Graver questions.

[Icarleug]

I recently bought a set of used gravers on ebay.
The seller didn't know much about them other than that they had belonged to his father and were for engraving jewelry, also marked with UK.

I thought: well, if he made them, used them and cared for them they are probably a good set since I haven't got a clue of what gravers to get.
They all looked like they were kind of long as well, and not shortened into oblivion.

All in all I got a set of 17 gravers for far less than retail price, so I am happy.
Will attach a few pictures of them, if you happen to know a bit more about them than I do, please reply.

I guess I will need to add a few things later on, like a scraper and such, but for practicing on copper those should do.
For instructions I bought the book "Engraving on Precious Metals", so I am all good to go. Well, almost.

Now to the questions:

1) Handles.
The book shows just a mushroom shaped handle (and says no more about them), but Cookson got a lot of shapes.
Is there any shape that is better than the other (in general, or for different types) or it is just a matter of preference?

2) Grain tools.
Will not buy any now, but later on when I get to stone setting.
Cookson offers a set of them and also sells them individually. How often do you use the different sizes, is it advisable to go for a set or just buy the ones you need for a certain project (or a few of them)?

3) Oilstones.
I purchased a set of cheap oil/whetstones on ebay (no, I don't imagine them to be super good), 3000 grit (ruby, 150x20 mm) and 10000 grit (jade, 50x20 mm).
Is it too fine a grit or will I be able to sharpen the gravers without cursing for hours?
I do got a cheap angle jig as well to use with the 3000 grit (and will fabricate something to keep it still while sharpening), the 10000 one was most for really fine finish if needed.
Will probably upgrade to the good stuff later, but my budget doesn't allow for a real Arkansas oilstone right now.

4) Anything else I should know about?
Except practicing and always keep a first aid kit and a hotline to the ER nearby?

/Andreas

[ps_bond]

Handles are mostly personal preference. Longer handles tend to be for gravers that have been shortened by sharpening, but whatever is comfortable. I tend to prefer a mushroom with a flat (as opposed to a toadstool with a little door and windows); they're not always available so I saw a bit off a standard handle.

Grain tools - I have a set; given the cost of individual tools, I'm not sure that the traditional anneal/reshape/reharden makes much sense any more. It's handy to have a range of sizes, you won't always be raising the same size of grain. Better quality grain tools are better finished - my set is Swiss; more expensive, but a far better finish than the cheap ones. Yes, you can refinish the cheap ones but it takes time. That said, I'm making my own out of old burrs now.

Whetstones are usually a softer, more friable stone better suited to sharpening blades - gravers are small and tend to dig in. For hand sharpening, I use small diamond sharpening cards and Spyderco ceramic stones. For sharpening under a scope, diamond rubber wheels.

Keep the gravers sharp; if you seem to need to use more force, stop and check the point. Don't force the tool and keep your fingers out of the line of fire at all times. For hand engraving, always turn the work into the graver, rather than the graver into the work. Polish the sides of the graver to get bright lines, the face doesn't matter. Keep heels short.

I notice from the photo that your gravers seem to have gold tangs; not sure why, but it may be worth mentioning that yellow painted tangs usually indicate HSS, which is less pleasant to hand sharpen. Takes longer to blunt though.

[Icarleug]

Yep, the gravers have gold tang and no markings except UK.
Must be quite old I guess, still, I guess I will notice what kind it is when I start sharpening them.

Thank you for the advices!

/Andreas

[Goldsmith]

Peter has said it all, I use Syderco ceramic sharpening stones, the medium grit is the most used for shapening my gravers and scorpers. As for handles I have all shapes and sizes, but I must admit I prefer the mushroom shaped ones with a flat on one edge, as they don't roll around my workbench when in use. One thing that Peter didn't mention is that the length of your blades should be changed to suit your hand size and be comfortable when engraving. I use Gladon Vallorbe blades, which I soften, reshape and then harden and temper to my needs.

You have a good book to start with. Now it's just practice. I spent hours as an apprentice practicing cut lines on copper sheet. I kept some of my old practice plates and they are shown below.



James

[Wallace]

beautiful work James.

[Icarleug]

Very nice work!

Another question, is it easier to engrave on annealed metal (softer ones, like copper/silver/gold) rather than finished, hardened pieces, or the gravers are so sharp you don't really notice any difference?

/Andreas

[Goldsmith]

Very nice work!

Another question, is it easier to engrave on annealed metal (softer ones, like copper/silver/gold) rather than finished, hardened pieces, or the gravers are so sharp you don't really notice any difference?

/Andreas

Yes it is always easier to engrave on softer metal like copper, silver and gold. that is when using hand gravers, I don't find much difference when engraving hardened pieces on these metals, but a lot of my friends have invested in power gravers and find them a great help with all engraving, especially when engraving the harder metals such as on guns and knives. I don't do enough engraving to invest in a power graver, but if I was younger it would be high on my wants list, as I was taught hand engraving by my grandfather way back in the early 1960s long before power gravers were available. I actually mostly using my gravers/scorpers for outlining work for piercing or for carving relief on crests and such like. I spent the first 15 years of my career working on making regalia so engraving and carving was an essential element of my needed skills.

James