• All Jewelry Pliers are not the same!! It is very important when purchasing your pliers that you understand exactly what you are buying.
• Quality. The first and most important thing to consider is quality. The quality and type of construction of the pliers will greatly affect the usage and longevity of them. Let’s go over the basic differences since THERE ARE PLIERS…AND THERE ARE PLIERS!
• We sell Força (also known as Forca) pliers. We only sell hand - made box joint forged constructed hardened tool steel pliers! There are two types of construction – cast and forged.
• What is the difference? Cast means that a mold is used and the molten steel is poured into this mold.
• Since this type of tool is not tempered or work hardened, not only does it tend to be brittle, but with hard usage they tend to bend and break. (This can especially be seen in the tips of the jaws of the Round Nose pliers when you make loops.)
• This will not happen with a forged constructed pliers. Why? Because forged pliers are not only compressed – and under great pressure, but also the metal is both tempered and hardened – to give you the strength, durability and longevity you need.
• There are also different types of steel used for making pliers; stainless steel, hardened tool steel, and high –carbon high chrome alloy steel. Stainless steel is the cheapest and is a good basic metal that requires little maintenance and is rust resistant, and will do for occasional usage. However, if you plan to use them a lot or for a long period of time, hardened tool steel is much better. It is far more durable, lasts longer, and requires very little maintenance even under very heavy usage. The high-carbon high chrome alloy steel could be considered for very heavy usage since it is very durable.
Note: Tools made of Stainless Steel as the word suggests have NO STAINS or RUST in the STEEL but as illustrated in the pictures below some tools advertised as "Stainless Steel" really are not, but are made of a lower quality of Steel - but not STAINLESS.!
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•Now let us go over the other important part of pliers construction – the joints. There are two types of construction – lap joint and box joint.
• Lap joint is the cheaper of the two. In this type of joint, the two sides overlap each other and are joined in the center where they cross by a rivet. This rivet can sometimes be seen if you look at the pliers and see a round circle in the steel. The problem with this lap joint is that over time and usage this rivet loosens and the faces and edges can move around slightly . This looseness and will get worse with time and more usage. This will make the pliers loose and unreliable, and not give you your desired result.
• The box joint construction, on the other hand, though more expensive and more difficult to make, is far superior. In the box joint construction one side of the tool passes through the other, not over or under and this means that there are 4 faces in contact with each other not 2 as in the lap joint construction. The rivet is hidden and there Is far less, if any at all, looseness or movement, making them more accurate. Also the alignment and precision is maintained for the life of the tool. This results in a plier that will give you exceptional performance and last much longer.
BE AWARE! Even though some manufacturers claim that their pliers are Box Joint Constructed! THEY ARE NOT! As we see in the picture below.
The Rivet on the pliers IS WELL NOTICED!
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• The fit and finish of the pliers is also important since it affects not only the quality and overall appearance of the plies, but the end result of the quality and appearance of your work. The pliers should have a smooth finish and be highly polished.
• Why? If there are minor defect in the fit or finish of the working areas of the jaws it could leave visible marks on your work which you would have to polish out yourself.
• Now let’s talk about the handles. Long or short? First they have to be comfortable for the size of your hand. A longer handle will provide you with greater leverage. This means you can grip things with less effort and they are more comfortable. All Força (Forca) pliers have cushioned anti-slip grips for comfortable fit and usage.
• The springs also affect the strength and ease of use of the pliers. Força (Forca) pliers have special springs to avoid hand fatigue.
We have gone over what you need to know about the construction of pliers and the importance of quality construction. They are an investment which should last and give you excellent performance.
• Now let’s go over exactly what type of pliers you should use. There are so many types of pliers and cutters. We sell over 60 types of pliers and we will talk about some of the most commonly used ones based on form and function. The form is what defines the shape of the jaws. For example the three most common are chain nose, flat nose, and round nose.
