Imperial

Imperial Tools: A Legacy of Precision Since 1905

Imperial has been a cornerstone of professional trades since 1905, when the Imperial Brass Manufacturing Company was founded in Chicago, Illinois as a pioneer in the manufacturing of brass valves and fittings. Over more than a century of innovation, the brand has grown far beyond its origins. Today, Imperial is a world-renowned brand of specialty tools for HVAC/R service, tube working, electrical, automotive, and industrial applications.

In 1996, Stride Tool acquired the tool and accessory division of Imperial Eastman, and the Imperial brand name — with its legacy of innovation and excellence — expanded to additional product lines. That expansion brought Imperial's precision engineering to a broader audience of professional technicians and serious DIYers alike.

Built for the Trades, Trusted by Professionals

Imperial tools are used by professional technicians in a wide range of service and industrial applications, including heating and air conditioning, refrigeration, tube working, electrical, and automotive. Whether you're fabricating brake lines in an auto shop or routing refrigerant lines in an HVAC system, Imperial's product lineup is engineered to meet the demands of daily professional use.

At the heart of the Imperial catalog is an extensive selection of tubing benders. Tube benders are tools used to bend tubes to specific angles and shapes without flattening or kinking them, and are commonly used in plumbing, HVAC, automotive, and construction industries across materials like copper, aluminum, brass, thin wall steel, stainless steel, monel, titanium, and other metal tubing. Imperial offers everything from compact spring-type benders to heavy-duty lever and swivel-handle models calibrated for precise bend angles.

Complementing the bending lineup, Imperial's tubing cutters are precision-machined for clean, right-angle cuts with minimal burring. In 2006, Imperial's Ratcheting Mini Tube Cutter won the Dealer Design Gold Award for excellence in the Tools category — a testament to the brand's commitment to innovative, ergonomic design. Once a tube is cut, Imperial's deburring tools ensure clean, burr-free tube ends ready for flaring or fitting.

For creating leak-free connections in brake, refrigeration, and HVAC systems, Imperial's double flaring tools are a go-to choice among professional technicians. Flaring tools are specialized devices used to create a flared end on a piece of tubing, allowing it to connect securely with fittings — a process commonly used in plumbing, automotive brake lines, refrigeration, and HVAC systems to ensure leak-free connections.

Rounding out the lineup, Imperial's pliers — including their well-regarded snap ring pliers — bring the same precision and durability to fastening and assembly tasks. Whether you need Imperial 37-degree flaring tools, Imperial snap ring pliers, or other specialty hand tools, the brand delivers consistent quality across every product category.

Why Choose Imperial?

• Century-long heritage rooted in precision metalworking and specialty tool manufacturing
• Professional-grade materials including high-strength tool steel construction on critical components
• Broad compatibility with copper, aluminum, brass, steel, stainless steel, monel, titanium, and more
• Award-winning designs recognized for ergonomics and real-world usability
• Trusted across industries — HVAC/R, automotive, plumbing, refrigeration, and electrical