Emergency removal of a Tungsten Carbide Ring | titaniumstyle.com
Why Hacker News recommends it
HN commenters cite it as practical proof that tungsten rings can't be cut off with ring cutters but can be cracked with locking pliers, which matters for medical emergencies and ring safety.
Recommended by 0 people across 0 different months, 2017 to 2026.
What it is
A short promotional demo from a titanium jewelry retailer showing how a tungsten carbide ring can be removed in an emergency. Since the ring is too hard to cut, it is cracked using standard locking pliers (vise grips).
What people said
Cites ckluis · 2017-09 · Hacker News · on “Tungsten: The Perfect Metal for Bullets and Missiles (2014)”
First responders actually have a device which cracks tungsten rings (I have one), but they are easier “crack” than cut. [this video] - “the home way” [LINK] - “the professional way"
Cites wlesieutre · 2024-07 · Hacker News · on “Making my own wedding rings”
Locking pliers (aka vise grips) are a good tool for it, since you can set how wide the jaws will close [this video]
Cites dreamcompiler · 2026-09 · Hacker News · on “Giving up on smart rings”
EMT here. I've never had a patient with a tungsten ring but I'm pretty sure our ring cutters would not work. So I looked it up. Apparently you have to break them off with vise grips [0]. One more tool for my kit I guess. [0] [this video]