Soft, Half Hard, Hard wire what is the difference?

Hardness is a measure of the ease with which the wire will bend, soft wire bends easily hard wire is very stiff and wants to return to its original state. The wire is made by pulling or drawing the wire through a hole in a plate ( the draw plate) , this is done progressivley through smaller and smaller holes to obtain the final size. Every drawing operation will increase the hardness of the wire. We sell Sterling Silver wire in soft, half-hard and hard condition, these may also be referred to as 0, 2 and 4 respectively.

Soft: May be also referred to as dead soft. This wire is the most malleable/flexible of the three types and can easily be bent to shape. It can accomodate tight radius bends without fracturing and is therefore ideal for wire wrapping. It will not hold its shape under tension so is not ideal for connecting to clasps etc. It will  harden as it is worked or can be tempered by hitting with a hammer ( only recommended for flat pieces!). May show tool marks.

Half Hard: Less flexible than soft but more flexible than hard. It will hold its shape under reasonable tension and is widely used for clasps, jump rings and connectors. Will make excellent tight corners or bends.

Hard: The least flexible of the three and the most difficult to bend, you will almost certainly have to use tools to bend this wire. Will make nice sharp corners and hold its shape under most stress.