Hollowware: First project

Something I have always wanted to do is learn the basics of metal smithing, and my lack of skills and desire to know more became apparent last year when I was playing in the jewellery studio at the NSCCD residency in Halifax.

So I decided to enrol in a hollowware class.

Our first project was to learn some of the basic forging techniques, and below are my first samples. They are tres dodgy!

After learning the basics of stretching the metal in various ways, we then had to design either a spoon or butter knife using our new skills. 

I wanted to make a butter knife based on the idea of a shooting star. By this stage I was starting to understand the techniques involved to manipulate the metal (a lot of hammering and a sore arm!). And I ended up with this.

Shooting Star butter knife.  Brass 17.5cm long x 1.6cm wide

Not bad for my first attempt!