulated or uninsulated joints.

A July 2012 trade profile described Klauke’s revenue as split roughly equally between connection consumables and tools. This is a historical profile, not an audited 2026 revenue breakdown. The brand makes both the lug and the crimping tool.

When it comes to tooling, the structure is logical. Crimping tools range from the mechanical pliers to the battery-powered electro-hydraulic crimper, including the interchangeable hydraulic heads and die systems.

The die gives the crimp its shape

The die, or insert, is an element that the uninitiated underestimate. It is what gives the crimp its shape: a hexagonal imprint distributes the pressure over the entire circumference of the lug, which guarantees a homogeneous contact and reproducible mechanical strength.

For tools with interchangeable dies, the approved die and crimp profile depend on the exact connector and conductor. Some Klauke tools use die-free indent crimping instead. In every case, I check the manufacturer’s compatible tool-and-connector combination: the wrong die or profile can give an out-of-spec crimp.

From manual crimping to battery-powered electro-hydraulics

The force when cross-sections increase

The big technical evolution at Klauke is the move to electro-hydraulics. On a small cross-section, a mechanical crimping tool is enough, like the Klauke K32 TWIST-it and K507 WF manual crimping tools that I have handled.

Once you go up in cross-section, the required force exceeds what an arm can provide cleanly and repeatably.

Battery-powered crimpers solve this problem. A model like the EK 60 develops a crimping force of several tens of kilonewtons and covers cross-sections from 6 to 300 mm², with a crimping time of a few seconds and automatic return of the head after the cycle.

Batteries from third-party platforms

These tools run on lithium-ion battery packs, including batteries from third-party platforms such as Bosch or Makita depending on the model. This choice to open up to shared battery packs echoes the compatibility logic found among cordless tool manufacturers described in the history of Makita.

Power crimping concerns large feeders directly. When sizing a supply with a 400 V three-phase cable cross-section, you quickly end up with conductors of 25, 35 or 50 mm² that do not connect properly to the hand crimper.

Here, the hydraulic crimping tool becomes the mandatory tool.

Certified crimping for large feeders

Connecting heavy equipment follows the same logic. On a heat pump or a large panel feeder, large-section lugs require certified crimping, not an approximate tightening that will loosen over time.

Klauke also maintains a range of manual hydraulic crimping tools, with an integrated lever pump. They offer hydraulic force with no electronics and no battery, which remains appreciated for occasional use or in environments where you do not want to depend on a battery pack.

This coexistence of manual and cordless is a hallmark of the brand. Klauke does not seek to impose a single technology: it covers the task from the wire end ferrule to the power cable, with the tool suited to each level of effort.

Cutting and safety tools

Cutting before crimping

Crimping is not enough: you first have to cut the cable cleanly. A clean shear avoids crushing the conductor and a sloppy crimp start. Klauke therefore offers a range of cutting tools: mechanical ratchet, electromechanical and hydraulic.

The ratchet cable cutter is a classic of the trade. The mechanism multiplies force and lets you cut through copper or large-cross-section aluminium without harsh effort, with a blade that goes around the cable instead of flattening it.

A battery-powered safety argument

Klauke offers specialised insulated tools in parts of its range, but a 1,000 V rating is model-specific, not a property of every hydraulic cutter or crimper. I check the exact tool’s marking, documentation and approved conditions of use before relying on any electrical insulation. Such a rating never replaces safe isolation.

Insulation is relevant only when the exact model is marked and approved for the intended use. Regardless of a tool’s rating or the age of the wiring, safe isolation and verification of absence of voltage remain necessary before work.

Insulation does not replace lockout

The insulation of a tool never replaces lockout. It constitutes a complementary protection, not an authorization to work live: disconnection and the verification of absence of voltage remain the rule.

Klauke, Greenlee, Emerson: their place in a global group

The brand belongs to Emerson

Klauke is no longer an independent family business. The brand now belongs to the American group Emerson, within its Professional Tools division, alongside Greenlee in particular. The brand’s official page is in fact hosted within the Emerson ecosystem.

This ownership explains several things. The depth of the range, the presence of Greenlee drilling and punching tools in the Klauke catalogue, and a structured international distribution stem from this group logic.

The historic factory still produces

In concrete terms, the historic Remscheid factory still produces cable lugs and electro-hydraulic tools, with workshops dedicated to connection, component machining and assembly. A specific workshop even manufactures cable lugs for subcontractors in the automotive industry.

In July 2012, trade press reported approximately 800 employees and around €139 million in revenue, split roughly equally between consumables and tools. These are dated historical figures, not a verified 2026 headcount or turnover.

Facing battery platforms: specialist positioning

Facing generalist platforms

In 2026, an electrician buying a battery-powered crimping tool mainly sees generalist platforms pushing their own crimpers. So the question of Klauke’s positioning against a player like Milwaukee comes up often, and it deserves a dedicated article rather than a shortcut.

The heart of the matter comes down to one sentence: Klauke is a connection specialist that also makes tools, whereas a battery platform is a tool manufacturer that adds crimping to its catalogue. The details of this logic are covered in my review of the Klauke EK 50 ML crimper.

A difference in DNA and in system logic

This difference in DNA shows in the system logic. At Klauke, the lug, the die and the tool are designed together, with crimping traceability designed for standards requirements.

The debate between long-standing specialists also comes up in the history of Cembre, two houses of pure crimping.

On the other side, the platforms’ advantage lies elsewhere: a single battery ecosystem for the drill, the screwdriver and the crimper. This trade-off between specialist and platform is the same as the one described in the Dewalt, Makita and Milwaukee comparison, transposed to crimping.

Preparing and crimping a lug: the order of operations

A good crimp comes down first and foremost to preparation. Several points count when starting the cycle: the stripped length, the insertion of the lug and matching with the die.

