Goldsmithing is a hands-on art form. A jewelry studio accumulates hundreds of tools, large and small, and the collection tends to grow over the years. There are the basics, like a saw and file, the tiny, like burrs and blades, and then there are the wish list and save-up-for tools like rolling mills and hydraulic presses. 30 years in, I still have tool pictures on my dream board. Bench shear, draw bench stand out. I guess the word ‘bench’ in each name gives a clue that these are among the large, furniture-like tools. But amidst all of these are the true “hand tools”. These are tools that are in my hand every day, which touch nearly every piece of jewelry I make. When I use them, it’s just me, the tool and the metal, or the metal and gemstone. You develop a relationship with these tools. They’re your familiars at the bench that greet you each morning. And you never want to loan them out!
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