If you’re new to chainmaille, the array of tools and materials available can be overwhelming. In this blog post, we’ll introduce you to the six best chainmaille pliers made by Xuron®. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert chainmail jewelry maker, these pliers will help make your work easier and faster. So, let’s get started!
Every chainmaille artist owns at least two different pliers and each has his/her preference for brand and style. Having had the opportunity to meet with many different artists and designers, we’ve chosen six that our users consistently recommend.
Here are the Xuron® Pliers Most Recommended by Chainmail Artisans
Model 487 Chisel-Nose Pliers
The Xuron® Model 487 Chisel-Nose Pliers have blades that are flat and smooth. Ground to a 45° angle, they give you extra gripping surface when working with jump rings. The angle eliminates any interference with the open space of the ring.
These pliers are strong enough to be used with both aluminum and stainless-steel jump rings that are 14 AWG or smaller. Additionally, the tips can be used for micro-maille and other very small work.
Model 486 90° Bent-Nose Pliers
The Model 486 is a great choice for those who work with jump rings. With its distinctive bent nose, it’s easy to pick up small jump rings and then easily transition into opening and closing them while keeping your wrist in a natural position. The ergonomic design of this chain mail tool, along with its soft Xuro-Rubber™ hand grips, and an internal return spring provide excellent grip and comfort.
The 486 90-Degree Bent-Nose Pliers was developed in cooperation between Xuron Corp. and HyperLynks.
In this video, Michelle Brennan, co-owner of HyperLynks, shows us how she uses the 90° bent nose pliers:
Model 485FN Flat-Nose Pliers
Flat, straight blades are ideal for bending, forming and flattening both wire and soft metals. Unlike chain-nose pliers, the model 485FN Flat-Nose pliers has wider blades that provide a stronger grip. This makes them extremely valuable for chainmaille artisans, as they can easily precisely manipulate and shape their materials. The flat nose design also allows for a larger surface area to work on, reducing the risk of marring or damaging delicate pieces.
Learn More About the 485FN Flat-Nose Pliers
Model 483 Short Flat-Nose Pliers
These powerful little jewelry pliers are specifically designed for making chain mail. Their smooth, 3 mm wide jaws provide an extra gripping surface on jump rings for increased control and stability during assembly – so you can easily create beautiful, intricate pieces. And because they’re made from high-quality materials, they can be used with stainless steel, bronze, bright aluminum, niobium, silver, and copper jump rings up to 14 AWG.
Learn more about the Model 483 Short Flat-Nose Pliers here.
Model 475 Short Nose Pliers
Xuron® Model 475 Short Nose Pliers have been designed specifically for opening and closing jump rings. Their short, flat blades firmly hold jump rings while the tips provide extra stability and control when opening and closing them.
With just two pliers, one for each hand, you can easily open and close jump rings like a pro. You won’t find another tool on the market that is as effective and easy to use as the Xuron® Model 475 Short Nose Pliers.
Tip: When holding jump rings, use as much surface area of the pliers blades as possible. This will allow extra stability and control when opening and closing jump rings.
Model 451 90° Bent TweezerNose™ Pliers
Looking for a pair of pliers that can help you with your micro-maille work? Then check out the Xuron® Model 451 90° Bent TweezerNose™ Pliers. These pliers are specifically designed to make it easy to pick up small jump rings and then transition to an open/close of the ring while keeping the wrist in a neutral position.
These were also developed with the assistance of HyperLynks to fill a need for working with micro-maille (very small jump rings).
So, there you have it – the six essential Xuron® chainmail tools every artist needs.
With these pliers in your toolbox, you’ll easily create beautiful, intricate pieces of chainmaille jewelry. Thanks for reading!
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I am also gong to share this with the guys.
Sometime we are dealing with some very delicate metal o rings and this could have been used multiple times.
What guage of stainless steel rings would you recommend these pliers for?
We recommend them for up to 14 AWG stainless steel rings.
Thank you!
Thanks for the input. Love your pliers but have been hesitant to use them on anything larger than 18 guage stainless per others recommendations.
Go ahead and give it a try on the larger rings. If you run into any problems contact me (sales@xuron.com) and I’ll get you replacements. 🙂
Thank you!
I have (multiple) pairs of all of these chain mail pliers. Absolutely indispensable!!!
These are what I use everyday, great pliers!
have had Xurons for years – when i first started chain maille, the instructor recommended them and i have only used Xuron brand since. I was also impressed with your customer service the one time i had a “problem” with my pliers. I use flat nose, chisel nose, and wire cutter all the time . (I could never get comfortable using bent chainnose while weaving.)