Tungsten may be very hard and scratch proof, but it is actually very brittle. Well, not brittle as in you can throw it against the floor and it will shatter, but it could chip. So, a ring made out of tungsten carbide can be easily removed by cracking it into pieces with standard vice or vice-grip pliers. Standard ring cutters will not work.
This is not true, in fact because tungsten carbide is so hard, it is also quite brittle. In an event where it has to be removed, squeezing the ring with a pair of vice grips or pliers will actually shatter the ring into two or three pieces. In some ways this is a much easier way to remove a ring than say titanium or gold which have to be cut to remove from the finger.
Another benefit of having a ring that will snap in two is if you for example you accidentally close a car door on your ring, a softer ring will deform and squeeze your finger, probably cutting off circulation and will then need to be removed immediately to avoid harm. A tungsten carbide ring will either shatter or nothing will happen at all, either way your finger should escape safely.
To remove a tungsten carbide ring in an emergency situation, you can follow these simple steps:Clamp the vice-grip pliers loosely on the ring. Tighten slowly until you hear a crack. Remove vice-grip and place in another position on the ring. Repeat until the material breaks away. Take care not to slide or rotate the cracked ring on the finger. If the ring contains an inlay of gold, or other soft materials, the inlay can be cut or clipped away in the usual fashion.
When we contacted our local hospital emergency room and asked if they were equipped to remove tungsten wedding bands in an emergency, they told us that most hospital emergency rooms are prepared to handle almost anything, and assured us that it would be no problem for them.
This is not true, in fact because tungsten carbide is so hard, it is also quite brittle. In an event where it has to be removed, squeezing the ring with a pair of vice grips or pliers will actually shatter the ring into two or three pieces. In some ways this is a much easier way to remove a ring than say titanium or gold which have to be cut to remove from the finger.
Another benefit of having a ring that will snap in two is if you for example you accidentally close a car door on your ring, a softer ring will deform and squeeze your finger, probably cutting off circulation and will then need to be removed immediately to avoid harm. A tungsten carbide ring will either shatter or nothing will happen at all, either way your finger should escape safely.
To remove a tungsten carbide ring in an emergency situation, you can follow these simple steps:Clamp the vice-grip pliers loosely on the ring. Tighten slowly until you hear a crack. Remove vice-grip and place in another position on the ring. Repeat until the material breaks away. Take care not to slide or rotate the cracked ring on the finger. If the ring contains an inlay of gold, or other soft materials, the inlay can be cut or clipped away in the usual fashion.
When we contacted our local hospital emergency room and asked if they were equipped to remove tungsten wedding bands in an emergency, they told us that most hospital emergency rooms are prepared to handle almost anything, and assured us that it would be no problem for them.
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