The following are absolutely necessary tools for working with wire. There are additional pliers, crimpers, files, etc.available, but the tools below represent the bottom line. You can find them in sets at craft stores (except the bench block and chasing hammer) for $12 - $20, or buy each individually at jewelry supply or bead stores. Many times, you will see the more expensive pliers with big “cushy” foam handles which look like they would be so much more comfortable to hold - and they are - until the metal handle pokes through after just a little usage. They even sell replacement foam handle covers, but they don’t stay put. Your best bet in the long run is to buy the pliers with the firmer covered handles. The other thing to consider is the “feel”. It should feel comfortable in your hands and have very smooth movement (squeezing and releasing the handles). Any “crunchy” feel, don’t buy it - it’s no bargain at any price.
Wire Cutters
These come in lots of sizes, but all you need is a small pair for wire craft and jewelry work. Best is a “flush cut” - one side of the blades is angled and makes a V-shape cut in the wire. The other side is straight and makes a straight cross-cut in the wire.
Round Nose Pliers
Both jaws of these pliers are rounded on all sides. They are used for making various sized loops and smooth bends in the wire. There is nothing else that can do this job and you use these in just about every project, so spend the necessary money to buy a really good pair.
Chain Nose Pliers
The inside of the jaws of these pliers is flat and the outside is rounded. The tips taper to a narrow point to make it easy to reach into small spaces. It is important that the inside surface of the jaws is nice and smooth. Any ridges, grooves, or scratches will transfer to your wire - which is much easier to damage than you might think. These pliers are used to make angled bends, and in the assembly of pieces. You actually need two of these.
Bench Block & Chasing Hammer
The two of these together can run anywhere from about $30 - $75. The bench block can have a very shiny or a satin surface. Make sure there aren’t any dings because they will transfer to the surface of your wire. The chasing hammer has a very smooth striking surface or you can find one with a satin surface. These tools are used for flattening wire that has been shaped so it will hold that shape and have an interesting, faceted, reflective surface.
The wire is laid flat on the bench block and hit with the hammer. The shiny hammer surface will keep a shiny finish on the hammered wire, and the satin surface produces a satin finish. So, if you were to use a shiny hammer on a satin bench block, your charm would be shiny on top and satin on the underside.

The biggest thing here is to hit only the wire and not the bench block with each stroke, because you can easily make dings in your bench block. The hammer will ding it, but the wire will not.

The second most important thing is to not hit your finger. It is hard to express in printable words just how much it hurts when you “hammer” the fingers holding the wire in place.

Once wire is hammered, it will no longer bend easily (which is actually the point). So, be sure that you have the charm the way you want it before hammering and do not hammer any parts of the wire which may still have to be bent, wrapped around something, or opened to attach to another jewelry part.

If you are making very rustic charms or shapes, or if you just want to practice, you can use a regular hammer on stone, concrete, a piece of galvanized steel, or any anvil. Experiment with the different textures you can produce in the wire. Be aware that it may lose its shine altogether, but that is sometimes appropriate to a rustic project.

Also, if you are using one of the colored, coated wires, you must handle it carefully and use a bench block with a shiny finish to preserve the coating and color.
Now, let’s take a look at some of the basic things we can do with wire.
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