The bare copper Needle Tip shown above has a true needle point allowing work in the tiniest places. This tip can be resharpened as it wears then retinned for use. The iron clad and nickel plated version is slightly more blunt (due to the plating buildup), but only slightly. The iron clad versions are the premium grade tips providing extra long life. These tips should not be sanded or reshaped to prevent damage to the iron cladding. The nickel plated tips are a less expensive version that offer better corrosion protection and wetting (tinning) than bare copper.