The secrets of the Goldsmith’s workbench

When many years ago my dream came true and the door to the workshop of the famous Warsaw goldsmith Jarek Westermark opened for me and he agreed to introduce me to the goldsmith’s world and teach the basics of the craft (in that time it was one of few possibilities to learn this profession), I took a glance at the goldsmith’s workbench.

I saw an old, pre-war desk with a semi-circular piece cut out of the counter top, which at that moment was a great fascinating mystery for me.

You have to know, Magpie, that in the early eighties it was difficult to get even simple tools, and the “real” goldsmith workbench seemed unattainable. Times have changed, such a workbench can now be bought easily, but the goldsmith mentioned by me is still working at his workbench made from the pre-war desk, which he adapted to his needs, he liked and got used to.

You will probably ask, Magpie, what is so unusual in a wooden goldsmith’s workbench that it was worth making it the main character of this text? Well, the goldsmith’s workbench is unusual and it hides many secrets I will tell you about.

Furniture for a fatso?

The first and most unique feature is the above mentioned half-circle cutout in the top which makes us wonder if a typical goldsmith is so fat that he needs to cut out a place for the belly.

Well, this cut-out in the middle of which a wooden peg sticks out gives the goldsmith a free access to the object of his work in all fields. It is a great support for the processed items. Thanks to the cutout in the workbench there is a lot of space around, making the work comfortable.

Under the cutout and over the goldsmith’s knees a leather apron is spread, which allows to collect valuable “waste”, quickly find the piece that fell from one’s hands and protects knees in case of dropping a hot item.

In some workbenches there is a wooden shelf, which is easier to keep clean, but I prefer the soft apron – I believe it is more effective in catching falling objects. And now imagine, Magpie, what stress and problem it is, let’s say, to look for a diamond which accidentally fell out when setting it in a ring.

Quite a piece of furniture

Goldsmith’s workbench is usually taller than the regular workbench. This is because the goldsmith needs to have the item he is working on at an optimal distance from the eyes in order not to slouch. The workbench needs to be heavy and stable, stand the work with hammers on the anvils so its top is made of thick solid wood.

Lamps are attached to the workbench. Correct lighting is essential for efficient work. Next to the workbench, there is usually a gas cylinder with a screwed-in rubber hose, at the end of which is a torch – one of the most important tools in the goldsmith’s workshop.

Drawers full of treasures

The bench has many drawers – one in each side placed in a way that the knees go between them, over the knees is the apron and over it the cutout with the pin.

Goldsmith’s drawers are a real treasure trove. You’ll find there not only tools: hammers, files, little anvils, scrapers, abrasives, polishing pastes, drill bits and cutters, chisels, pliers and tweezers, clubs and gems (I will tell you about all these mysterious things on another occasion).  In these drawers, Magpie, there are a lot of trinkets – ready, almost ready or those that have just been started. There are pieces of silver and gold: sheets, wires, pipes and granules.

In my drawers are also stones of all kinds, jump rings, beads, there are fasteners, pins, spacers, pendants, earring posts and bails. There is a box with amber, another with mother of pearl and yet another with ebony (there shouldn’t be ivory – remember, Magpie – its use is forbidden and punishable!).

Order or disorder?

Are you wondering, Magpie, how to keep the bench in perfect order if its top and drawers are full of thousands of smaller or larger items? There is no rule here. Moreover, goldsmiths, like everyone, have their habits. Some – like my tutor – keep their workbench in ideal order, others have a cosmic mess. What they have in common is that if you wake them up in the middle of the night, they know perfectly where their favorite hammer is.

Pics: Jan Suchodolski