I've been working with the Magical Crimp Forming Tool (which I call "Magical crimping pliers") for a few days now, and I'm finally ready to share my thoughts about it.

Ugly crimps are something that most beaders have to deal with. In my books I explain how to hide them using large-hole beads, crimp covers, and end cones. But all of those methods take a little extra time and require additional components. If you can secure crimps in a way that makes them less obvious, it will really simplify things.

You might be accustomed to standard crimping pliers, which create an indentation down the middle of a crimp and then fold the crimp in half. The result is a smaller-looking crimp, but one that's still pretty unattractive. The Magical crimping pliers are much different: Their jaws have smooth cups which actually form the crimp tube into a rounded, bead-like shape.

Here are the instructions for using the Magical crimping pliers, provided by the manufacturer (you can see an animation of them here):

Step 1: CENTER the crimp bead in the hole and squeeze.

Step 2: The crimp bead should look like a small ravioli (four flat corners).

Step 3: Turn the bead 90 decrees and center again. Squeeze, open tool SLIGHTLY and repeat 3-4 times until the bead is rounded.

Step 4: Now it should look like a 2mm bead!

The first time I attempted this I had a pretty good result. The ravioli appeared, and during steps 3 and 4 the crimp tube became rounded (although not perfectly circular like most 2mm round beads):

After stringing my beads, I found that the second end of the beading wire was more challenging to crimp than the first. Of course, that's always the case to some degree, no matter which crimping method you use. It took me a few tries (mangling crimps and carefully cutting them off) before I achieved the desired rounded-bead look.

After a little practice I was able to attach even the second crimp without much trouble. And the crimps do look nicer than if I had attached them the traditional way. I noticed that some tiny shards of metal sometimes form along the bottom edges of a crimp, but they're barely noticeable unless I use a magnifier. (Centering the crimp inside the cups in the pliers helps to minimize this.)

The only thing that concerns me about this tool is that it's more difficult to attach crimps securely than it is with more traditional methods. I find that my crimps are sometimes loose enough that the beading wire slips through them after crimping. If you think about it, you can see how this could happen because the crimp does not get completely flattened against the wire. Instead it's flattened just a little on the edges (at the "ravioli" stage) and then rounded out, which can result in a looser grip at the center of the crimp.

I strongly recommend that you test each crimp by attempting to pull the beading wire through (gently grasp the loop with pliers and pull), and if the wire slips, pull the crimp all the way off and try again with a new one. Remember: It's essential that your secured crimps do not slide.

There are some other precautions you need to take when using Magical crimping pliers. First, they are intended only for 2mm sterling silver and gold-filled crimp tubes (not rounded crimp beads, and not plated crimps). This might be because lower-quality metals can fatigue and break more easily when you bend them. Also, you need to make sure that you only use these pliers with the size of beading wire they're intended for. For example, my model is for .019" beading wire. (There is another model for .014" wire). I'm guessing that if you use them with the wrong size of wire, your crimps are less likely to hold.

Overall, I'd give this tool a B+. I plan to keep mine and use it because I really like the look of the crimps. However, I'm going to be extra-careful to check each crimp to make sure it's completely secure.

The Magical Crimp Forming Tool is made by The Beadsmith, a reputable brand owned the wholesaler Helby Import Company. You can look for it at your local bead store or pick one up online from ArtBeads.com.

And don't forget to share your experiences in the comments! :)

Update on Wednesday, May 20, 2009 at 11:02AM by beadjewelry

Well I've been talking with some other beaders about the Magical crimping pliers, and some have pointed out that they can damage beading wire. I did more experimenting, and  I can see what they mean. Sometimes the edges of crimps remain very slightly jagged and sharp, which can be enough to cut through the nylon coating on wire. Over time this might cause the wire to break. This disadvantage is in addition to the issue with the crimps not always holding securely, which I talk about in the main post.

Especially if you sell your jewelry, you should take this into consideration. Some beaders recommend only using the Magical crimper to secure beads in floating (or "illusion") designs, or in very lightweight designs like earrings - but never to secure the ends of a strand. They often recommend a more basic crimping method for ends (such as using traditional crimping pliers or simply flattening crimps with chain nose pliers) combined together with a quality crimp cover.

Thanks to everyone for their feedback. If you a question, concern, or tip, please help us out by commenting below.