Pliers

Specifications

Length

250 – 400 mm

Material

Stainless or high-carbon steel

Jaw width

10 – 30 mm

Jaw finish

Smooth and flat; serrations are for a different trade

Handle

Long, often with a return spring

Weight

0.4 – 0.9 kg

Grip capacity

Up to about 30 mm

Technical parameters

Flat jaws

The whole point — they spread the contact and mark less

Parallel jaws

Better still: they grip evenly across a stem

Heat

Warm before use; a cold jaw cracks a stem

Pairing

Used with tweezers and jacks, not as a substitute

Cost band

Low

Overview

Glassworking pliers are flat-jawed, long-handled and blunt — quite different from the serrated electrical pliers most people picture. They are used to pull a stem, hold a punty while it sets, crimp a decorative detail, and squeeze a base flat. Because they grip across a wide face they mark the glass less than tweezers, but they still chill it, so contact is short and on hot glass.

Where it fits in the process

Pliers is used in shape. The stage decides how hot the glass has to be when the tool touches it, which in turn decides how much of the work it can do in one pass.

Safe use

• Hot pliers burn. Rack them, never pocket them.
• A stem pulled with cold pliers will crack. Warm the jaws first.
• Do not use pliers to hold a piece you are about to blow — the grip will mark the wall.
• Keep the handles out of the furnace mouth. The heat travels.

How it is used

1. Warm the jaws, then grip and pull steadily. A jerky pull leaves a kink.
2. Use the widest jaw that fits the job — a wide jaw spreads the chill.
3. Pull a stem while the glass is hot and the stem is thin. Once it stiffens, reheat.
4. Crimp decoration on hot glass and re-flame immediately so the marks close.
5. Keep the jaws clean. Glass dust on a jaw imprints on every piece.

Compatible glass types

Matching the tool to the glass family matters less than matching the glass to itself — see the COE compatibility calculator before combining two glasses.