Tweezers advice?

[dadistic]

I don't remember for sure,  but I may have gotten them directly from here -

http://www.schurch-asco.com/

 

Update - 

I actually found my post from 2015 about these, I got them from an Ebay seller.

https://www.watchrepairtalk.com/topic/2461-bronze-tweezers/?do=findComment&comment=32465

 

Edited March 9, 2023 by dadistic

[VWatchie]

6 hours ago, mikepilk said:

Barrel arbors are hardened and I'm not worried about scratching. You need something sturdy to push the arbor in, so I use some cheap sturdy stainless steel tweezers.  For almost everything else I use Dumont #2, apart from bridges and parts which may be marked, I use cheap brass tweezers. For very fine work, hairsprings etc, I use Vetus ST-14

That was an interesting answer (to a question never asked). Thanks! I generally worry about scratching so I use a Bergeon barrel arbor holder to replace the arbor, which I find both easier and more convenient.

Anyway, again, I have noticed that my Indian brass tweezers crumble quite easily. Does anyone know if Swiss-quality brass tweezers (Dumont, Bergeon, etc.) are less likely to crumble?

I have this lot of four used Dumont 1AM tweezers on order from eBay so I guess I'll find out, but I thought maybe someone already has the answer.

Edited March 9, 2023 by VWatchie

[mikepilk]

1 hour ago, VWatchie said:

That was an interesting answer (to a question never asked). Thanks! I generally worry about scratching so I use a Bergeon barrel arbor holder to replace the arbor, which I find both easier and more convenient.

Anyway, again, I have noticed that my Indian brass tweezers crumble quite easily. Does anyone know if Swiss-quality brass tweezers (Dumont, Bergeon, etc.) are less likely to crumble?

The Bergeon Barrel tool looks useful, and only about £60. How do they make tools so cheaply 

I generally don't worry about scratching arbors, so use sturdy tweezers. If I need a better hold on the arbor, I either use a pin vice, or my cheap Indian (£4) balance screw holder. 

[Klassiker]

2 hours ago, VWatchie said:

Does anyone know if Swiss-quality brass tweezers (Dumont, Bergeon, etc.) are less likely to crumble?

My Dumont 1AMs don't crumble, but then again, as far as I can tell,  neither do my cheapo brass ones.

The good thing about the Dumonts is, the brass is hard and strong enough to hold its shape, even when the tips are taken down to a fine point. I can't say the same about the cheap ones. Too soft to be any real use.

Good to have a back-up set. The first thing I did with my 1AMs was drop them tips-first onto a tiled floor. Four pairs might be a bit OTT though.

[mikepilk]

52 minutes ago, Klassiker said:

My Dumont 1AMs don't crumble, but then again, as far as I can tell,  neither do my cheapo brass ones.

The good thing about the Dumonts is, the brass is hard and strong enough to hold its shape, even when the tips are taken down to a fine point. I can't say the same about the cheap ones. Too soft to be any real use.

Good to have a back-up set. The first thing I did with my 1AMs was drop them tips-first onto a tiled floor. Four pairs might be a bit OTT though.

What do you mean by "crumble" - deform?  I've tried lots of cheap brass tweezers but gave up with the tips deforming. I only use them to handle bridges etc which might mark.  Bronze might be a good compromise.

Stainless is softer than carbon steel, so shouldn't be a problem with marking arbors etc. 

[VWatchie]

1 hour ago, mikepilk said:

What do you mean by "crumble" - deform? 

Like a cookie. Small metal shavings are found where I've used them unless having been very light-handed (the barrel arbor was just an example where I would see a lot of these brass metal shavings)

3 hours ago, mikepilk said:

The Bergeon Barrel tool looks useful, and only about £60. How do they make tools so cheaply 

Beats me, and just a few sizes are all that's needed. Exceptional value, I must say! 

Edited March 9, 2023 by VWatchie

[VWatchie]

10 hours ago, Klassiker said:

The good thing about the Dumonts is, the brass is hard and strong enough to hold its shape, even when the tips are taken down to a fine point. I can't say the same about the cheap ones. Too soft to be any real use.

Excellent answer to my question and what I was hoping for. 

10 hours ago, Klassiker said:

Four pairs might be a bit OTT though.

Well, they were sold as a lot ($105 including shipping) so I felt it was a reasonable deal, and Swiss quality tools (Bergeon, Horia, etc.) are always easy to resell and can sometimes even make a small profit. I see Swiss quality tools as an investment and am therefore rarely afraid to buy them. Cheap tools almost always mean a loss from a financial perspective.

[Klassiker]

I'm sure you won't regret it, financially or more importantly wrt. usability.

[Birbdad]

I bought cheapo brass ones from Esslinger. LIke al ot of their cheaper tools (Their housebrand chinese made presto cannon pinion remover is GTG imo.) i'm pretty surprised at the quality. I use brass for pretty much 90% of my tweezing outside of shock springs and jewels and setting shock springs and i have to dress em a little more often but i have no complaints with these brass tweezers. I've messed up the tips a couple times but i'm so heavy handed when i'm not watching myself that i do the same with steel dumonts on occasion. 

ALso i have no idea whythese have a 5 on them. they are number 2s. Honestly i'm still pretty new at this but i'm finding that the only things having REALLY nice tweezers seems to benefit are the fine ones like 5's and 3's which i use for setting shock settings. I think cheap brass would have been fine for just about evertying else. I barely touch my dumont 2's anymore.

Edited March 11, 2023 by Birbdad

[mikepilk]

10 hours ago, Birbdad said:

I bought cheapo brass ones from Esslinger. LIke al ot of their cheaper tools (Their housebrand chinese made presto cannon pinion remover is GTG imo.) i'm pretty surprised at the quality. I use brass for pretty much 90% of my tweezing outside of shock springs and jewels and setting shock springs and i have to dress em a little more often but i have no complaints with these brass tweezers. I've messed up the tips a couple times but i'm so heavy handed when i'm not watching myself that i do the same with steel dumonts on occasion. 

ALso i have no idea whythese have a 5 on them. they are number 2s. Honestly i'm still pretty new at this but i'm finding that the only things having REALLY nice tweezers seems to benefit are the fine ones like 5's and 3's which i use for setting shock settings. I think cheap brass would have been fine for just about evertying else. I barely touch my dumont 2's anymore.

 

Just goes to show that it's a question of preference. I use Dumont #2 for 90% of what I do. Only use brass to handle parts that may mark - bridges etc, and some finer nosed tweezers for shock springs. I only have cheap brass ones, and I've tried several, but no matter how I dress them, they are just not as precise as stainless steel Dumonts. If you get the ends fine enough to handle small parts, they deform too easily.