This week I will be talking about what pliers to use for square wire and heavy gauge jump rings!

When working with heavy gauges and square wire, it is important to have a firm grip that will not slip or mar the rings. To minimize this, I suggest you use pliers with a wide jaw to spread the force over a larger surface, minimizing slipping and nicking, especially on square wire. Wide jaws are ideal for getting a lot of grip on stiff or thick wire or rings. Or, pliers with a short jaw to enable you to use more force without straining your hands. Short or snub nose pliers increase the leverage you can exert and makes it easier to manipulate thicker wires and stiffer rings.

These are my three picks for this type of work: