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!

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.

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 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!

The Lindstrom flat nose pliers have been my go-to for chainmaille for several years. I use Tool Magic on the tips, so need to have several pair -- 2 pair in use and more on the drying stand after using the coating (I have a total of 6 pair of these). The size is a perfect fit for my small to medium hands, allowing me to hold both the pliers and the piece I'm working on at the same time. People with larger hands might prefer something with a wider spaced or longer handgrip. 16 swg 3/8"ID seems to be the largest ring I can do comfortably before I need to change to either snub nose or duckbill. I also use these on rings as small as 22swg 3/32"ID, as long as the weave is not structural with very tight, tiny spaces. One of big advantages to these is that you can make a slight adjustment to the tension with the tension bar. The downside is that you have to release one side of the tension bar to hang them on a rack or to open the jaws really wide, and it takes a week or so of use to get the tension bar nice and flexible.

I ordered 4 sets of these pliers and they have become my go to pliers. The only time I grab another pair of pliers when working on my chainmaille now is when I am working with material that is harder than these pliers are rated for. The only problem that I have found with them is that the plastic springs do not like to stay on. To solve the problem, I dipped the tips of the springs in toolmagic and then put them back on the pliers, problem solved.

Really lovely , easy to use, pliers. Very well made. I think they’re worth the price.

The pliers had excellent sized flat nosed jaws but lacked drastically in its spring action return mechanism. The part was very cheap plastic and did not remain in its handle grooves. Hence, the pliers were unworkable - a definite decline in Lindstrom quality. The price for this kind of workmanship/usage is ridiculous! Will not purchase this item again until this part is improved. Older models had metal springs are were of high quality. Lindstrom get your act together.

Very happy with purchase...Great pair of pliers...