As I have been travelling throughout North America these many years, I’ve come across some students who have a severe deficit in how to hold a graver. This next very important topic is aptly named. 'How to Hold a Graver". In fact this topic is named for an individual I have just met through Ganoksin this past few days. She, “Hyuan, from South Korea!”, asked me how to explain to her the very basics of holding a graver in her hand. Therefore, I am honoured in using her name; this topic is now explained and written!
In the following photographs, I am displaying the overall length of the base of the (wooden) handle to the tip of the graver blade. The tip of the blade must not exceed the first joint of your middle finger…(as shown). Your fingers must literally wrap around the graver & handle, plus they should wrap around the handle, like a proverbial “glove”.
I had students who wanted me to demonstrate and as well teach “Bead-Setting”, but all three in the full class lacked the ‘basic fundamentals in holding a simple graver’. I find some schools frown upon teaching this basic teaching of Gem-Setting using gravers.
Precaution is needed when you are using gravers! Always use a “Thumb-Guard”. The base of the blade is so very sharp & it will cut deeply into your thumb-pad while cutting.
The purpose of your fingers have a multitude of reasons…Let me now explain these uses: The “Little Finger” is to prevent the handle of creeping or sliding the handle further away from the Palm of your hand as you are cutting in a forward motion! The wooden handle “MUST NOW SIT COMFORTABLY” into the palm of your hand. The “Ring & Middle fingers” are to hold the base of the handle. The next position: is “Thumb Forward”; this will definitely give support to the graver blade from the graver cutting face. The “Pointing-Finger” (as shown) will give direction & gives “downward pressure & weight” to the blade as it moves in a forward-direction! On some handles there will be a flat feature on the base of the wooden/metal base, That is for the placement of your Ring-Finger to rest against & give support to your hand & subsequently direction for the ‘resting’ of the handle into your palm. I was not 'staging" my hand positioning for these photographs, but after 58 years on stone-setting, this process comes naturally, as it will to you in months & years to come!!!
This teaching process is not a two-minute learning process, it took me literally months & years to fully ‘master’ this delicate “learning curve”. Imagine that as I was an apprentice on this process by cutting on very hard Brass plates. I learned how to ‘grind-to-shape’, clean, hold gravers & practice cutting long before I set one single stone. That is how very important these gravers are in our Diamond Setting profession. To use gravers is a mere ‘35+ out of 10’…on the 'Difficulty Scale of Learning".
In the past few months I have been collecting & putting together another large amount of “Diamond Setting Essays”. What everyone has been receiving contains 1.30 Gig’s. But what I am now arranging is another 1.65 Gig’s. These will be put into a simple list of essays via a new web-site instead of re-emailing the 575 names people who have been requesting during the previous 4 months! I will announce when this “newer collection” is finalized and be ready for you to download. “I have no intention of slowing down in my writing”.
You have my permission to print every page for your own library and use them in the years to come. I am glad to help anyone & anywhere in this Art of Diamond Setting, My original essays are still available…Gerry Lewy!
Gerry,
Thanks so much for all the past and future lessons.
Kindest regards, Taf
Exeter, NH 03833 603.969.3060 taf@tafschaefer.com
via Newton Mail
[CloudMagic]
I’m on your list already. You are an example worthy of following!
I just know ‘what is right’ and follow my
own rules of courtesy & decency!
Many thanks for your sincere comments.
Gerry! from my IPhone!
AMAZING, thanks so much.
Gerry: I would love a copy of your essays, your generosity is amazing.
My email is: maryrogers60@hotmail.com
Thank you ! M
Amazing? Not me! It’s just that no one
else has had the initiative in doing anything
like this before. Everyone wants to charge
for ‘basic information’. How can we expect
this trade to provide new jewellers, if no
one wants to helps them?
You are now number 566 on my list!..
Gerry! from my IPhone!
Hi Gerry
I really appreciate your kind offer to share your knowledge.
Thank you in advance
Hamilton Macmillan
(South Africa)
Metalsmith.925@gmail.com
Gerry,
This is very kind of you. As a beginner, I have only been at this for 5 years, I would love to have the knowledge of an artist like you.
Thank you for you offer and I would love to take you up on it.
Karlette
karlettester@gmail.com
Hi there! I would love to read your essays, thank you for making them available. My email is: merytmeeker@gmail.com
Please send me a copy of your setting essays! Thank you so much for your wealth of knowledge. cscrews05@gmail.com
Gerry, would appreciate a copy of “Diamond Setting Essays”. Thank you and many blessings.
brendaboyle4@gmail.com
Brenda
Just received your email for my setting notes. I now have 25 ‘sets’ to
send out during our very busy weekend.
Gerry Lewy
Toronto, Ontario.
Canada.
Hey Jonathan
I will the multitude of essays sent out
. Yours included!!
Gerry! from my Toronto IPhone
My fingers missed a word or so, but still
I’m going to do the immense mailing.
Gerry! from my Toronto IPhone
Hi Gerry,
I bought your travers and setting notes a few years ago, and I’m ashamed that they have sat in a draw for most of that time, after some initial attempts on my part to use the travers.
You have obviously written lots of new information since, and I would very much like to take you up on your very generous offer. Hopefully it will be the push I need to get back into some more advanced setting after having taken a year out of jewellery making.
My email address is helenrhill@sky.com
Many thanks,
Helen Hill
UK
Gerry,
Please send me copies of your essays. Thank you so much for sharing. My email address is cheung.ny@gmail.com
Kind Regards,
Ellen
Going to get about 8, silver (.925) pendants this week. I enjoy bright-cutting so much, it’s almost like an obsession… Each of them will have a “Fish-Tail” cutting design, but no CAD created will be allowed.
This ‘group of hearts’ will have coloured stones set in them. These will be put into my growing line of jewellery for the
LGBTQ movement, here in Toronto.
My idea is to show that hand-engraving in Diamond Setting is still being used. Claw & Prong setting is so ‘ho-hum’…;(
In my new line of jewellery, every piece has been enhanced with bright-cutting of some sort. In my next setting-essay, I will attempt to fully explain how this “Fish-Tail” design is skillfully created. It ain’t gonna be easy to write & compose, but no one else is doing this, pity.;(
Gerry! from my Toronto iPhone!
1-905-886-5961