Jewelry Pliers

Jewelry pliers are absolute essentials for any aspiring jeweler (whether beginner or not!)

If you came here through an outside link or search engine, click here to go to the beginner jewelry tool page first (opens in a new window or tab). It has important tool buying advice for any beginner looking to buy tools. (Must read!)

Jewelry Pliers and Regular Pliers - What's the Diff?

The secret is in the jaw of the pliers. 

Normally, pliers are serrated for better grabability.  Jeweler's pliers are smooth.  Wire is softer than your pliers (it would have to be, or else the pliers would bend before the wire!)  This means that any serration on the pliers' jaws would mar your wire when you work with it.

You'll find that  you wire will get marred enough using the smooth jeweler's pliers.  You don't need serrated edges to help it along!

A Beginner's Guide to Pliers

In my opinion, you don't need a zillion different pairs of specialty pliers. You do need ones that have smooth, not serrated edges though so skip those ones at the hardware store. 

Beginner's Essentials

Chain Nose Pliers (see image)
For grabbing and bending wire.  Has a flat edge and a pointy nose.  Expect to pay about $9 for a starter pair, about $20-30 for a German Ergonomic mid range pair, and $45-50 and upwards for Lindstroms (the cadillac - and definitely worth every penny).

Flat-Nosed Pliers (see image)
For grabbing and bending wire.  Has a flat edge and a wide nose. Cost for starter, mid-range, and pro quality are similar to chain nose pliers.

Round-Nosed Pliers (see image)
For making loops.  Both sides of the jaw are round and pointy. Cost for starter, mid-range, and pro quality round nose pliers?  See the chain nose above - the round nose are comparable in price.

Side Flush Cutters (see image)
For cutting wire (but NOT memory wire!).  Flush cutters will leave a flat cut edge (a flush cut) on one side of the cut wire. A starter pair will run you around $12, a mid range pair like these , about $30, and a razor flush pro pair, upwards of $65

Sort of essentials depending...

Memory Wire Cutters
Beginner Essential only if working with memory wire
(You'll wreck your flush cutters if you try to cut memory wire with them!)

Nylon Jaw Pliers
For straightening wire.  For a demonstration, click here to watch my wire straightening video.

Crimping Pliers
For making your crimps look like and neat.  Not an essential though - you can flatten the crimps with flat or chain-nosed pliers and they'll do their job

Non-Essential Pliers

Split Ring Pliers
For opening split rings more easily

Ring Closing Pliers
For closing jump-rinks, chain links, and loops without marring the ring  (I use mine to hold soldered rings while I try to loop cable through them.  Keeps them from jumping away from me)

Ring Looping Pliers
For making uniform-sized loops easily

Fold Over Crimping Pliers For Leather & Suede Findings
These pliers are used to fold over the sides of fold-over ends.

Magic Crimping Pliers
These pliers turn sterling silver or gold-fill crimp tubes into round beads.  They come in two sizes (based on the thickness of beading cable).

I have a set of these myself.  I love them. They only work with precious metal crimp tubes.  Base metal crimp tubes tend to be too thin to form the ball.

Micro Crimping Pliers
For Crimping Teeny Tiny Crimp Tubes

Just starting out and need jewelry pliers, cutters, and EVERYTHING at an affordable price?  I recommend this as a pretty good beginner's toolkit

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