Which Diameter?
What Thickness of Wire to Use
At first glance wire gauges can be confusing - 'gauge' is another way of expressing the diameter of the wire. Like most European suppliers we supply wire by the millimetre diameter of the wire.
In the UK the 'old' system was SWG which stands for Standard Wire Gauge; In the USA they use the Browne and Sharpe (B&S) system. This table shows the closest conversions between the three systems. If you are working from a book or pattern, check the country of origin if the recipe refers to a wire gauge rather than diameter so that you can get the closest match possible.
| Approx Diameter | SWG | B&S | Approx Diameter | SWG | B&S | |
| 0.2mm | 36 | 31 | 0.9mm | 21 | 19 | |
| 0.315mm | 28 | 27/28 | 1.0mm | 20 | 18 | |
| 0.4mm | 26 | 25/26 | 1.2mm | 18 | 16/17 | |
| 0.5mm | 25 | 24 | 1.5mm | 15 | 15 | |
| 0.6mm | 24 | 22 | 2.0mm | 14 | 12 | |
| 0.8mm | 22 | 20 | 2.5mm | 12 | 10 |
For more information on wire gauges, wire hardness or softness, and which wire is right for what use check out the 'Choosing Your Wire' download
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