Wire

Wire was a manufactured length of flexible metal, a "coiled good" alongside chain and rope. It was extremely useful and in wide demand across the Realms for everything from common tools to fancy jewelry to elaborate mechanisms.

Description
Wire was often quite brittle and soft from the drawing process, making it quite easy to snap under the right circumstances. Bending wire more than once in the same spot could snap it, and most wire produced was quite thick to ensure its durability.

Hard metals and alloys could respond poorly to being drawn into wire and become more fragile, while softer metals such as gold were the easiest to draw into fine wire. Adamant in particular was difficult to draw into wire because of its extreme brittleness, and had to be alloyed with molybdenum to make it usable.

Availability
Crafted by wiredrawers, the expertise and tools required to make good fine wire made it harder to come by in much of Faerûn compared to rope and chain, with the centers of such production found in the Calimshan and Tashalar regions. In many human communities, urban gnome and dwarf artisans pioneered fine wire and chain crafting. Gnomes in particular led the development of increasingly thin and flexible wire that could be used for everyday purposes.

Trade

 * Thanks to the consistent demand, "manygoods" traders tried to keep at least some wire in their inventory, as well as a chisel and two pairs of pliers for cutting off lengths on demand.
 * Aurora's Emporium provided common wire by the foot (30 centimeters) in a variety of metals, including brass, bronze, copper, gold, iron, lead, mithral, platinum, silver, steel, and tin. Higher-quality lengths of wire were also available for use in priestly rituals and wizardly studies, at a much higher price.
 * Gleskur's Finemetals of Secomber produced fine, braided copper wire.
 * The Splendid Order of Armorers, Locksmiths, and Finesmiths and the Jewelers' Guild of Waterdeep made, traded, and used wire for sculpting and ornamentation.
 * Mhaer's Alley in Waterdeep had a great concentration of shops that sold tailoring supplies including fine wire.

Usages

 * Wire was coiled on a lathe, then cut to make rings, such as for making chainmail armor. The process of coiling, cutting, knitting, and riveting them was extremely tedious and delicate.
 * Cable was an unusual form of woven rope that had a wire core to give it incredible strength.
 * Fashionable clothing, costumes, and accessories such as bustles and stomachers used wire to shape and support their forms,  and many forms of jewelry used wire in their construction. The finest, most flexible wire (such as gold) could be used similarly to thread in clothing. Wire was not, however, used in making shaped brassieres or corsets.
 * Wire was a common form of ornamentation for all sorts of objects.
 * Wire loops were used to store holed coins such as the authokh.
 * Garottes used a length of flexible, strong wire between two handles to throttle victims.
 * Traps could use wire for a strong, hard-to-see trigger mechanism.
 * Clockwork devices used wire as part of their mechanisms.
 * Lockpicks used lengths of wire to manipulate locks.
 * Basic hinging mechanisms could be made from a simple loop of wire, such as in sparkers.
 * Taxidermied animals were often held together with metal wire.
 * Fine wire meshes could be used to stop small blades, and found some use in making thief-resistant coin pouches. Larger wire meshes could be used to make fences for animals.
 * Combs and brushes often used fine metal wire for their teeth and bristles.
 * Small cages for animals and insects could be made from wire.
 * Spectacles were made of wire wrapped around the glass lens.

Notable Instances

 * The Iron Bow of Gesen had a golden wire bowstring.
 * The Machine of Lum the Mad contained a vast profusion of wires.

Spell Components

 * Alarm used a small bell and a piece of fine silver wire.
 * Alter beast used a pair of golden wires twisted into a double helix.
 * Demand used a piece of copper wire.
 * Khelben's warding whip used a piece of wire and a pinch of powdered electrum.
 * Levitate could use a piece of golden wire bent into the shape of a cup.
 * Message used a short piece of copper wire.
 * Sending used a piece of fine copper wire.
 * Virus charm used a valuable web of thin, finely-spun copper wire.

History
The consistent production of fine wire in Faerûn was still a young, developing art by the mid–14 century DR, as artisans continued to gradually refine the process over time. It was expected to still be an area of experimentation and notable improvements through to the mid–16 century DR.

Cable—rope woven around wire—was first developed around the mid-14 century DR.