I have been reluctant to offer cuffs and rings online for fear of
them not fitting unless tried on in person. Does anyone have luck in
selling these online? Any advice for insuring that the right size is
being ordered?
J. S. (Sue) Ellington
http://www.jsellington.com
hi,
We mfg a calibrated ring mandrel - it is guaranteed accurate to
2/1000 of an inch. If you would like more info - you can contact
Romanoff Internation al - Stock number M3-201-R. 1-800-221-7448 ext
110 I am not sure if this would help that the customer is ordering
the correct size but if would assure you are sending the size they
asked for.
Ruth Ferrugio
Hi Ruth,
Dimensions of ring mandrels and finger gages are a huge problem for
those of us that make work based on others finger and ring
measurements. While it is great that you have a precision mandrel,
what are you using for ring size standards? There is no national
standard for ring measurement in the US, you can’t go to NIST
(National Institute of Standards and Technology) who are the keepers
of all standards of weight and measurements here in the US and ask
for clarification for the diameter of a size 10 ring. If I say that
a size 10 is 19.73 mm in diameter and you say that it is 19.5 mm in
diameter we are both right because there is no agreed upon standard.
I would respectfully suggest that possibly this is an area for the
MJSA to get the industry to agree to a standard set of measurements
and publish such a standard so that we can all have one reference to
look to for finger sizes but until then it is a moot point how
accurate the taper and markings are on any mandrel or set of finger
gages.
Jim.
James Binnion
@James_Binnion
James Binnion Metal Arts
360-756-6550
I have been reluctant to offer cuffs and rings online for fear of them not fitting unless tried on in person.
Rings are tough, but for cuff braclets I just ask the customer,
perhaps with some help, to measure their wrist with a string, a
little looser than snug. Then I subtract 1" to 11/4", depending on
the size, and it’s usually right on.
Allan Mason
Add to the confusion the wide variations in ring sizer sets, the
choice to use wide band or regular sizers and the different places on
a ring mandrel where people measure-- some use the leading edge,
others the middle of the ring-- and a “standard” or “atomic size” or
"Greenwhich mean size"-- really becomes moot, in my opinion. I’ve
been having people measure the leading edge on the mandrel and then
use digital calipers (outside edge of the blade aginst the wide end
of the mandrel taper) to give me a millimeter size. It works great–
if our calipers match…
Sometimes I send out a ring mandrel to a gallery for them to use. I
have already measured a size with my calipers and that becomes my
constant or zero against which I can check the consistency of their
calipers ( I have the gallery measure, say, a size 8 and compare it
to my recorded measurement of a sized 8). This helps.
For long distant private clients, I have them give me a size range
and then I send out 6 sizers within that range, either wide or
regular, and have them mark with a twist tie the sizer that works
best for them. I include a return mailer.
Andy
Andy,
Add to the confusion the wide variations in ring sizer sets, the choice to use wide band or regular sizers and the different places on a ring mandrel where people measure-- some use the leading edge, others the middle of the ring-- and a "standard" or "atomic size" or "Greenwhich mean size"-- really becomes moot, in my opinion. I've been having people measure the leading edge on the mandrel and then use digital calipers (outside edge of the blade aginst the wide end of the mandrel taper) to give me a millimeter size. It works great-- if our calipers match...
This is exactly what I am talking about. We have one “standard”
mandrel in the studio, we take all the finger gages we buy or make
and test them against the standard and adjust the finger gages to
fit the standard mandrel. We also make a bunch of finger gages to
accommodate comfort fit style and wide rings. We send out 5 or 6
finger gages to our retail clients to chose from, they pick the
right fit and we are set. The problem comes in with the stores and
galleries. Some read leading edge (the only accurate method) and
some read middle. None of the gages are right and some rely on finger
gages that have not been calibrated (I have yet to find a set of
finger gages that is consistent from set to set or that matches any
mandrel from smallest to largest size). We also get the store
personnel who “know what they are doing” and refuse to use our
finger gages and what happens, gee the ring is not a good fit,
imagine that. So anyway I feel that at least some of this time and
effort can be avoided if we had a true standard in finger sizes here
in the US.
This is my pet peeve,
Jim
James Binnion
@James_Binnion
James Binnion Metal Arts
360-756-6550
For long distant private clients, I have them give me a size range and then I send out 6 sizers within that range, either wide or regular, and have them mark with a twist tie the sizer that works best for them. I include a return mailer.
What about those plastic ring size measurers that look like a cable
tie? You just send one to a customer who puts it on and pulls it
until it fits, then sends it back to you. I think Rio has them.
Allan Mason
What about those plastic ring size measurers that look like a cable tie? You just send one to a customer who puts it on and pulls it until it fits, then sends it back to you. I think Rio has them.
These will get you in the ball park but not a final measurement by
any stretch of the imagination. Because they are flexible people
tend to estimate their size too small with them. For a custom ring
you want a perfect fit so we send out finger gages that are the same
width and thickness and form factor (half round, comfort fit, flat
etc.).
James Binnion
@James_Binnion
James Binnion Metal Arts
360-756-6550