![[nanofix] and his assortment of tweezers](https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/nanofix-tweezers-banner.jpg?w=800)
Attributed to Picasso was the notion that when art critics get together they talk about content, style, trend, and meaning; but that when painters get together they talk about where to get the best turpentine. We can extend that sentiment into the digital age by saying that when philosophers get together they talk about ideas, theory, and meaning; but when hackers get together they talk about where to get the best tweezers.
In this video [nanofix] runs us through his collection of tweezers talking about what he likes and doesn’t like for each. If you’re just getting into microsoldering this video will have some tips about where you should start, and if you’ve been soldering tiny stuff for a while you might find some ideas for a helpful new bit of kit, or two.
If you’re interested in tweezers and novel applications you might want to check out “smart” tweezers, which can read capacitance and resistance values on the fly. Or read about a suction based SMD tool, which can securely hold SMD components with less risk of them flying across the bench and disappearing forever into the carpet on the floor.
Haven’t watched the video but I couldn’t ask more from my Excelta 5-SA-PI. So many 0201’s…….
I don’t in the list NEGATIVE ACTION tweezers.
Negative action tweezers are very useful for soldering. I have about as many as I have regular tweezers. I think forceps deserve a mention, too.
I need to find a good way to store/contain my tweezer collection that keeps them accessible and visible on my workbench.
maybe one of these? https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007425664832.html
I use reverse-action tweezers as well, but for me they’re not very good for very small SMDs. Components smaller than about 3225/1210 (metric and imperial respectively) tend to jump out of the tips, but then again, I am not the most dextrous out there, and my cheap ceramic-tipped tweezers arrived blunt and I had to refine them on one of those M40 stones.
I use several tweezers depending on what I need to do.
Wiha and Erem are my go to manufacturers. For small surface mount components such as 0402 and 0201 I will always pick the Wiha 44531. The thin tips and the very light springiness are perfect for these small components. Over the years they have saved me from many components vanishing in ballistic fashion.
Always worth remembering that it doesn’t matter how “antimagnetic” your stainless steel is… for these cheap tweezers, once you deform it, scratch it, wear it… some of the metal is work-hardened into a (ferro)magnetic phase. It does not take much magnetism to lift an 0402!
Titanium cannot do this. Ceramic cannot do this.
(Though they can get sticky!)
To add – stainless tweezers, even if “antimagnetic” work-harden to a ferromagnetic phase. It takes a very tiny amount of magnetism to pick up an 0402 (or smaller if you dare), so they’ll always be inferior to titanium for this purpose
I buy cheap tweezers and grind them to various shapes. You just “tweeze” them together and use a bench grinder or dremel (other grindy drills are available) to sharpen the points.