Blocking wires sure make blocking easier and better. You feed the wire along long lines like the sides, bottom, and sleeves. Pins are used to hold the wires straight and stretch the sweater. But wires make a nice smooth edge instead of the scalloped edge you get when just using pins.
Wish I had known about wires when I first started making items that need blocking (I don’t block socks). It’s hard to image what I would block with only pins?? I guess if I made decorative edges on a shawl or sweater instead of a smooth edge.
Again it’s my knitting group where I learn about better “gadgets”. That’s where I learned about wires because one if friends had just bought a set to block a sweater. I’m going to suggest sweater and shawl teachers include blocking in their classes.
Knitting Is So Fun 