Adjustable pliers

A method of operating pliers, wherein the pliers comprise a first member with pivot retaining regions, a second member with a pivot structure slidably engaged therewith, the first and second member having workpiece engaging surfaces generally corresponding to surfaces of a standard workpiece, the method comprising:

• relatively moving the first member and/or the second member relative to the other so as to select a pivot retaining region to engage with the pivot structure;
• pivoting the first member and/or the second member relative to the other about the pivot structure engaged with the pivot retaining region;
• engaging a workpiece with the first and the second members;
• sliding the workpiece engaging surfaces into engagement with the corresponding surfaces of a workpiece;
• and
• sliding the pivot structure relative to the second member while the pivot structure is engaged with the pivot retaining region to enable the workpiece engaging surfaces to matingly engage with the corresponding surfaces of the workpiece.

Pliers comprising:

• a first member having a first jaw member and a first handle;
• a second member having a second jaw member and a second handle;
• the first jaw having first workpiece engaging surfaces;
• the second jaw having second workpiece engaging surfaces;
• a pivot assembly interacting between the first and second members, the pivot assembly comprising a pivot structure about which the first and second members are capable of relative pivotal movement, wherein the pivot structure being selectively fixed at a selective pivot axis, the pivot structure being slidable relative to the second member to permit for relative forward-rearward movement between the first jaw and the second jaw while the first and second jaws first contact a workpiece so that the first workpiece engaging surfaces and the second workpiece engaging surfaces orient themselves into engagement with the first and second surfaces of the standardized workpiece.