Rings/Wedding Bands That Are Safe for Mechanics

PolarBearFitz · November 2013

My FI is a mechanic and rings can be dangerous, if his hand/finger gets injured and swollen or caught he could be in trouble physically. I imagine he will just end up taking his wedding band off while working but I have to ask in case he forgets one day.

Does anyone know which metals are safer for mechanics and those who work with their hands?

I would love input on real world experience/information from you all.

kitty8403 · November 2013

We have this same problem.
I have heard tungsten is most likely the way to go for men with highly physical jobs, but I will be confirming with a jeweler before we purchase anything. Gold is also soft and would be easier to cut in an emergency (also easier to clean than some things) so I would start by asking around about those two. I don't believe steel or titanium are as safe.

ETA: I checked a couple boards that suggested cobalt or palladium--I would bring this up with a jeweler and possibly your doctor (or a nurse or EMT) before making a final decision. FI broke that finger years ago and it shows. I've been half tempted not to even do a ring for him, but he's traditional enough that he wants one.

kitty8403 · November 2013

I also found this site: http://www.saferingz.com/ might be worth checking into some.

PolarBearFitz · November 2013

Thank you @kitty8403 He has been talking about going the tattoo route possibly but wants a ring. He is traditional too a bit. I will definitely check with a doctor, jeweler, etc. Your advice was so helpful!

itzMS · November 2013

My husband and his coworkers wear their gold rings for work (diesel mechanics).

PolarBearFitz · November 2013

Awesome, thank you!

southernbelle0915 · November 2013

My husband is an engineer. Most of his work is in an office, but he does occasionally visit a plant and do work there. He's also an avid "tinkerer" and has an old Jeep that he builds, takes apart and re-builds.

We went back and forth on metals for this same reason. He ended up choosing gold. It's definitely a softer metal than some others and already has a few scratches on it, but he doesn't mind. It's his ring, so if he doesn't care, I don't care.

erinlin25 · November 2013

my husband is a mechanic, and we researched this a lot. Tungsten is the lesser of all evils but you need to get a "good quality" one. The cheap tungsten could still shatter; and worse case there is some sort of saw he may have that god forbid something got caught he could cut it off. As sad as I would be if he ever had to cut his ring, I would rather save his finger! I forget what it is called off the top of my head though (it is a common tool many mechanics would potentially have). My husband literally tried to scratch up his ring to see what it could handle and still not a scratch on his.

his friends that are also mechanics had a variety from gold to tungsten and cobalt. The gold will scratch easier but they make products to protect it supposedly. If he typically wears gloves (my husband and other tech does) that will protect it as well.

sterling silver and platinum were the worst for mechanics.

PolarBearFitz · November 2013

@erinlin25 Thank you! I think he would prefer something that will not scratch easily. He likes to keep things scratch free. I think it would drive him nuts to have something that would scratch easily. I wouldn't care because it's a symbol to me but I think he would.

@southernbelle0915 Thank you! gotta love having a tinkering husband! I cannot wait as he already teaches me so much.

speedyblazer11 · November 2013

As a lady mechanic I just take mine off whenever I am going to do any kind of engine work. My FI who works for me decided to go with a tungsten ring because it won't get ruined. He doesn't do a lot of heavy engine work though (leaves that to me) so he will be less likely to getting it stuck somewhere. My suggestion is a gold band if he is worried about it having to get cut off at any point or tungsten if he thinks he will remember to take it off when doing heavier work. Just another thing for him to keep in mind is that some chemicals we work with will damage the coating of some rings, I found out this the hard way with me Ering.

Good luck!

PolarBearFitz · November 2013

speedyblazer11 said:

As a lady mechanic I just take mine off whenever I am going to do any kind of engine work. My FI who works for me decided to go with a tungsten ring because it won't get ruined. He doesn't do a lot of heavy engine work though (leaves that to me) so he will be less likely to getting it stuck somewhere. My suggestion is a gold band if he is worried about it having to get cut off at any point or tungsten if he thinks he will remember to take it off when doing heavier work. Just another thing for him to keep in mind is that some chemicals we work with will damage the coating of some rings, I found out this the hard way with me Ering.

