I found this pair of water pump pliers at the flea market for $1. Even tho they were rusty they looked like decent quality and I'm a big fan of old German tools.

When I googled the brand and model I found that they are the first company to use this shape, which is now quite popular. So they are also a small piece of tool history.

That, combined with the fact an identical new pair sells for around $40, made me want to restore them so they can get a new life.

At some point I wanted to keep them bare metal, only covered in a coat of oil, but in the end I painted them the original red color. I left out the yellow dot, which is specific to the brand, but I kinda don't like the look of it.