If any of these points is approximate, no tool will save the connection. Durability over time is decided upstream.

The order I follow at the bench and on site comes down to a few simple gestures.

• Strip without nicking. I stop at the terminal’s insertion length: too short, the terminal is not filled, too long, bare strands stay exposed outside the barrel.
• Check the strand bundle. Before sliding on the terminal, I check that no strand is nicked by the blade and that no strand is going off at an angle.
• Insert all the way to the stop. I push the terminal fully onto the conductor, without forcing, and I make sure it does not back out during insertion.
• Match the die. I choose the insert intended for the terminal and the cross-section, and I seat it completely before starting the cycle.
• Go all the way through the cycle. On a ratchet crimper, I wait for the release at the end of compression: it is what confirms a complete crimp.
• Never run a second pass over an impression. A new pass crushes the metal and can split the terminal, even when the intention is reassurance.

The final check is visual and mechanical: a regular impression, a terminal with no split, a conductor that does not move under moderate stress. That is what I check before putting the tool away.

The crimping mistakes I come across most often

Most of the failed crimps I see do not come from the tool, but from a detail upstream. Once the cycle has started, recovery is no longer possible.

• The die borrowed from another cross-section. The impression looks close, the result is not: the terminal is not compressed as intended.
• The badly seated terminal. A few strands left across the entry are enough to weaken the connection, even when the impression looks clean.
• Stripping that nicks. A badly adjusted blade marks the copper, and it is that mark that breaks later, far from the bench.
• Double crimping. Running a second pass over an already crimped terminal for reassurance crushes the metal and can split it.
• The marking read the wrong way. Between neighbouring dies, doubt is cleared by re-reading the engraving, not by guesswork.

None of these errors is visible on the tool. It shows up on the connection, sometimes long afterwards, when a hot spot develops on a poorly checked crimp.

Maintaining crimping tooling

A crimping tool lives a long time if it is given a minimum of attention. In a site tool case, dust and copper shavings build up quickly.

• The dies. I brush them after each batch: a shaving crushed into the profile marks every following crimp.
• The ratchet. I check that the mechanism releases at the end of compression. A ratchet that lets go too early produces incomplete crimps without warning.
• The hydraulics. I watch for leaks around the ram and the return of the head after the cycle. A tool that lacks power can be repaired, it is not forced.
• Storage. Each die goes back to its place, with a readable marker. Loose, a die ends up on the wrong cross-section.
• The batteries. They stay charged and stored according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. A spare battery in the case avoids interrupting a batch mid-operation.

This maintenance takes little time and avoids a breakdown at the wrong moment, inside a cabinet or at the top of a stepladder. A tool that is looked after stays predictable at the moment of the cycle.

Choosing between a mechanical crimper, a manual hydraulic one and a battery one

The choice of a crimping tool comes down to the cross-section to be handled, how often it is used and access to the connection point, not on the rest of the catalogue.

• Small and medium cross-sections, occasional use. The mechanical ratchet crimper covers the essentials; it depends on no battery and slips into a belt pocket.
• Large cross-sections, regular site work. The battery-powered electro-hydraulic one gains in consistency: compression becomes repeatable without arm effort.
• Large cross-sections, rare use. Manual hydraulics avoids depending on a battery on a one-off job, with a longer cycle by hand.
• Tight access. The shape of the head matters as much as the force: an open jaw slips in where a closed head cannot pass.
• Available dies. I check that the inserts I need exist and store easily in the case.
• Shared batteries. If I already own a compatible platform, the battery question settles itself.

The right tool is the one that covers my usual cross-sections, with the matching dies and a power supply that suits me. The rest is secondary.

Job-site scenarios and limits of use

Crimping is not the answer to every connection. I reserve it for cases where the connection has to last, with a lug as the interface between the cable and the terminal block.

• High-power feeders. The hydraulic tool, manual or battery-powered, becomes the logical solution there.
• Aluminium-copper junctions. I go with a bimetallic lug intended for that use, rather than putting them in direct contact.
• Outdoor job site or damp environment. I strip and crimp right away, without letting a bare core sit waiting.
• Terminal block clearance. I check that the lug fits before starting the cycle: once crimped, it cannot be removed.
• Safety. The tool’s insulation protects against the risk, but it does not remove the need to isolate the supply or check for the absence of voltage.

These limits come down to technique, not to the brand. A successful crimp is prepared upstream, and it is that preparation that makes the difference over time.

What the range is worth to an electrician in 2026

For a typical residential installer, most crimping comes down to wire end ferrules and small lugs.

In that area, the gap with a good general-purpose crimper is small, and many connections are now made without crimping, with automatic connectors like those mentioned in the choice between Wago 221 and 2273.

The real value of Klauke shows up as you move up in cross-section and in requirements.

As soon as you connect high-power feeders, run a new line as in a project for running a cable from the electrical panel, or need to guarantee a certified connection, the brand’s system logic makes complete sense.

• Lug, die and tool consistency: the connection is designed as a whole, not as separate parts.
• Complete coverage of cross-sections, from the wire-end ferrule to 300 mm² hydraulic.
• Electrical insulation only on the specific hydraulic-tool models explicitly rated and marked for it; safe isolation remains essential.
• Compatibility with third-party Bosch or Makita batteries depending on the model, useful when you already have a platform.

Choosing within the range mainly comes down to the connector, cross-section, die and tool family. Some models use interchangeable dies, others are die-free; on battery-powered tools, the compatible battery platform depends on the exact model.

In my work, that system logic matters most when a power connection must be made repeatably with the intended lug, matching die and matching tool.

This official video covers Klauke’s 2024 product updates. It illustrates the recent range, not the company’s beginnings in 1879.

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