Bought these for my husband to replace our previous pair of Kobalt brand Lowes. The handles on these are of a much better quality as they stay in place. This is a no frills item, we bought another pair due to the softer grips but soon found that the grips slip off the metal handle quite easily. This is not a problem at all with this pair, they are of excellent quality as are many of the other Channel locks. It's a common item for us, and we've erected and dismantled thousands of feet of fence. It has not faded or deteriorated in any way.