Hi All, an announcement:
After 13 years the largest project I was ever involved with is done.
It was several thousand hours all told.
Brepohl’s monumental work, “The Theory and Practice of Goldsmithing”
is now available in English. They arrived on a pallet last week from
the printer.
In 1987 I approached Tim McCreight with the book offering to
translate it if he published it. We finished in 1990 or so, were
celebrating when the author withdrew permission to publish as he was
East German, the wall had come down and he had rewritten the whole
thing. So I did it again, and Tim did an amazing amount of work to
edit, reformat and publish the book. Roy Ysla among others helped
with the translation at the end of the project.
This is the most comprehensive book in the world on trade
goldsmithing. It is in its 13th edition or so in Germany. Almost all
European countries use it as a standard reference. It has everything,
from metallurgy of precious metals to how to build catches and
linkage units. When the new edition came out last in Germany it sold
30,000 copies in six months in Germany alone.This book has all the
science (phase diagrams, formulas, chemistry of flux etc) and all the
hand skills too. The largest and best collection of catches and
findings diagrams anywhere, clear and easy to understand. The
ultimate resource book.It has literally everything in more detail
than any other book. It has been translated into several languages.
It is like Oppi Untracht’s books for breadth and detail, but it is
oriented to the professional, to industry, trade, goldsmithing rather
than academic or art/craft as Untracht is. I must admit to getting
lost with some of the equations, but there is so much other good
stuff here it does not matter.
Main sections include: Historical Introduction Metals Other Materials,
Studio Chemistry Handling Metals Handworking Skills Silversmithing
Machine Tools Joining Techniques Finishing Techniques Specialty
Techniques Plating Technology Settings and Findings Repair Work
Appendix, Index
536 pages, 8"x10" with dust jacket, 1 5/8" thick, 277 B&W photos,
319 drawings, 114 charts and tables. $70.00 1.7 kg of condensed
It you are interested in a copy you can email me OFF-LIST at
@Charles_Lewton-Brain. If you ask I’ll sign it.
Charles Lewton-Brain/Brain Press Box 1624, Ste M, Calgary, Alberta,
T2P 2L7, Canada Tel: 403-263-3955 Fax: 403-283-9053 Email:
@Charles_Lewton-Brain
Metals info download web site: http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tree.cgi
Book and Video descriptions: http://www.ganoksin.com/kosana/brain/brain.htm
Gallery page at: http://www.ganoksin.com/brain/gallery.htm