Tools I Can't Live Without
My jewelry making personal faves
Green Lion Studios SOBAOne
Saw frame
This exquisite saw frame blurs the
boundary between a tool and a work of
sculptural art. Sawing is my favorite and, to
me, the most essential metalworking task,
and I’ve tried lots of saws over the years.
This one was the fi rst one to steal my heart
away from my lifelong companion — the
old art school saw frame. The SOBA One
saw is well balanced, easy to thread, and
comfortable in the hand. It isn’t jumpy or
choppy, and the action is great; it’s also
deep enough to saw into a 4-to-6-inch
sheet. I also love the fact that the top of
the handle is thin — to allow for proper grip
and lessen hand fatigue.
MORE AT WWW.OTTOFREI.COM
Valtitan Hand File Set
I had my eye on these fi les for several
years. I fi nally decided to spring for
them early last year, and I’ve never
regretted my decision. Once I started
to really care about fi ling and fi nish, I
got this set and spent time perfecting
my technique. Know what? I like my
work so much more now. Valtitan fi les
are worth every penny and give you a really
professional fi nish. I own the hand fi les in the
#2 Swiss cut, and my set includes a fl at fi le,
half-round ring fi le, half-round fi le, three-square
fi le, and a barrette fi le, all made in Switzerland.
How can one not love them?
MORE AT WWW.RIOGRANDE.COMFretz Chasing Hammer
This is my go-to, no-nonsense, everyday util-
ity hammer for random and focused acts of
whamming, riveting, skootching, riveting,
tapping, texturing, and... um... chasing.January/February 2016^15
THIS IS THE 100
TH
TIME I’VE WRITTEN about tools for this column. After10+ years of doing so and more than a decade focused on jewelry making, I’ve
concluded that out of the thousands of tools I have seen, tried, purchased, and
tested, there are about 10 chosen ones I can’t live without. These are my “every
single day” tools, and I use them whenever I make work — the professional
quality tools I’d take to a desert island with me. Don’t laugh — in the case of the
hand tools, I have literally done that very thing. My island bench is pared down
to essential hand tools, but it mirrors my home bench in eight out of 10 cases.
While you may not have a getaway bench, if you travel to classes or workshops,
snowbird or RV, my chosen tools might also work for you.