Jewelry Making Tools: Bent Nose Pliers

Bent Nose PliersI'll be honest.  I had these pliers for years and never really knew what they were for until a couple years ago.  I had some vague idea that they were for opening split rings, which I rarely use.One day I was reading a jewelry tutorial and the person was using bent nose pliers just like I use my chain nose pliers.So I tried them.  What a difference!  It's probably my favorite tool now!Bent nose pliers are basically like having an extra hand.  I can't explain it.  I don't know why, but they are.  I guess the angle or the bent-ness of them helps.They are awesome for opening jump rings, when making wraps, basically any wire wrapping at all.  Don't be intimidated or off put by them.  Give them a try!Just use them in the same way you would use any other pliers.  Make sure they aren't too small or too large for your hand and they have spring action.  You'll use the bent up part to hold jump rings, to wrap wire, or to hold loops and wire when you're wrapping.For a complete list of basic tools and a brief description of what they do, head over to my Wire Wrapping Tools Basics post.  Click here.(And if you're interested in learning wire wrapping, try my eBook or print book Wire Wrapping For Beginners.)