Thursday Feature: Reviews & Interviews - Wubbers Review

I've had enough time with my Wubbers now to feel comfortable giving a product review.

First of all, Wubbers are pliers that are made by Euro Tools and hand finished to reduce marring on the relatively soft metals used in jewelry making. Wubbers is a word created from the initials of "Wired Up Beads", which is a company that is now a division of Wubbers. L.L.C.

The catchphrase Wubbers uses is “Made to Make Jewelry™” and I would have to agree.They have been engineered for comfort and balance. The joint of the pliers moves very smoothly and the grips are a cushioned foam that is quite comfortable during extended use. More about the designer of Wubbers and other information can be found at the Wubbers website.

I was given some Wubbers for review purposes by Blue Buddha Boutique with their recommendation for use in chainmaille construction. I can see why Blue Buddha would recommend them - the constant gripping and twisting of jumprings to construct even a small bit of maille can be very wearing on one's hands, but using Wubbers reduces the strain. When I first got the Wubbers I noticed a distinct odor from the grips, almost like artificial cherry flavored candy smells, but it's dissipated with continual use.

Additionally, the surface of the tool which touches the wire or jumprings is just matte enough to grip but smooth enough not to leave gouges. I've now made several items with a lot of jumpring manipulation, including a couple of charm bracelet chains, that I can truly tell the difference when I'm using Wubbers versus other tools - no tool marks or shiny spots on colored wire or jumprings. The one exception has been copper - I can't seem to eliminate all scratches or nicks on copper, especially patinaed headpins or wire. Even so, the depth and amount has been significantly reduced. Perhaps it's just me not being cautious enough.

I have Classic Wubbers (flat nose: 6.5 inches long, with a 7/8" jaw) and Baby Wubbers (flat nose: 5 inches long, with a 3/4" jaw). I prefer the Baby size as I have fairly small hands, but the leverage of the larger size may be more helpful with larger gauge wire. I haven't really tested that since the wire I use is 20 to 26 gauge. When working with pieces that have very small spaces for manipulating a wrap, like a fine gauge wrapped loop fitted tightly against a bead, the Baby size is easier for me to use.

Unless I'm clumsy, or the finish on the rings is particularly delicate, I've had great results as far as tool marks or scratches go. I think that for some finishes nothing is going to help eliminate the occasional nick or flake, but the Wubbers keep that to a minimum compared to other tools I've used, and most of my tools are Euro Tools, so it's not as if I'm not using pretty good ones, although I'd like to try Wubbers against Lindstroms one of these days.

You can purchase Wubbers at Blue Buddha Boutique and other jewelry making suppliers.

FTC compliance disclosure, notice of material connections: Two pair of Wubbers were provided as promotional gifts for review purposes by Blue Buddha Boutique.

Thursday Reviews & Interviews - Not Weally a Wubbers Weview - Yet...

...but I'm getting close and I can share a couple things. I've used them (one bent nose and one flat nose from Rings & Things) a lot over the last week. I have noted a huge improvement in the finish on the wires and findings when using them. The handle cushions could be a bit softer I think and they have an unusual odor. Not offensive, but now and then I notice it and go 'huh?' before I remember it's the tools.

One thing about the ones I bought that gets a less than enthusiastic evaluation is the length of the handles. I have fairly small hands and the handles seem too long. I feel a bit awkward with them. I can say that I'm definitely going to get the round nose ones soon. Maybe I'll get the 'Baby' Wubbers to compare - they're on my Rings & Things wish list.

Woman reading a book (Héloïse et Abélard) by French engraver Gilles Demarteau (1729-1776)
Image in the public domain in the United States of America, from Wikimedia Commons

I've been catching up on my fiction backlog. I have read several new books and short stories, including listening to a wonderful audio collection of speculative fiction stories on a site called Escape Pod. Right now I'm well into the latest Kathy Reichs book: 206 Bones: A Novel (Temperance Brennan Novels). Reichs is the author whose marvelous body of work is the basis for the TV show "Bones". She is also (per Wikipedia):

She is a professor of anthropology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, but is currently on indefinite leave. She divides her time between work for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, State of North Carolina, and for the Laboratoire des Sciences Judiciaires et de Médecine Légale for the province of Quebec. She is one of only seventy-seven forensic anthropologists certified by the American Board of Forensic Anthropology and is on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

I've also been working on new jewelry pieces (which I've been doing while listening to Escape Pod) so I don't have a review or interview of anything/any one jewelry or beading related to share today.

I'd love to feature some more interviews soon - anyone you'd like me to reach out to and ask if they'd oblige? By the way, if you didn't catch my interviews of Dave Roberson of Rings & Things, Steve Gronier of Artbeads, John Jacobs of Artfire, Tish of Just a Tish or Lisa of A Bead A Day when I posted them originally, please check out Dawno's Beadosphere where I have them and all my Sunday Wandering's posts archived.

How about a sneak peek at something I'm working on and will post about soon?

Hope that piqued your curiosity! See you tomorrow.

Mid-Week Mutterings - Wubbers Tools

Wubbers. Got two pair with the gift certificate I won in the Rings & Things June/July Review a Product contest last month. I love the handles, they're very cushy, the length and shape of them is also quite comfortable.

I haven't used them enough yet to say how well they do - the primary selling point of Wubbers is the hand finishing to prevent marring of wire or jump rings. I am particularly interested in seeing how they do with colored wire, as nicks in that tend to reveal the color of the base wire beneath the finish. I have a flat nosed pair - something I've been doing without so far, but have wanted, and a bent nose pair.

Once I've used them for awhile, I'll talk more about them and how well they do. If you've used Wubbers, feel free to comment about them here!

I'm glad it's Wednesday - just a couple days to go before the long weekend! Come back tomorrow for a review of a very special book by one of my favorite people in the Beadosphere.