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• Weight was apparently not an issue for the people who made this 48-inch (1.2m) all-steel pipe wrench. You can see that the handle is meant to have another, even longer, piece of pipe slipped over it as a helper. Large diameter rusted pipe fittings can require an enormous amount of force to loosen, and this wrench can deliver it.

• Large pipe wrenches can be very heavy!

• This wrench demonstrates that it will grip a pipe so tightly that the handle will bend before the jaws slip. (Someone used a “helper” pipe slipped over the end of the handle to increase their leverage. No human could bend that handle with their bare hands.)

• Offset-head pipe wrenches can be helpful in tight spots.

• A standard modern pipe wrench.

• 18 inches (450mm) is a standard size for home plumbing.

• A venerable old pipe wrench, worn, but not worn out.

• Stepping up to a 12-inch (300mm) pipe wrench gives you more leverage, but is still fairly small by pipe wrench standards.

• This chain wrench came from a market in India.

• An 8-inch (200mm) pipe wrench is practical for small pipes, and small working spaces.

• 10-inch (250mm) pipe wrenches are getting to be more generally useful.

• Red wrench.

• Oil Filter Wrench

• Pipe Wrench

• Some tools are cute, but this tiny six-inch (150mm) pipe wrench is just adorable.

• I think this flexible-handled pipe wrench looks hilarious, like some kind of cartoon character, though I can’t quite put my finger on which one. Maybe something from a Tim Burton movie?

• Chain wrench.

• Pipe wrenches come in a wide range of sizes: I’ve find everything from 6” to 48”.

• Antique Pipe Wrench

• Pipe Wrench

• Antique Pipe Wrench

• Basin Wrench

• This is an oddball, half monkey wrench, half pipe wrench, with an unusual sleave in place of the more common thumb screw for adjusting the jaws.

• These alligator wrenches are common in antique shops, and often described as pipe wrenches. So far as I and others can tell, they are essentially useless for anything. They certainly don’t work on pipes.

• A rubber strap wrench is intended for large-diameter plastic pipe. Like a standard pipe wrench, it automatically tightens in one direction and loosens in the other.

• This chain-type oil filter wrench has a row of pegs on the handle that engage with the chain to hold it in a loop.

• Pipe wrenches are often used in pairs, turning in opposite directions. They are meant for cast iron pipe, galvanized for water or black iron for gas.

• “Swedish Pattern” pipe wrenches are said to be more common in Europe, but I’ve never plumbed in another country, so I couldn’t say. The main gripping force comes from the same lever action as in a regular pipe wrench, but you can also squeeze them like pliers.

• By the time you get to a 24-inch (600mm) pipe wrench, weight becomes an issue, making aluminum a popular choice for the handle (but not the jaws, which must be hardened steel to bite into iron pipe).

• Basin Wrench

• This is a style of sink wrench I’ve only ever seen in China. I am unclear on whether it’s a good idea or not.

• Pipe Wrench

• This is not a pipe wrench, it’s a log roller. But logs are round like pipes, and because this thing is meant to turn round logs, it shares a lot of design characteristics with pipe wrenches. So I put it here.

• Antique Pipe Wrench

• This is an internal pipe wrench. It’s for situations where you can’t get a wrench around a pipe, and need to grip it from the inside (for example a very short piece of pipe stuck in a pipe fitting).

• Oil filter wrenches create a small amount of friction all the way around.

• Oil Filter Wrench

• Larger chain wrenches can be strong enough to use on cast iron pipes. They require very little clearance around the pipe.

• This wrench is specifically for turning the nuts that hold a faucet to a sink. These nuts are often hard to reach because they are up against the wall behind a sink that may be quite deep.

• Basin Wrench

• Basin Wrench

• Hex Pipe Fitting Wrench

• These are meant to be used on pipes, but will only work with a fairly narrow range of sizes. It’s not a common style in the US.

• No one ever throws out a good pipe wrench. Hundred year old examples of the original Stillson design can be had for a few dollars.

• These two wrenches use a pipe-wrench-style lever mechanism to automatically tighten themselves, but they are intended for turning hose and pipe fittings, not round pipes.

• Soft-jaw pipe wrenches are only strong enough for plastic pipe.

• Unusual Pipe Wrench

• This joint in my basement is sealed with molten lead poured into the bell end of the lower pipe.

• Nice antique pipe wrench.

• I’ve accumulated a lot of pipe wrenches.

• Basin wrench.

• Chain wrench.

• Spring-loaded pipe wrench.

• This six-way pipe union was hand-made by an apprentice showing off their skills.

• Lead pipes have been in use for thousands of years.

• This lead pipe isn’t for water, it’s for smoking.

• Lead is sold in ingot form for plumbing purposes.

• A nice old pipe wrench.

Do you have a better example of this kind of tool? Let me know by leaving a comment, and include a picture of it if you can so everyone can see!