Lindstrom RX 7490 Ergonomic Pliers, Flat Nose, Smooth Jaw - RX 7490

I will start be saying that I have been eyeing these pliers for over 2 years. I had them sitting in my amazon.com cart for a very long time. When I first heard about them, I put them up there as my dream pliers, ones that I would eventually, when I became a worthy enough hobbyist, decide to invest in.I make chainmail armor, jewelry, and art out of metal rings of varying size and material.I finally bought these after a bevvy of new projects encouraged me to finally invest in a pair of pairs of high-end pliers. After much deliberation and research, I decided to go with a pair of similarly-classed pliers. They were similarly priced too, though a bit less than these. (Looking back, I think what put me over the top on the other pair was that they had a YouTube video displaying them from a maillers and manufacturers perspective). Those pliers were the modified Tronex 745's that theringlord.com sells. Those pliers were apparently "made for chainmaillers" and the jack of all trades for every sort of project. So I bought them. They were great, but I was dissatisfied. The biggest issue with those was that the metal that the jaws were made of was too soft and/or thin. Unfortunately, the big attraction for maillers in the small profile of the jaws was the downfall of the product - the jaws bent slightly over time with even very moderate use on soft materials. There were even numerous accounts of the handles actually breaking off at the hinge from use within the recommended boundaries. Even a small amount of warpage, however, is enough for a considerable disadvantage for a hobbyist who closes thousands upon thousands of rings with these tools over their lifetimes.I decided to bite the bullet and go with my longtime sweethearts, these Lindstrom 7490's.From the very first moment, I knew it was the right choice. Absolutely no regrets, even after buying another high-end pair beforehand. These pliers are all I imagined they would be, which in this hobby demanding precision and impeccable consistency, is all a plier should aspire to be. No extra gimmicks, just a very precise, strong, comfortable pair of pliers.So details:- The jaws and joint assembly are absolutely perfect. The steel they are made of is very strong. So far I have closed a couple thousand stainless steel rings of a very dense ring size and they still look good as new. The jaw tips offer good grip and are small enough for good control in tight spaces. Once in a while a ring does slip, though that is more because I am using small rings and failed to grasp enough of the ring within the jaws of each plier.- The handles are comfortable. The rubber feels very high-quality and is easy on the palms. It has excellent grip while not being sticky. I like it a lot. It's like a plastic-rubber hybrid.- The special Lindstrom Bio-Spring was annoying at first, but after some getting used to it, I have come to like have a personalized level of springback in my tools. You learn how to handle your pliers in a way that won't makes the bio-springs fall out. something easy and unobtrusive to do. The springs will fall out if you open the jaws too much, but there shouldn't really be much need for that. Though I suppose it depends on your purpose.- Lindstrom offers a lifetime warranty for material or workmanship issues with their products. They also provide maintenance/reconditioning services for some fee.Overall: 5 out of 5 and an emphatic recommendation. These are my favorite pliers and I recommend them to any chainmail or jewelry or other similar hobbyist. They are worth it!

When I realized I was getting serious about chainmaille jewelry, I bought one of these pliers and another of a lower priced pair. I figured I couldn't afford two pairs, and since my carpal tunnel pain was mostly in one wrist, I'd use the lindstrom's in my bad wrist and the cheaper pair (which I'm not going to name, because they're good pliers, just not for me) in my other hand...A few weeks and several projects later, I just caved and ordered my second pair, because they're that good. Now the hand that has my lindstrom pliers has no pain, and the hand with the other pair always hurts. I couldn't take it any more and I finally gave in and clicked the order button so I can have one in each hand! My only complaint is that they take so long to arrive lol.They're very good pliers, even if you don't have wrist pain, and if you do have pain, they're a god-send. The handles are long and cushy, but most importantly (to me) they're wider than most pliers, so they don't put undue pressure on the nerves in my hand like other pliers tend to do. In fact they fit in my palm like v they were made for my hand (see pics). The spring mechanism is also beautifully gentle, so it doesn't take as much effort to close the pliers and hold the work tight. If you've ever spent hours at a time opening jumpring after jumpring, you'll understand how valuable that is. Finally, the tips are very well constructed, very clean and precise, and haven't left a single mar or scratch on my adonized aluminum rings.

I bought two pairs of these for making chainmail. The first pair was bought a few years ago, the second more recently because they're so comfortable and durable. The replaceable spring makes it all the more worth it, and I haven't had to replace a spring yet, even on my older pair. It's an investment, but a good one.

Wish they were not so expensive so I can get the small chain nose ones too, live the very short functional nose and the way the handles are designed makes it easy to maneuver so that when you are twisting you do not lose grip. love them I got them on sale

These are definitely nice, well made pliers. After using some cheaper pliers for several years, the handles on these Lindstom pliers were like heaven. The ONLY reason they get a 4 star rating instead of a 5 star is because of the PLASTIC spring between the handles! Come on, Lindstom designers, if you're going to make a superior product at this price point, put a little more time and effort into designing the spring! The plastic one often pops out as the pliers are being used, which is frustrating as heck when you have a pliers in each hand and are working with tiny jump rings! I like that the spring tension is adjustable inside the handle, based on which of the three "slots" you put the end of the spring in, but the fact is, the whole spring arrangement could just be done a lot better overall. They are worth the money despite this flaw, and I do recommend them if you're doing fine jewelry work. One last thing.....these pliers are touted as non-marring pliers by several people in reviews and on some of the jewelry tutorials I've watched.....they WILL mar your wire, jump ring, finding, or other soft material used in the jewelry making process!! The best, quickest solution to this is to dip the plier's working tips into Tool Magic, which is a liquid that dries to a rubbery solid on the pliers and keeps the hard edges of the tool from marring your metal materials. I swear by the stuff and you can get it right here on Amazon! Won't hurt the pliers, either! These pliers are, over all, worth the price. Good investment.

I have several pairs of Lindstrom pliers now, and they are worth every penny. Beautifully made, a pleasure to use, and very comfortable and easy on your hands. You won’t regret the purchase!