Our soap cutters are wired with our proprietary wire and system. Our wire is thicker than guitar wire and is looped several times around our slotted bolts, which are tightened to ensure the wire tension is secure and won’t need to be revisited for months. To further reduce the risk of breaking a wire, we recommend the following: Use a rubber mallet: After lowering your frame to touch the soap block, use a rubber mallet to tap the wires of the frame that are touching the soap into the top layer. Continue to move the frame down until all of the wires are tapped into the top layer. Doing this will reduce the amount of tension put on the wires, and increase their lifespan. Watch your curing time: Leaving your soap too long can result in a block that is too hard to cut without breaking a wire first. Keep an eye on your soap to avoid this! Consider your recipe: Harder ingredients and additives can cause a recipe to require a shorter waiting time. Failing to consider recipe ingredients may result in a too-hard soap that can snap wires. See the "When to Cut Soap" section above for more information. Check wires periodically: Check the tightness of your wires to ensure proper tension. Do not over-tighten your wires - the wires will stay tuned after one or two very slight adjustments.