Good luck!

speedyblazer11 Love, Love, Love lady mechanics!!! Love a girl in a male heavy field who's showing up the boys! This is really great information. Thank you.

princessleia22 · November 2013

FI and I hadn't even considered this one, so I'm glad I found this post. FI is definitely a tinkerer. He is just starting career as electrician and is also currently getting into welding. He may need to take ring off for work, no matter what, with electrical stuff, but it may not be a bad idea to find one with low conductivity for him just in case.

We already know our bands are going to be different material anyway. My e-ring is a yellow gold heirloom ring, which wouldn't be first choice of metal for either of us. FMIL offered to have diamond reset into white gold or platinum setting, but I didn't want to mess with the sentimentality of the ring. So my band will be yellow gold to match e-ring. For his, we were looking at titanium or something along those lines.

PolarBearFitz · November 2013

nicoann said:

FI and I hadn't even considered this one, so I'm glad I found this post. FI is definitely a tinkerer. He is just starting career as electrician and is also currently getting into welding. He may need to take ring off for work, no matter what, with electrical stuff, but it may not be a bad idea to find one with low conductivity for him just in case.

We already know our bands are going to be different material anyway. My e-ring is a yellow gold heirloom ring, which wouldn't be first choice of metal for either of us. FMIL offered to have diamond reset into white gold or platinum setting, but I didn't want to mess with the sentimentality of the ring. So my band will be yellow gold to match e-ring. For his, we were looking at titanium or something along those lines.

Don't know if you have heard this yet or not but you can have the yellow gold ring dipped in white gold. Then you wouldn't have to change the setting if you would prefer that over the yellow gold? I'm sure it is beautiful in yellow gold just the same though.

princessleia22 · November 2013

aefitz29 said:

nicoann said:

FI and I hadn't even considered this one, so I'm glad I found this post. FI is definitely a tinkerer. He is just starting career as electrician and is also currently getting into welding. He may need to take ring off for work, no matter what, with electrical stuff, but it may not be a bad idea to find one with low conductivity for him just in case.

We already know our bands are going to be different material anyway. My e-ring is a yellow gold heirloom ring, which wouldn't be first choice of metal for either of us. FMIL offered to have diamond reset into white gold or platinum setting, but I didn't want to mess with the sentimentality of the ring. So my band will be yellow gold to match e-ring. For his, we were looking at titanium or something along those lines.

Don't know if you have heard this yet or not but you can have the yellow gold ring dipped in white gold. Then you wouldn't have to change the setting if you would prefer that over the yellow gold? I'm sure it is beautiful in yellow gold just the same though.

I thought about that too, but I just didn't feel right changing his grandmothers ring, even if him & his mom didn't mind. I would have preferred white gold, but I've fallen in love with this ring, and the history behind it, just as it is.

CamiSelene · November 2013

So glad I found this! I am having the same problem. My FH works in oh&s and most of the time can't wear rings (that, and he's not a huge fan of rings either) so he was thinking of putting it on a chain or something but doesn't want it to scratch. We were thinking tungsten or cobalt.... lots to think about! Guess we'll have to talk to the jewellers.

MadHops21 · November 2013

Tungsten is actually very brittle. I had bought my FI a tungsten from a well known jewelry store because I heard it is scratch resistant (which it really is!!) but if he smacks it again something, it breaks.

My FI was working on a break job and was trying to unscrew a tight screw, so he was using a wrench and the wrench wasn't bulging, so he put more weight into it. He slipped and hit his hand (not too hard) against something metal and the finger completely snapped in half. We went back to said jewelers and they did say that while it is scratch resistant, it is very brittle on the inside.

They advised us to get Titanium Alloy as this is much tougher. It is not as scratch resistant, but it a lot hard to crack or break.

ETA-forgot to mention:

I bought him another Tungsten ring because we love the black and style of it, but he takes it off when working on a car or at the shop.

