Welcome to the Handmade Chain. We are here to spread the joy of chain making, and goldsmithing in general. As we are just getting started with our website please be a little patient. Soon we will have written, picture and video tutorials for you , as well as some exquisite examples of chains.
Making chains by hand is a centuries old tradition. Handmade chains have been used in history for decoration, to indicate wealth, and at times individual links were a pseudo-currency (a way to settle debts without carrying coins).
They can be simple or ornate, small and light, thick and heavy. They can serve as a starting point for an elegant jewelry set, hold a breath-taking pendant, or be the star of the show. They can be subtle or dramatic. The choice is up to you as the maker.
The tools for making chains can be as simple as a pair of wire cutters, a pair of pliers or two and your fingers. You will find examples of chains that only require those tools. There are also chains here that require more tools, some of them specialized to that chain. Each chain tutorial will have an exhaustive list of tools needed and tools that are nice to have for that chain.
These are the tools that I use most often in chain making:
- Pliers
- Jeweler’s saw
- Optivisor
- Wire cutters
- Mandrels in millimeter measurements (I have imperial (inch) mandrels too)
- Rotary tumbler
- Drill (for winding wire coils)
- Torch
- Charcoal block
- Titanium Soldering Pick
- Pickle pot
- Jump ring cutting saw and jig
- Drawplate
- Steel Wool
- File
- Sanding disks
I started small with just a few tools and added to my collection over time. You don’t have to have a lot of tools to make beautiful chains. You just need to get started. Let us help with that.