Chain Nose pliers are so-called because you use them to open and close small chain links. They are very often (mistakenly) referred to as needle nose pliers, which are electrical tools. The major difference between chain nose pliers and needle nose pliers is that the chain nose has no teeth to mar your wirework. Chain nose pliers are extremely useful in many situations, especially for opening and closing small loops, getting into tight spaces, and crimping down the ends of wire wraps (but not crimp tubes). Also, any time you want to hang onto a project with one hand while you make adjustments to it with the other, chain nose are the pliers to reach for. If you have to make a choice between chain nose and flat nose pliers, chain nose are the way to go.