The care and feeding of your pliers

Pliers, wire cutters and other similar are like third (and sometimes fourth) to the beder and jewelry maker. All tools need care to help them perform their best; here are some hints to help you keep them in their best working order. All new pliers are likely to need a little smoothing before you use them so they don't scratch your wire, rings, or beads.

Run your fingertip over the jaws of the plier. If you feel anything the slightest bit scratchy, use an emery board to smooth it away. I use a white foam fingernail block to smooth my pliers as they have a very fine grit and and make the jaws of the pliers as smooth as silk. Work slowly and carefully and don't round off the corners of your pliers or make the tool faces uneven.

When you buy a new pair of pliers, be sure to wipe off any excess oil from the plier joint to keep it from staining your clothes. If your new pliers seem tight, you can help work them in by working the handles to distribute the oil throughout the joint. Tension is provided by leaf springs between the handles of your tools and can be adjusted by gently bending the leaf springs. Bend them toward the middle for more springiness; press them more closely to the handles for less springiness. The Lindstrom pliers are different---they adjust with a three position durable plastic spring. Just move the spring to the slot that corresponds with the springiness you want. If you are looking for pliers for your craft work, be sure to look at these high quality pliers.