Jewelry Pliers
Jewelry pliers are absolute essentials for any aspiring jeweler (whether beginner or not!)
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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
Type |
Basic Quality |
Better Quality |
Professional Quality |
Chain-Nosed Pliers Beginner Essential For grabbing and bending wire. Has a flat edge and a pointy nose |
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Basic Quality |
Better Quality |
Professional Quality |
Flat-Nosed Pliers Beginner Essential For grabbing and bending wire. Has a flat edge and a wide nose |
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Basic Quality |
Better Quality |
Professional Quality |
Round-Nosed Pliers Beginner Essential For making loops. Both sides of the jaw are round and pointy |
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Type |
Basic Quality |
Better Quality |
Professional Quality |
Side Flush Cutters Beginner Essential For cutting wire (but NOT memory wire!) Will leave a flat cut edge (a flush cut) on one side of the cut wire |
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Type |
Basic Quality |
Better Quality |
Professional Quality |
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!) |
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Type |
Basic Quality |
Better Quality |
Professional Quality |
Nylon Jaw Pliers Beginner Non-essential For straightening wire. For a demonstration, click here to watch my wire straightening video. |
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Basic Quality |
Better Quality |
Professional Quality |
Crimping Pliers Beginner Non-Essential 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 |
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Type |
Basic Quality |
Better Quality |
Professional Quality |
Split Ring Pliers Beginner Non-Essential For opening split rings more easily |
Specialty Pliers You Might be Interested In
Ring Closing Pliers For closing jump-rinks, chain links, and loops without marring the ring Beginner Non-Essential (I use mine to hold soldered rings while I try to loop cable through them. Keeps them from jumping away from me)
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Ring Looping Pliers For making uniform-sized loops easily |
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Fold Over Crimping Pliers For Leather & Suede Findings A Beginner- Non-Essential These pliers are used to fold over the sides of fold-over ends. |
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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. |
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Micro Crimping Pliers For Crimping Teeny Tiny Crimp Tubes |
Related Links
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Return from Jewelry Pliers to the How to Make Jewelry Home Page
