With all the different varieties of pliers on offer, as well as the numerous brands that sell them, choosing the right pliers for you can sometimes be a struggle. At Heamar, we not only provide specialist tooling solutions, but also offer informed decisions around technology, applications and relevant standards. We’ve put together this handy tool guide to help you out with making sure you choose the right product for the job.
What are pliers?
Pliers are a hand tool used to hold objects firmly and are extremely useful for bending or twisting a range of materials, mainly metals. Different pliers have their own strengths; whilst one pair may be great at gripping, another may be best for intricate work. There are pliers that cover a range of purposes and there are pliers that are job specific, which mean they will perform better when selected for the correct need.
Types of pliers
We have pliers available in several shapes, styles, configurations and sizes dependant on the task – the most common and popular types being the flat-nose and needle-nose pliers. In this blog, we will explain the different types of pliers that we offer, and which is best for which kind of job.
Combination Pliers
The most popular type of pliers are Combination Pliers, as they fulfil a combination of purposes (as their name suggests). We offer the Xuron Combination Tip Plier (489AS) which features one round and one flat tip for easy coiling, forming and bending. This is an extremely durable tool with outstanding tip strength and precision closure.
Chain Nose Pliers
Chain Nose Pliers can easily tackle delicate tasks in areas such as jewellery making. They are perfect for working on intricate jobs as they excel at crimping and holding small pieces, making them ideal for jewellery bead craft and fine scale model making. We supply the Tronex Chain Nose Short Jaw Plier (513) which features eased inner jaw edges and an induction hardened tip with a polished, hand crafted finish.
Tweezer Nose Pliers
Tweezer Nose Pliers are holding pliers predominantly used by jewellery designers and electricians to re-position wire. Their jaws give excellent control whilst bending material and their long shape means they can easily reach small areas that would be unreachable by hand. We offer the Xuron Tweezer Nose Plier, which is ultra-precise and capable of grasping and holding wire less than 1mm thick. It has strength and rigidity for wire forming and a fine head which tapers down to 1.5mm for access to high density areas. The radiused edges on these pliers protect lead wires.
Flat Nose Pliers
Flat Nose Pliers are ideal for bending and straightening any bends or kinks out of wire. These pliers have a smooth surface meaning they won’t scratch the material you’re working with; this makes them ideal for working with delicate items. They are predominantly used for wire bending or forming tasks, which makes them popular among jewellery designers. We offer the Xuron Flat Nose Plier, which has smooth blades and features ergonomically shaped non-slip Xuro Rubber grips to make the pliers comfortable for the operator. Their slim profile also allows for access into high density areas.
Round Nose Pliers
These pliers are predominantly used to hold, shape and bend jewellery wire into smooth curves and loops. The rounded jaws of the pliers are tapered into a narrow point, enabling the user to make a variety of different size loops. We supply the Lindstrom Round nosed plier (RX7590) which is reliable and consistent. The jaw edges are tough hardened to 42-46HRC and are made of high performance alloy steel with a screw joint that minimises friction and maximises jaw alignment. These pliers offer ESD safe handles featuring Micro-Touch, making it possible to control and rotate the pliers between thumb and finger for precision work. They have a biospring that limits the tension throughout the working cycle of the tool and can be adjusted in three different positions or removed.
If you need any more help or advice on pliers that we sell, get in touch through our live chat on our website our via our contact page.
