Every metal has a temper.

What a piece is made of decides the tool, the angle, the depth and often whether the commission should be taken at all.

• I

  Precious Metals

  Silver, gold and platinum, each with its own temper under the graver.

• II

  Watch Cases

  Casebacks, lugs and bezels, on pieces where a slip is not recoverable.

• III

  Firearms Furniture

  Actions, furniture and fittings, in the English and Continental traditions.

• IV

  Timepieces & Movements

  Bridges, rotors and plates, at the scale where a loupe is not optional.

• V

  Fine Instruments

  Silver keywork, mouthpieces and fittings on instruments that are worked every day.

• Metal state

  Cast, annealed or work-hardened. A graver behaves differently in each, and cutting into an unannealed casting is how tools break.

• Wall thickness

  Confirmed against the maker's specification, not estimated. Depth is set well inside it, with a margin for a future polish.

• Existing marks

  Hallmarks, proof marks, maker's marks and serials are located and protected before anything else happens.

• Finish

  Mirror, brushed, bead-blasted or coated. The finish decides both the method and what can be restored afterwards.