The Making Of An Icon: The RIDGID Heavy Duty Straight Pipe Wrench

February 2, 2023

Rooted in opportunity and sprouted by innovation, the Ridge Tool Company opened for business in 1923 with the production of its first tool: the Heavy-Duty Straight Pipe wrench. That first wrench, engineered to the highest quality standards of the day, made its mark on the professional tradesmen and managed to write history.

Today, 100 years later, the RIDGID Heavy-Duty Straight Pipe Wrench is an icon that can be found in millions of toolboxes throughout the world. For those of you who don’t own a RIDGID wrench yet, here’s some advice: get yourself one. These are just a few reasons why you should consider the thought.

 

The Making Of An Icon: From Urick PA, to Elyria OH, to the world

For leaky faucets or other plumbing emergencies, the RIDGID Pipe Wrench is always the go-to tool. Why?

Every detail of a RIDGID Heavy-Duty Straight Pipe Wrench shows quality, strength and ease of use. But let’s see, from top to bottom, how a RIDGID Wrench is made.

It all starts in the Urick Foundry in Erie, Pennsylvania, where raw metals are melted, poured into moulds and treated to become ductile cast iron wrench handles. Then, the actual magic happens in Elyria, Ohio, where the handles are painted, all parts are assembled and every single RIDGID Wrench is work-tested before it leaves the factory.

Watch this video of @mechanicalhub to discover every step of the “How it’s made” process.



Applications & Testimonials

Over the years, the revolutionary Heavy-Duty Straight Pipe wrench led to the creation of over 90 different wrench models. Today RIDGID is the leading global manufacturer of products and services for pipe-depended industries like mechanical, offshore, construction, plant and facility maintenance, fire protection, energy and mining.

 

“My father gave me his RIDGID wrench when he retired. Now it is still in great working condition after nearly 50 years.” - Keith Guinan, Ireland

“I live to use all RIDGID products. They have stood the test of time and I love them for their reliability and ease of use.” - Gavin Hoole Peck, United Kingdom

“All RIDGID pipe wrenches are brilliantly engineered.” - @_quality_tools_, Instagram

“Quality kit. I’ve never had any problems with the RIDGID brand.“ - Mal Edwards, United Kingdom

“In my opinion, these wrenches are the best for plumbing. Over the years, they have helped me to disconnect so many old pipes that were almost impossible to disconnect.” - Marcin Dobjasz, Poland

 

Did you know?

  • Tony Stark preferred a RIDGID pipe wrench in Iron Man II. Robert Downey Jr. even signed one, which is kept behind glass on display in the headquarters in Elyria, Ohio.
  • The Compound Leverage Wrench features a unique design which increases torque ten times. It is ideal for freeing locked couplings and joints frozen by age or damage. Plus, it’s a RIDGID patent.
  • Saudi Aramco, the Saudi Arabia Oil Company, manages the world’s largest onshore and offshore oil fields and counts on the RIDGID Heavy-Duty Wrenches when it comes even to the toughest jobs.


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