The format of this page is a little different than the family portraits of other weaves. Jens Pind is extremely fussy about ring sizes, so it makes the most sense to just discuss one wire gauge at a time – no simple lookup charts here!
At its heart, Jens Pind is just a spiral weave. If you look only at the pattern of rings going through other rings, it’s just one-going-through-two in a spiral pattern. The trick is that you use a really tight ring size – so tight that it locks each newly added ring into place, wedging it next to its neighbor so that whole chain can’t twist. It’s not just one-going-through-two, it’s also one-wedging-into-place-next-to-the-three-rings-ago-ring. Each new ring goes through the previous two, and “talks” to the one before that. That’s the best I can do explaining it in words. If you want to see it in action, pick up a copy of my second DVD.
However, there’s a very small difference between a ring size that’s tight enough to lock and a ring size that’s too tight to make the weave at all. With such a narrow target, variations in springback really matter. My silver and brass wire is just a tiiiiny bit springier than my goldfill and copper wire. Most of the time this difference doesn’t matter, but for Jens Pind it really does matter. For each wire gauge, I tested with brass and copper (and sometimes other metals as well) to nudge the inner diameter up/down as needed. I mixed inch and millimeter sizes to get something that would work for each metal in each gauge.
| gauge | 22ga | 21ga | 20ga | 19ga | 18ga | 17ga | 16ga | 15ga | 14ga | 13ga | 12ga | 11ga | 10ga |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rings/inch | 27 | 23 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 |
| inches/ozt | 41 | 34 | 28 | 21 | 16 | 13.4 | 10.5 | 8 | 6.5 | 5.2 | 4 | 3.1 | 2.4 |
| chain width | 3.2mm | 3.6mm | 4mm | 4.5mm | 5.1mm | 5.8mm | 6.6mm | 7.4mm | 8.3mm | 9.2mm | 10.2mm | 11.5mm | 12.7mm |
22 gauge
Size 5:22 works well in copper and goldfill. Unfortunately, there is no good size for silver and brass. Size 5:22jb seemed OK until I tossed it in the tumbler to get polished. It was a just a tad too loose and a couple rings unlocked. Size 1.75M22 is the next size down, but a tiny reduction in diameter counts for a lot when the rings are this small. Jens Pind in 1.75M22jb is stiff as a board!
silver and brass – no good sizes (use 5:22 if you must, but it might unlock)
goldfill and copper – use size 5:22
21 gauge
We have the same problem here as with 22ga. Size 2.5M21 works with copper and goldfill, but is just a tiny bit too loose to safely use with silver and brass. If we drop down in size to either 5:21 or 2M21, the weave is unworkably tight.
silver and brass – no good sizes (use 2.25M21 if you must, but it might unlock)
goldfill and copper – use size 2.25M21
20 gauge
From famine to feast! We have lots of good options for Jens Pind in 20ga. My favorites are…
silver, brass, and niobium – use size 6:20
copper and goldfill – use size 2.5M20
19 gauge
Size 2.75M19 works nicely in all metals.
18 gauge
Size 3M18 works really nicely in all metals.
17 gauge
Size 3.5M17 is a pretty safe bet in all metals, but it’s a little looser than I prefer. Size 3.25M17 works in all metals, but it’s tighter than I prefer – especially for copper and goldfill. As I look at these pictures I’m scratching my head a little. The pictures for 3.5M17cu and 3.5M17ss look like they’re basically the same tightness of weave, but when I hold the chains in my hand I can tell that the copper version is more snug. Dunno what happened there…
This was a little goldfill etude I made to test out the contrast between the three colors of goldfill. It’s really, really subtle! I have no problem telling the colors apart in the middle section, where there are “blocks” of color. But at the ends? Where I alternated them? So subtle!
copper and goldfill – use size 3.5M17 (but try size 3.25M17 if you’re curious)
16 gauge
Size 3.75M16 is safe to use for all metals. It’s more snug than it needs to be for goldfill and copper, so I’d recommend 10:16 instead for those metals. Size 10:16 is just barely on the border of being too loose for silver and brass. I have a 10:16ss Jens Pind bracelet that I’ve worn for years. It doesn’t spontaneously unlock during normal wear, but I have had to fuss rings back into place a couple of times after polishing it in the tumbler.
silver and brass – use size 3.75M16
goldfill and copper – use size 10:16 (or 3.75M16 for a tighter chain)
15 gauge
Use size 4.25M15 for all metals.
14 gauge
Use size 12:14 for all metals. Size 4.5M14 is an option if you need a stiff, structural chain.
13 gauge
silver and brass – use size 13:13
goldfill and copper – use size 5.25M13
12 gauge
silver and brass – use size 5.75M12
goldfill and copper – I would choose size 15:12, but 5.75M12 is perfectly fine if you prefer metric (or a tighter chain)
11 gauge
For all metals, use size 6.5M11 for a tighter chain and size 17:11 for a looser chain. I tested the 6.5mm size (smaller) in copper and it works fine. I tested the 17/64″ size (larger) in brass and it works fine.
10 gauge
For all metals, use size 7.5M10 for a tighter chain and size 19:10 for a looser chain. I tested the 7.5mm size (smaller) in copper and it works fine. I tested the 19/64″ size (larger) in brass and it works fine.