Thames and Hudson Manual of Silversmithing

By Frances Loyen

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0500680213
• ISBN13: 9780500680216
• Release Date: January 1980
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.8" x 0.8" x 6.5"

Customer Reviews

Useful, but aging

As with others in the "T & H Manual" series, this book provides a broad introduction to the tools and techniques of its craft. It starts in a familiar way, laying out the workshop for comfortable, efficient flow, then covers the smith's basic tools. Next, Loyen briefly discusses technical drawing ("drafting"), the visual tools used to plan a piece and measure out the materials. Despite computerization in the 30 years since this book was written, drawing still matters and will save huge amounts of time and material in the long run. After a brief description of the metals used, the rest of the book describes techniques used in large, professional shops. Classic methods of blocking, raising, planishing, and soldering will help guide an amateur beginning in the art. Techniques like spinning, however, require heavy machine tools, so the descriptions seem likely to be of academic interest only. Parts of the book describe factors unique to the UK, such as legalities of hallmarking. Other things, like use of asbestos, seem archiac to today's reader, despite this book's 1980 date of publication. The gallery of masterworks, while impressive is dominated by works from the 1970s, giving a somewhat narrow impression of the styles in which silversmiths have worked and continue to work. A few of these older techniques will interest modern smiths and jewelers, however, like using lead blocks (if you can find them today) to make unique, one-time forms for shaping metal. This book shouldn't be a student's only introduction to larger work than jewelers typically address, but it's still a good one. -- wiredweird