These pliers are a great idea but they have their limitations. It takes more than a bit of practice to get them to work correctly, and more than a little patience. It is easy to let beads slip and end up with the loop that's too far from the end. It is easy to drop the component you're bending. No, the loop is not completely closed, and the size of the pliers limits that. The most frustrating part is that the loops are not really round until you round and close them yourself. And the thinner the wire gauge, the poorer these pliers function. Thin gauge head pins, for example, will end up with a loop that is more oval than round and the wire will be very stressed. Lefties beware, these are right handed operation only. Holding the pliers in your left hand results in the need to cross hands over, or else you're looking at the back of the pliers and won't see what you're doing. Over time, I hope to be more proficient with these.