You're A Tool

Yes you are, needle-nosed pliers. You and a pen were all the tools I need to make a pair of earrings like these:

But just because you, Needle-nose, was all I need doesn't mean you were all I used. Because that would make things a bit more difficult than they need to be.

10 years ago I mentioned to my son that I'd really like to make jewelry. He, being raised by the best mom ever, got me the best Christmas gifts ever-- a large gift box of beads and beading string, a small spool of 24 gauge brass wire and This book. Before New Years, I got myself a pair of needle-nosed pliers and flush cutters.

That was the start of a long and expensive love affair with making jewelry. I soon bought this very same set of pliers and case, only I got it on eBay for 20 bucks. And I thought that paying 20 bucks was stretching my hobby spending to the limit.

For a long time I was happy with just some wire and what I thought was a cheap set of pliers. But it became apparent to me that my jewelry could be used as instruments of torture. If you wore them, they pinched and poked. I splurged for a set of files and a cup bur.

There was one last set of tools that I really, really wanted, an anvil and hammer set. I promised hubby all sorts of deviant behavior if he got me these things. He bought me these hammers and the world smallest, cutest anvil. I don't know how much deviance he thought he was going to get for 20 bucks. The head fell off of one of the hammers the first time I tried to use it. Still, they're serviceable and better than nothing.

I dream still of saws, a tumbler, a dapping set, a chasing hammer, a soldering torch. . .