PolarBearFitz · November 2013

Good to know!

netskyblue2 · November 2013

Tungsten can only be cut with a diamond saw, which I am given to understand many ER's don't have on hand. (I work in a jewelry store, FWIW.) Standard practice to remove tungsten rings in emergencies is to crack them off with a vice. They, of course, cannot be repaired.

A gold/platinum/palladium ring can be re-soldered after it has been cut off. Though palladium is a PITA to work with, according to our bench jewelers! A patterned precious metal ring is not always able to be re-soldered in pattern, and will often end up being shipped back to the manufacturer for exchange, should it need sized or if it was cut off. A plain gold band is the simplest to fix, and easiest to have cut off in an emergency.

bunni727 · November 2013

Kelcita21 said:

Tungsten is actually very brittle. I had bought my FI a tungsten from a well known jewelry store because I heard it is scratch resistant (which it really is!!) but if he smacks it again something, it breaks.

My FI was working on a break job and was trying to unscrew a tight screw, so he was using a wrench and the wrench wasn't bulging, so he put more weight into it. He slipped and hit his hand (not too hard) against something metal and the finger completely snapped in half. We went back to said jewelers and they did say that while it is scratch resistant, it is very brittle on the inside.

They advised us to get Titanium Alloy as this is much tougher. It is not as scratch resistant, but it a lot hard to crack or break.

ETA-forgot to mention:

I bought him another Tungsten ring because we love the black and style of it, but he takes it off when working on a car or at the shop.

TItanium needs a special tool to be taken off in an emergency, though, rather than cut off like one would normally do. H has one, and he's a teacher so it's not a big deal, but I would be wary if he worked heavily with his hands.

MadHops21 · November 2013

bunni727 said:

Kelcita21 said:

Tungsten is actually very brittle. I had bought my FI a tungsten from a well known jewelry store because I heard it is scratch resistant (which it really is!!) but if he smacks it again something, it breaks.

My FI was working on a break job and was trying to unscrew a tight screw, so he was using a wrench and the wrench wasn't bulging, so he put more weight into it. He slipped and hit his hand (not too hard) against something metal and the finger completely snapped in half. We went back to said jewelers and they did say that while it is scratch resistant, it is very brittle on the inside.

They advised us to get Titanium Alloy as this is much tougher. It is not as scratch resistant, but it a lot hard to crack or break.

ETA-forgot to mention:

I bought him another Tungsten ring because we love the black and style of it, but he takes it off when working on a car or at the shop.

TItanium needs a special tool to be taken off in an emergency, though, rather than cut off like one would normally do. H has one, and he's a teacher so it's not a big deal, but I would be wary if he worked heavily with his hands.

Oh yeah, the jeweler definitely warned us about that. He said there have been cases where the finer has to be removed if the hand is stuck and reattached to get the ring off. Luckily FI is good about taking it off before working on machines.

princessleia22 · December 2013

Has anyone looked into or know anything about ceramic rings? My FI is electrician and also welds regularly as a hobby. He has a tungsten engagement ring (if I have to wear one, so does he). But, after seeing a photo a few weeks ago of a highly damaged finger that resulted from bad reaction between the ring & welder (I think from the heat), he has now stopped wearing his ring and just carries it in his wallet. So, now, material of the wedding ring has become an even bigger concern. It would be nice to get something that is less conductive for electricity, since that's his main job, and also won't heat up as quickly or dangerously as metal. It looks like the best ones for electrical would be carbon fiber or ceramic. I would think that ceramic would scratch or damage more easily though and have risk of shattering if not careful. Although, they do seem to be very hard & strong from what I've seen. With carbon fiber, there is definitely the concern about getting it off if his finger swells.

manateehugger · December 2013

nicoann said:

Has anyone looked into or know anything about ceramic rings? My FI is electrician and also welds regularly as a hobby. He has a tungsten engagement ring (if I have to wear one, so does he). But, after seeing a photo a few weeks ago of a highly damaged finger that resulted from bad reaction between the ring & welder (I think from the heat), he has now stopped wearing his ring and just carries it in his wallet. So, now, material of the wedding ring has become an even bigger concern. It would be nice to get something that is less conductive for electricity, since that's his main job, and also won't heat up as quickly or dangerously as metal. It looks like the best ones for electrical would be carbon fiber or ceramic. I would think that ceramic would scratch or damage more easily though and have risk of shattering if not careful. Although, they do seem to be very hard & strong from what I've seen. With carbon fiber, there is definitely the concern about getting it off if his finger swells.

