I have several of the original Bessey K-body clamps. They are clunky, and I often have aggressive conversations with them. But - when I need them, I need them, and any other type of clamp just won't work. Yesterday afternoon I had down time, waiting for glue to set and decided to clean off about 15 years of glue accumulation. Ended up using a 4" grinder with a SS wire wheel..... They sure work smoother now, and I'm pissed at myself for not cleaning them years ago.

I also need pipe clamps. Sometimes they are the only clamp that will work. I have moved to galvanized pipe, to reduce the staining you get from black pipe. I have both Bessey and Pony brands. The Pony sure do work smoother. Seems I have to smack the Besseys to get them to relax and move after use. When I price out the clamps, plus pipe, plus plastic pads (Pony) - they end up being only 'slightly' less than the K-body type clamps. If I have a pipe threader, price would be less, but I do not, so I get the threaded stuff from the big box stores.

Rambling aside, I think pretty much all the K-body types are large, clunky, heavy. I still need more though, but I figured I'd go to a hardware store and play with one of each brand before buying more. I would buy the less clunky/heavy of the bunch that still have the strength I want for some of those tougher glue ups where the glue set up has gotten in front of me and I need a little bit of 'persuasion'.