Flush cutter recomendations

[Sarah9959]

Hi

Sorry if there is a thread about this elsewhere and please point me in the right direction if there is.

I am wanting to make my own clasps and jump rings and want a good pair of flush cutters mainly for 14  and 16 gauge sterling silver.

Wondered if anyone who uses these regularly could recommend a pair that will both cut well and give a decent working life - I understand this depends on how much they are used.

Looked at cooksons and was amazed at the prices and wondered if the cheaper pair they sell is worth buying or whether to go with one of the more expensive ones.

Many thanks

Sarah

[mizgeorge]

If you're planning to make jump rings, forget flush cutters, they won't give you a clean enough closure. They need to be cut with a saw, which can also be used for other wire cutting very easily. A basic sawframe and a pack of blades is very inexpensive.

If you want cutters, Lindstrom ultra flush or Tronex razors are both excellent - but be careful to stay within their gauge rating. The cheaper ones (Jacobson?) sold by Cooksons were very unimpressive IMO.

[Gordon]

Without doubt the Lindstrom ultra flush and Tronex razor cutters are excellent and do give a nice flush cut on one side of the cut, the other is still 'pinched' exactly as if you had cut the wire with normal cutters.

George is spot on  when she says the best way forward ( and cheapest ) is to use a piercing saw and some fine ( say 2/0 ) blades. It's a bit fiddly to start with but you soon get into the swing of it, just make a "coil" stand it on end ( like a stack of jump rings ) and hold it between your thumb and index fingers, then just cut vertically down the whole stack, mind your fingers a saw blade cut is really sore.

[Sarah9959]

Many thanks George and Gordon  . Saw it is!

Sarah