Alan Revere pliers

After two years in development, a newly refined and improved set of pliers, designed by Alan Revere, is available for goldsmiths and jewelry makers everywhere. The result of research, refinement and redesign, the new pliers incorporate a unique textured grip, which was designed by goldsmith Alan Revere of San Francisco, California. “We started with the finest German-made pliers available and added a totally new grip that increases function and efficiency. These pliers help get the job done, rather than getting in the way,” says Revere of his latest design.

Alan Revere pliers

A prominent jewelry author and educator, Alan Revere is a German trained master goldsmith, award winning jewelry designer, and founder of the Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts in San Francisco, California. Dissatisfied with pliers currently available through suppliers, a few years ago Revere wrote an article in MJSA Journal. In it he suggested that bench jewelers rip the springs and brightly colored plastics handles off of their pliers for improved control and performance. These controversial instructions later become tip number 63 in Revere’s book, 101 Bench Tips for Jewelers, published by MJSA/AJM Press in 2004. Revere argued that both the handles and springs diminish tactile sensation, reduce kinesthetic feedback and ultimately lower the function of pliers.

Alan Revere pliers set

Shortly afterwards, Revere was invited to a small German factory, where they have been making pliers by hand for generations. In this workshop, which takes great pride in hand craftsmanship and quality, Revere was asked to design a set of pliers to meet his ultimate expectations. He had a good idea of what he wanted; sturdy, but precise, un-plated pliers with bare metal grips and no springs. The jaws had to have a #240 grit finish, which leaves a fine “tooth” that grabs onto metal but does not mar it, as well as slightly rounded corners. While plain bare metal was preferable to plastic covered handles, Alan wanted to develop something new, something unique as well as attractive, a design that would provide more functional grip than anything he had seen.

Beginning with patterns filed into his own pliers, Revere developed several possibilities. But he soon discovered that producing them in quantity would be impossible. So working further, he came up with a new and improved grip that the German workshop could reproduce. In order to add the pattern, a new tool was required to carve the notches just as Revere had filed into his own handles.

The new grips feature a series of graduated cylindrical notches to add surface contact. This increases sensitivity, adds kinesthetic feedback and therefore elevates precision control of the tool. In addition, the grip pattern is very attractive and comfortable

Revere’s ultimate pliers are intended for serious jewelers and bench workers. Revere Pliers come in flat, chain, round and half round/flat versions. Made of top quality high carbon steel, each pair goes through 50 exacting steps in forming, shaping, grinding, finishing, texturing, etc. from the rough blank to the final finish. Each pair receives extra care and quality control, to assure that they meet Revere’s standards.

Revere pliers are available across the United States and around the world, distributed exclusively through Euro Tool, Inc. Available individually or as a set with a wooden stand, Revere pliers come with instructions on use and maintenance, as well as the history of Revere pliers.

Foldforming by Charles Lewton-Brain

The ultimate reference on foldforming from the artist who invented this groundbreaking approach to working with metal. By taking advantage of the inherent qualities of the material, foldforming develops organic forms in metal with minimum effort. Hundreds of sequential photographs demonstrate techniques to make a wide range of forms. Foldforming lends itself to all branches and levels of metalsmithing, from jewelry to blacksmithing, beginners to advanced artists.

Charles Lewton-Brain received his initial training in Germany and later earned a Master of Fine Arts from SUNY New Paltz. In the 1980s he invented a way of working with metal that exploits its inherent behaviors. Through hundreds of workshops and in his position at the Alberta College of Art + Design, Charles has developed the science and art of foldforming to its current high standard.

Workshop Topics

•  Alloying jewelry metals
•  How to alloy different colors and karats of gold from 24K and pre-mixed alloys, and making sterling silver from fine silver and copper or S88 alloy.
•  Strategies for selecting and adjusting ingot molds for correct sized finished wire and sheet stock.
•  Melting and pouring ingots with a torch.
•  Care and maintanance of rolling mills.
•  Making basic square wire stock.
•  Making a true square, rectangular wire, bezel stock, tapering wire for the drawplate.
•  Correct annealing of wire and sheet stock, coiling and wrapping for annealing wire.
•  Upsetting rectangular stock for narrowing.
•  Reshaping larger wire shapes into smaller wire forms.
•  Using the mill to make sheet stock “dead flat”.
•  Using drawplates to make wire stock.
•  How to straighten wire.
•  Assorted rolling mill tricks for making fancy stock.
•  Roller printing with assorted materials.

Learn everything from soldering, casting, refining, and design techniques to pricing and promoting your products to photographing your jewelry. Have your questions answered and walk away with the knowledge and resources you won’t find at any other jewelry industry event. And best of all, these opportunities can be taken advantage of for FREE. For a full description, please visit the seminar page.