A locking pliers comprising: a stationary assembly having an elongated overall shape, wherein a rear end of the stationary assembly forms a stationary handle and a front end of the stationary assembly forms a stationary jaw; a movable assembly having an operating lever and a movable jaw, wherein the movable jaw is pivotally coupled to the stationary assembly by a jaw axis to enable clamping of an object between the movable and stationary jaws and wherein the operating lever has a front end that is pivotally coupled to the movable jaw by a first pivot and the operating lever has a rear end that forms a movable handle; a spring for biasing rotation of the movable jaw about the jaw axis away from the stationary jaw; whereby the locking pliers further comprise an actuation rod having a series of teeth and a stop face on its front end, which is pivotally coupled to the operating lever by a second pivot part way along the operating lever, said actuation rod further includes a rear end pivotally coupled to the stationary handle by means of a third pivot and wherein the actuation rod and a portion of the operating lever that extends between the first and the second pivots defines a latch lock mechanism, and a catch pivotally coupled to the operating lever and having a series of the teeth, a stop face and a trigger surface that is configured to be engaged by an operator in order to pivot the catch; wherein the teeth of the actuation rod and the teeth of the trigger are configured to engage each another to permit multiple clamping positions wherein in each of said positions, the movable jaw and fixed jaw are held in a fixed clamped arrangement; characterised in that the actuation rod and the operating lever each have abutment means (182, 184) and wherein the abutment means are mutually aligned to stop the latch lock mechanism from passing beyond a point of alignment of the first, second and third pivots upon movement of the movable handle toward the stationary handle during clamping. a stationary assembly having an elongated overall shape, wherein a rear end of the stationary assembly forms a stationary handle and a front end of the stationary assembly forms a stationary jaw; a movable assembly having an operating lever and a movable jaw, wherein the movable jaw is pivotally coupled to the stationary assembly by a jaw axis to enable clamping of an object between the movable and stationary jaws and wherein the operating lever has a front end that is pivotally coupled to the movable jaw by a first pivot and the operating lever has a rear end that forms a movable handle; a spring for biasing rotation of the movable jaw about the jaw axis away from the stationary jaw; whereby the locking pliers further comprise an actuation rod having a series of teeth and a stop face on its front end, which is pivotally coupled to the operating lever by a second pivot part way along the operating lever, said actuation rod further includes a rear end pivotally coupled to the stationary handle by means of a third pivot and wherein the actuation rod and a portion of the operating lever that extends between the first and the second pivots defines a latch lock mechanism, and a catch pivotally coupled to the operating lever and having a series of the teeth, a stop face and a trigger surface that is configured to be engaged by an operator in order to pivot the catch; wherein the teeth of the actuation rod and the teeth of the trigger are configured to engage each another to permit multiple clamping positions wherein in each of said positions, the movable jaw and fixed jaw are held in a fixed clamped arrangement; characterised in that the actuation rod and the operating lever each have abutment means (182, 184) and wherein the abutment means are mutually aligned to stop the latch lock mechanism from passing beyond a point of alignment of the first, second and third pivots upon movement of the movable handle toward the stationary handle during clamping.