I don't get the bolded attitude. He can be "claimed" and engaged even though he doesn't have a ring on his finger.

Anyway, I believe ceramic rings are not shatter-resistant, so there's that. Ceremic can also chip or stratch relatively easily, I believe. You'd also want to make sure that the cermanic isn't blended in with any conductive materials (I don't know if they are or not though).

My FI is not allowed to wear a ring at work (Army pilot) - pretty much because of all of the safety hazards listed above. We bought him a gold band. He plans on just slipping it back on as he heads home from work. Easy peasy.

princessleia22 · December 2013

Regarding his e-ring, my SIL had gotten my brother an e-ring while they were engaged and I really liked the idea. Why should women have to wear a ring and guy doesn't? I'm not a super feminist. I wouldn't be upset if FI didn't like the idea and I wouldn't make it mandatory, but when I first suggested it to him he really liked the idea. His ring means the same to him as mine does to me. It's not necessarily "laying claim" to him... It's more just a symbol of our commitment to each other. And for both of us it is a tangible daily reminder of how lucky we are to have each other. But, yes we realize both having e-rings is not traditional and we do often have to explain it. And some people see it and think we eloped already.

Anyway I think when FI started getting scared to wear the ring at work, the initial plan what to put it back on after work each day, but he never does. He hasn't worn his ring at all in a couple weeks now. He keeps it with him but just doesn't wear it. I'm okay with him never wearing his e-ring, but I don't want him to NEVER wear his wedding ring after the wedding. So, the other benefit to his e-ring is that we have now realized a potential issue that we can try to address with his wedding band. It would be nice to find some type of ring that he can wear daily. I'm not sure any material would be perfect, but we can try to find the most acceptable option at least. We have even discussed possibility of tattoo rings, but neither of us are big tattoo fans (at least not for ourselves).

ShellD13 · June 2014

My FI is a machinist and heavy duty tinker at home (he is always working on snowmobiles, cars, motorcycles, dirtbikes, etc...) He wanted a ring but he didn't want to spend too much on it because he knows he won't wear it to work. But I was worried about many of the "cheaper" alternatives like tungsten because I understood that the ER may not have the saw needed to remove it in case of an emergency. We settled on sterling silver. According to the research I've done it is much softer than gold and much cheaper. The only concern we have is that it may tarnish where FI won't be wearing it that often but I've heard that if you store it with a silca gel packet (like those that come in shoes) that it will help prevent tarnish.

LDay2014 · June 2014

ShellD13 said:

My FI is a machinist and heavy duty tinker at home (he is always working on snowmobiles, cars, motorcycles, dirtbikes, etc...) He wanted a ring but he didn't want to spend too much on it because he knows he won't wear it to work. But I was worried about many of the "cheaper" alternatives like tungsten because I understood that the ER may not have the saw needed to remove it in case of an emergency. We settled on sterling silver. According to the research I've done it is much softer than gold and much cheaper. The only concern we have is that it may tarnish where FI won't be wearing it that often but I've heard that if you store it with a silca gel packet (like those that come in shoes) that it will help prevent tarnish.

FYI, tungsten comes off very easily with an adjustable wrench. Google it.

Lowell14 · June 2014

@knotporscha - vendor

drina0218 · June 2014

FI does construction and went with tungsten. He got it at Zales I believe and they gave him a lifetime guarantee on it so if it fades or chips he can get it fixed. He's still worried to wear it and lose a finger so he thinks he might just wear it when he's not working. It stinks, but I would much rather him have with all his fingers and a job.

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