Tool Tart Tips

             The very first teacher I took a metalsmithing class from, offered me, what I can now say after a decade of bashing metals, one of the very best pieces of advice that I would like to share. It was not as much a 1, 2, 3. abracadabra clarification of how to do things. It was far more valuable than that. Well, for me anyway.... It was about the best way of approaching your new discipline....

              She told me: “Making jewellery is not a hard science. Study with as many people as you can. In due course, you might find methods that work for me, might not work for you. Somebody else may have a method of doing something that flows better with your way of working. Everybody works differently. Pay attention to that. Maintain curiosity. Ask questions. That way you will rarely get bored. There are so many techniques, and not enough time.... just stay willing to learn”

              The one thing I can add to that is this: talk to the person helping you out at the tool counter. Chances are, that they are into metalsmithing as much as you are. Tell them what you are planning to do. No, they are not going to steal your idea. They have plenty of ideas of their own. They can likely help you find the exact tool you need for the job, even if you don't know the technical term for it. Believe me, most of us are pretty skilled at charades. Why? Because we were there too once. The only difference now is, that we get paid to know what the real name for that thingamajiggy that you need to complete your project.

             There one more reason to talk to the girl or guy at the tool counter. Don't ever be afraid to say you are a novice. You can learn from them. They can learn from you. When we share the knowledge, we keep the art form alive.