Clasped together - more on clasp styles

Last week - I reviewed some styles of clasps for you - we mention that there are the:

• spring closure
• hook and eye
• toggle

These week - let's carry on with the:

• box clasp
• barrel clasp
• magnetic clasps,
• others too hard to categorize ;-)
  

The box clasp is the most difficult and complicated of the clasps to make - often involving quite a bit of hand fabrication - unlike the others - which can be either cast or machine-made. So they frequently are quite a bit pricier. However - for a very professional finishing touch - they can be quite fabulous. Due to their higher cost of fabrication - they are usually only available in the higher value metals, such as sterling or vermeil - but we have had some in polished brass in the past. Generally - they consist of a box-like container side (hence the name) and a springy clasp that snaps into position. They are very secure - unless the lever side gets bent or doesn't snap into place - be sure and listen for the click when you close it and give it a little tug to make sure it caught. They work equally well in necklaces and bracelets.

They are also often the style most likely to have a stone or pearl set into them. Finding a clasp that matches or coordinates with your creation is a score - it make the finished piece look very polished and well put-together.

Sometimes, they have one or even two "safety catches" - hook type levers that swing closed over a post to create an even more secure fastening.



The barrel clasp is one that I put in a category by itself - I personally loathe these. You may have better luck with them - but I have lost more jewelry to these nasty little b-----s than any other style. They screw together - which is fine, but while you are wearing them, as they roll up and down on your skin, they tend to unscrew - and fall off. I wouldn't suggest using them on any piece of jewelry that you cared about unless you included a safety chain.

A safety chain is simply a short length of chain that permanently attaches one end of the jewelry to the other. For a bracelet - it can be very short - it just needs to be long enough to allow you to get your hand through the bracelet - and then do it up. It then hangs as a loop while the bracelet is closed - but if it accidentally comes undone - then it will retain the bracelet - hopefully long enough for you to notice and retrieve it and refasten it. This is a good option on very expensive pieces. It is less common on necklaces - as you would have to leave it fairly long on a short necklace - so that you can still slide the necklace on over your head - and messing up you hair in the process.

Magnetic clasps have a magnet inside them that keeps them closed. Magnets stick to each well when being pulled straight out - but can be slid apart to the side fairly easily - so the better magnetic clasps have a small nub or shelf that prevents them from sliding sideways. To open these - pry a fingernail into them, and twist and lift them open. They can be great for stiff fingers that find struggling with a clasp difficult. However - on bracelets - in the winter - they are frequently not up to the task of overcoming the resistance of being pulled off along with parkas, sweaters, and other cold weather gear. In this case - a safety chain is a very good idea, but check first that the chain does not have a steel base - hold it up to the magnet. It's very annoying to have the chain stick to the clasp all the time. (At least it keeps it out of the way.) I personally find working with magnetic clasps annoying - as anyone who has listened to me swear at them sticking to the cutters, pliers, tools, etc. can attest.

And - in case you aren't aware - NEVER combine a magnetic clasp with a pacemaker.

Other clasps.

We've seen the snap clasp - a simple snap closure - borrowed from the garmet industry - most often seen on heavily beaded items.

These Snap clasps seem to have a common ancestor with the snap closure.







Tube clasps are related to the box clasp - with a tube-shaped hollow box, and a frequently spring loaded rod that slides inside. These sometimes have a magnet as well to make them more secure. These are wonderful multistrand clasps and are quite easy to put on.

This sliding safety clasp is a hybrid between the box clasp and the hook and eye. Like the box clasps - it has a hollow compartments and a spring loaded lever - but it also hooks around a post, so that if it opens up - it does not fall off.

This fold over clasp folds over a ring or loops, and relies on fitting down snuggly over itself to stay closed. Something similar to this is seen on quite a few watch bands.

Alternately - some fold over clasps rely on a magnet to help them stay closed.








This particular clasp had a very innovative design - one of the petals slots into the centre and rotates 90 degress to make a closed clasp that is virtually undetectable.

And finally - these interlocking pieces fit together like some sort of puzzle pieces. Clever designs like this always attract and delight me! Even more so when they actually work!

That about wraps it up for clasps - everything you ever wanted to know, and a whole whack besides. ;-)

Clasping at Straws - Different Styles of Clasps

Let's talk clasps. There are 4 main styles of clasps, and a few oddities that are hard to categorize. The basic styles are:

• spring closure
• hook and eye
• toggle
• box clasp

Oh, and the orphan and unloved barrel clasp. Ptui.

oo - and magnetic clasps too!

The spring closure is usually some sort of ring or loop, with a movable opening, that allows you to hook it onto something, and then closes up - so that it doesn't come undone.

The most basic of these is the spring ring. Inexpensive and it gets the job done. However, it can be murder on your nails, fiddly to do up, and really adds nothing to the design of your piece. Usually comes with the tab to loop into - although you might find that if you are using a fine chain, you can hook into that instead. Don't put this on items that you are sending into juried competitions, btw.

A much nicer looking option is the Lobster Claw clasp. The basic idea is the same, but the design is more attractive, and the mechanism is a little different - being more of a spring loaded lever. If they are stiff, they can wreck your nails too - but they don't have the low-quality perception that the spring ring clasp has. They also come in a larger variety of sizes and metals and finishes. They seldom come with something to hook onto - so you will need either jumprings, an extender chain, or appropriately sized chain to link into.
These massive clasps are really just another variation on the spring closure - but you can see that they actually become a style element in their own right and could be positioned to be worn at the front a necklace as a focal point.

Due to it's secure nature - a spring closure is one of the most secure types of clasps.

The Hook and Eye clasp is pretty self-expanatory. There's a hook, and a loop. These clasps tend to be long - so don't forget to factor in the length when calculating the length to make your finished piece.

Hook and eye closures need to be fairly tight, or to have weight on them to keep them closed. Consequently - they are a poor choice for bracelets - but excellent for necklaces. There are some wonderfully decorative clasps in this category!

These simple S hooks fall into the same category - but are not always sold with the rings needed to loop into. A jumpring will work nicely for that. If they are closed too tight to loop into a jumpring - you can just pull the hook out a bit to open it up. Just pull it out into position - do the exact opposite of what we say to do with jumprings (which we say to never do that with - always open a jumpring to the side - that's because you need to close it up again, and it needs to match up. With adjusting the hook on a clasp - you don't need to close it up - so it's ok.)

The toggle clasp is a loop or ring of some sort, and bar that you slip through the loop, and it then turns sideways and is too wide to come out, unless you turn it sideways again to push the bar out. I find these excellent for bracelets - as they are fairly easy to do up with one hand. The bar does need to be wide enough to not fall back through the hole. And - you need some extra room on the bar side to slide it through the hole - so you have to be careful with your designs to ensure that you have that little bit of play - i.e. you can't put a really big bead next to the bar - as you won't have enough room to get the bar through the hole and turned. These also come in many, many styles and colours. Some of my all time favourite clasps are toggles. The sterling toggles frequently come assembled - the two sides are attached with a jump ring. You can open this jumpring and use it to attach it to your jewelry, or put it aside for future use.

The most complex style of clasp is the box clasp. We'll carry on with them, and the others next week.