New maillers often have issues with scratching and marring their jump rings. First, make sure you are choosing the proper pliers for your project (see my 4-part blog post “What to Consider When Choosing Pliers”). My next bit of advice is to practice opening and closing jump rings […]
In the previous installment of this blog, I discussed different types of spring mechanisms. Handles are also an important consideration. When weaving maille, the pliers are in your hands for long periods of time, so you want to make sure that they are comfortable. HANDLES: […]
In the previous installment of this blog, I discussed the qualities I look for in the jaws of my pliers. The next thing to consider when choosing the appropriate pair of pliers is the spring mechanism. SPRINGS: Some pliers have springs and some don’t. I […]
In the previous installment of this blog, I discussed the personal factors you should consider when trying to decide on an appropriate pair of pliers. Now I’ll present the first of three attributes to examine when trying to choose which pliers to use – the jaws of the pliers. […]
One of the most frequently asked questions I get is, “What pliers should I buy?” There is not a one-size-fits-all answer. I have lots of different pliers that I use in different situations. Not all of them are super expensive either. Expensive pliers are […]
When making scale maille pieces, the scales along the edges are often loose and wiggly and need some sort of treatment to keep them neat and even. In scale maille and chain maille, there are usually several ways to accomplish any desired result. Here are […]
Click here to read Tiny Scale Comparisons Part 1. Click here to read Tiny Scale Comparisons Part 2. I was excited to see these pretty new tiny scale colors released just in time for spring. These new tiny scales are thicker and are made by […]
Click here to read Part 1 of my Tiny Scale Comparisons blog. First, I decided to take the Fire Mountain Gems (FMG) tiny scales out for a spin. The tiny scales sold by FMG are made in Korea. Since they are so different from the […]
Recently, there have been a couple of new additions to the anodized aluminum Tiny Scale market. All of these tiny scales, original and new, are punched from an anodized sheet of aluminum and therefore have exposed metal edges. There are also some important differences between […]
