Selecting a Cutter
When cutting soft metals such as fine silver, gold, gold-filled, sterling silver and copper: your first decision to make may be which brand to purchase from. This is really where personal preference and budget come into play. A grade 5 tool may appear to be out of your budget but if you are using your tools a lot, your hands will greatly appreciate a higher quality tool. Your second decision may be which style/length of handle, followed by the type of cut and lastly, the head type.
When selecting a cutter, you must determine the gauge and type of material that you will be cutting. Almost all manufacturers capacity ratings are based on copper. You may find that one cutter won’t meet all of your needs; using a cutter on material that it isn’t designed for can cause irreparable damage. You will most likely need to own multiple pliers to fit all of your needs: a heavy duty cutter for the big stuff, a fine cutter for the majority of your work and a super fine cutter for those hard to reach places.
When cutting hard, semi-hard or memory wire, you will need a specialty cutter such as Xuron’s 2193, Xuron XBow's E5160L or Lindstrom's TRX 8180. The Xuron 2193 will cut steel wire up to 12 gauge and memory wire up to 18 gauge. The Xuron XBow E5160L will cut up to 10 gauge medium hard wire or 17 gauge hard wire. Lindstrom's TRX 8180 will cut up to 10 gauge hard wire but this is no small cutter; it is at least twice the mass of the other two.
Types of Cut: There are 3 basic types of cut: semi-flush, flush and super-flush. Manufacturers may use their own trade names for these types of cuts but for simplistic reasons we will use these generic terms.
- Semi-Flush - Leaves a low profile cut result. A cutter with this type of cut will be able to handle heavier gauge material than the other two types and will hold its edge longer. It is the least popular of the three types for the jewelry trade.
- Flush - Cut result leaves a narrow and short peak along the “pinch” line, decreasing the surface area at the cut. This is the most popular cut of the three types for the jewelry trade and can normally cut heavier gauge material than super-flush and lighter gauge than the semi-flush.
- Super-Flush - The finest cut result available with the smoothest finished end result. This is the second most popular of the three for the jewelry trade.
Head Types: There are three basic types. Choose the strongest head that can still allow you access to the material to be cut.
- Oval Head: The most common shape combining strength and durability; it evenly distributes cutting impact.
- Tapered Head: The sides are shaped along diagonal lines, improved access where space is limited and improved maneuverability with good tool life.
- Tapered and Relieved Head: Tapered on both sides with underside cut away; minimal profile offers access to very limited spaces.
When comparing equal sized cutting heads made from the same material, the oval shaped head has the highest cutting capacity of the three basic styles of head. The Tapered head will have a lower cutting capacity then the oval head and the Tapered & Relieved head has the lowest of the three. Comparing the different cutting capacities, the Semi-Flush cut gives you the highest. The Flush cut will provide a lower cutting capacity than the Semi-Flush cut and the Super-Flush provides the lowest of the three. The head style is not limited to any one type of cut. For example, an Oval head cutter can come in any of the three types of cut but for maximum cutting capacity, an Oval head with a Semi-Flush cut will give you the highest.
Brands: We carry four premium lines of jewelry pliers and cutters: Tronex, Xuron XBow, Lindstrom and Wiha. All four are very comparable in quality. Xuron's Classic Series is a great midrange line of cutters, pliers and crimpers that are made in the USA.
Tronex manufactures their tools in Fairfield, California. These are our more popular premium line but you must find which brand and style fits your unique hands. Tronex makes a standard handle and a long handle. The long handle will give you more leverage but adds just a little weight to the tool.
Lindstrom tools are made in Spain. The more popular style for the jewelry industry has been their RX series but again, you have to find what handle fits your hand best. They offer four different styles of handles, although the working end is the same.
Xuron's XBow series are manufactured in Switzerland and were just introduced to the market in August of 2016. They offer one style of handle but is still very comfortable.
Wiha isn’t very well known in the jewelry trade as their main marketing has been done in the electronics market. I might add that the three other brands above are also marketed to the electronics market and not just jewelry. Their pliers and cutters listed here are made in Germany.
If you don’t have the budget for the premium lines and want better than the entry level tools, Xuron's Classic Series is a great option.
To find the best tool for you, there is nothing like trying it out in person to see and feel for yourself. There are many other good brands and styles out there. Use this site as a starting point to help you make an educated decision about what to purchase and who to purchase from.
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