Plier Basics: Four Types of Pliers You Can’t Work Without

Every year, dozens of new jewelry-making plier styles hit the market and much like seasonal fashions, it’s always so tempting to buy a few new trendy or different pieces to hopefully augment the classics you’ve already got in your wardrobe. Like fashion, there are also pliers classics I consider to be must-have staples, and I always recommend those same four types to my students, regardless of the season.

Pliers are one of the largest categories of hand tools, and many studio jewelers own dozens of them. With myriad styles designed to open, close, twist, pull, push, bend, grip, join and compress it’s so tempting to go overboard, but there really are just four basic pliers jaw designs that should be purchased early on because they are universally useful: round nose, flat nose, chain nose, and half-round.

Jewelry tool manufacturers always carry one or more basic pliers sets in several different budget categories, so I was delighted to try Gesswein’s German Standard-Weight Pliers (1801225). I’m so smitten with them, and as soon as I picked a pair up, I could tell they were well-made, sturdy and strong – just want you want in your “use them every day” pliers set. The hard steel jaws are beautifully finished, and the overall size is great for my larger hands. I am typically a “gripless” pliers person, and I am happy to report that if you are too, the handles are fully finished under the grips if you should decide to remove them. So far, I haven’t, but it’s nice to know I have the option.