Because they work. These pliers have "precision" in the name to distinguish them from the standard product which has external springs, box joints, and turned tips. These pliers have adjustable joints, internal springs, and spring wire tips. The tips are not changeable, they are crimped in. When you wear out a pair of tips (hasn't happened to me yet), you have got your $25 worth of use, go buy another pair. The tips are canted outward on external ring pliers and inward on internal ring pliers. This is a great feature as the clip will work it's way toward the pliers when under tension and tend to stay on the pliers until tension is released. Great feature.This set will handle 3/8" (10mm) to 2 3/8" (60mm). If you are an R/C car enthusiast or a gun or airgun or paintball gunsmith, you will need a separate pair of external pliers that will handle 1/8" (3mm) to 3/8" (10mm). Thank the engineer in the sky they don't particularly make 1/8 to 3/8 Internal snap rings, but if they did, Knipex would probably make them. You may want straights Knipex 4911A0 External Straight Precision Retaining Ring Pliers 5.5-Inch or the angled ones Knipex 4921A01 External Angled Precision Retaining Ring Pliers 5.2-Inch sometimes they go out of stock, but don't hurry, buy them from Amazon as they are about $10 less expensive. Knipex also makes bigger pliers for those of us who fool with big tractors and earth movers.These are very good tools, they are drop forged steel and should last a long time doing what they were designed to do.