• Chain Nose Pliers are flat where the jaws meet and taper done from the pivot to the tip. These slightly pointed ends are ideal for opening or closing jump rings, grabbing small items, flattening or closing crimps and bending wire and holding small beads.
• Round Nose Pliers have two long round tapering conical jaws from pivot to tip. They are used to form loops and bend tight curves loops and coils. They bend wire for jump rings, chain making, filigree work, and wire wrapping. Since both jaws have a round cross-section tapering to a fine point at the tips, they are ideal for getting into tight areas.
• Flat Nosed Pliers have two wide flat surfaced jaws. They are used to hold and manipulate wire or sheet, flattening metal and form, as well as making angled bends and holding small beads , holding bezel wire during filing, and opening and closing jump rings.
• There are many varieties of other specialty type pliers.
• Bent Nose Pliers are especially useful for tucking in wire ends in beads. The cross section and taper is the same as chain nose pliers, but the jaws bend to one side. These bent jaws provide better access to tight areas.
• Flat and Half Round Pliers are suitable for bending ring shank stock and for making large diameter loops since the half round jaw has a gentle curve. The upper jaw is rectangular and therefore not likely to dent the material you are bending.
• Flat and Round Pliers have a lower jaw like a round nose pliers and an upper jaw like a flat nosed pliers. They are forming pliers and used for making small loops and jump rings and for bending tight curves in sheet stock.
• Concave and Convex Pliers have both jaws of consistent width with the cross section of the concave jaw is closely matched by the curve of the convex jaw. These are also forming pliers and used for bending gentle curves in sheet or wire.
• Concave and Round Pliers are similar to the concave and convex pliers but since the tapered lower jaw provides a range of diameters for wrapping sheet and wire, they are even more useful for making smaller diameter jump rings and loops.
• Flat, Round, and Flat and round pliers also come with nylon jaws to prevent any marring to the metals.
• Needle Nosed Bead Knotting Pliers have a precise finely tapered nose point to use for bead knotting, weaving, or holding small particles, threads, wires etc.
• Jewellery Ring and Loop closing Pliers have jaws that are hollowed out with a smooth finish and are specifically designed to close rings, loops, jump rings, bows, bracelet links, charm links etc. without marring or twisting your wire.
• Crimping Pliers are used for holding flat surfaces whilst working with the wire and are good for use with jump rings and for flattening out wires.
• Cutters are pliers specifically designed to cut wire or sheet metal whereas other pliers are designed to hold and form metal. For pliers the type is defined by the nose shape but for cutters it is the jaw length.
• We sell tungsten carbide bevel cutters which can be used for both soft and hard wire. They may require more cutting force , leave a large pinch (or V shape), and are very durable.
• Diagonal Cutters are used for cutting wire or small pieces of sheetstock. The tapered ends can get into very tight areas. These are the most commonly used cutters.
• End cutters are better suited to cut protruding wire ends than diagonal cutters since their cutting edges are set at right angles, providing easier access to tight areas.
• Oblique cutters are similar in design to end cutters but their jaws are slightly offset to one side, providing increased clearance.
• Sprue cutters are specifically designed for cutting casting sprues and are also useful for cutting hard materials and thick stock. The compound joint and spring action gives maximum leverage with minimum effort.
• Cutters are given a rating called their “maximum cutting capacity” which is measured from the pivot point to the center of the cutting edge.
• The cutting capacity is measured in wire gauge thickness. The “Brown and Sharpe” gauge measures the standard thickness of wire which ranges from 0 gauge, 0.325” ~ 8.26mm.(very thick) to 34 gauge, .0063” ~ .1600mm. (very thin).
• Pliers and cutters are essential tools for jewelers and crafters and a quality well made tool will not only make your life and work easier but will be used and last for a lifetime.
• The Força (Forca) name represents only the finest hand made jewelry tools. A quality tool will give you a quality result and is worth the investment. You can’t go wrong with Força.
FORÇA JEWELRY TOOLS. HAND-MADE BY DEMANDING CRAFTSMEN FOR DEMANDING CRAFTSMEN!
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