How to Use Crimp Beads and Crimping Tools

Finishing a necklace, in the most basic sense, means attaching the clasp.  Depending on what material you are using to string, there are two popular methods for doing just that.  The first involves crimp beads when you use tigertail or a similar soft beading wire.  The second uses knot covers to hide the knot made in whatever thread you may have chosen. This section explains how to use two different crimp bead styles:

Ribbed Crimp Beads
Crimp Tubes

Click on any of the pictures to see an enlarged view.  Use the Back button on your browser to return.  

Crimp Beads
BEADING WIRES (a generic term often used for all of the wires mentioned here), such as "Tigertail", "Acculon", "Soft Flex Wire", or "Beadalon" consist of stainless steel wires coated in an acrylic sheath.  These are soft wires, meaning they act as a thread rather than a stiff metal.  Depending on the brand and style, some brands are stiffer than others.  Usually, the more stainless steel wires per strand, the softer and more flexible it is.  We prefer the Soft Flex brand.  

There are a few benefits of choosing a beading wire over thread.  It is usually stronger.  It is less likely to be cut by beads with sharp edges.  It is better for heavier beads.  You do not need a needle for stringing (because it is already stiff enough).  Most beading wires can be knotted but it is not always as effective as a knot made in thread.  As a result, the best way to attach your clasp is with crimp beads, which essentially take the place of the knot.

We sell two types of CRIMP BEADS - Ribbed Crimps and Crimp Tubes. The ribbed crimps are typically base metal (such as brass or nickel) plated with gold or silver. The crimp tubes are made from finer metals, sterling silver and gold-fill. Both hold equally well. The difference can be found in the price per crimp and in the look of the finished crimp. First, we'll cover the procedure to connect a clasp with a Ribbed Crimp Bead, then we'll show you two ways to use a Crimp Tube. The method of attaching with any crimp is essentially the same.

USING RIBBED CRIMP BEADS

A B C D E

1.  Cut your wire to the desired length using FLUSH KNOT CUTTERS or WIRE SNIPS.  Thread on one ribbed crimp bead and the clasp.(A)

2. Then bring your wire back through the crimp bead, forming a loop. The loop should be large enough that the clasp can hang freely, but not so large that it will get caught on things like earrings or combs. Usually about 1/8" - 1/4".

3.  Using NEEDLENOSE PLIERS, flatten the crimp bead into place. (B)

TIP: Flatten your crimp well, turning it over to do it a second time.  Then check it to see if it slides.  Crimps take the place of a knot, so they should hold just as well.  (C)

4.  Trim the "tail" of the wire and hide it under the first one or two beads that you string on.  When you finish stringing your beads, you repeat the crimp bead process on the other side. After your last bead, add a crimp bead, then the other half of your clasp (or the ring it will connect to). Then bring your wire back through the crimp bead, this time also going down through the last one or two beads of the piece. (D)

5.  Where to crimp the second crimp bead takes some consideration.  If you make your necklace too tight, the beads will appear stiff and won't flow nicely.  If you make the necklace too loose, you'll have a space of wire that is unattractive and the beads will slide around.  You don't need much space to allow for a flowing strand of beads.  Once you place your crimp, flatten it, making a loop as you did in Step 2. 

6.  Trim the "tail" of wire using FLUSH KNOT CUTTERS or WIRE SNIPS, and you have a completed piece! (E)

USING CRIMP TUBES

The technique for crimp tubes is generally the same as listed above:

Slide a crimp onto the wire, add a clasp, loop the wire back through the crimp, flatten the crimp into place, and trim.

Here are some things to note when you are using crimp tubes instead of ribbed crimps.

1. There are three sizes of crimp tubes, all are 2mm in diameter: 1x2mm, 2x2mm, and 3x2mm. The 2x2 size is the most versatile and the most popular, but there are times when you want a smaller or larger size for your designs. All hold equally well.

2. When you use Needlenose Pliers with a crimp tube, your result will be a flat square or rectangle. Below, you can compare the finished look of a ribbed crimp vs. a crimp tube when using needlenose pliers.

Ribbed Crimp bead flattened with a needlenose plier.	Crimp Tube (2x2) flattened with a needlenose plier.

3. You can also use a CRIMPING TOOL with the crimp tubes. The result from using this tool is a smaller finished crimp.

TIP: Many people use the Crimping Tool with Ribbed Crimp Beads. We personally feel that the result is a mangled and sharp piece of metal that doesn't look very good. We reccommend using Needlenose Pliers with ribbed crimps, and either Needlenose Pliers or the Crimping Tool with crimp tubes.

4. Using the Crimping Tool takes TWO steps. The instruction that are included with your tool is pictured below. You will notice two crimping areas on the tool itself, the "crimper" and the "rounder."

5. For the first step, hold your crimp tube in the "crimper". This will create a crease in the crimp tube that will be folded in step two.

6. After the crimp tube is creased, set your crimp in the "rounder" area. The crimp should be positioned in such a way that when you squeeze the pliers, the crimp tube folds along that crease into a small, folded crimp.

TIP: To be extra-sure that the crimp is tight, you could squeeze the folded crimp with needlenose pliers. It's not usually necessary, but it offers more assurance.

Here are some more crimp tool/crimp tube images:

Closeup of creating a crease in the "crimper" area of the tool.	Finished 1x2 crimp tube.	Finished 2x2 crimp tube.	Finished 3x2 crimp tube.