Customer Reviews

Form Emphasis for Metalsmiths

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I have to say that this book isn't for everyone. It is for the person that enjoys learning some new info on things that one takes for granted. In conjunction with their avocation. Since it was published in 1978 some of the information at first glance may seem a rehash of the basics. That is far from the truth, The author does go over the things like the role of the formal shells, soldering,raising, planishing, layouts, tubing, hinges and linkages. In each of the sections or chapters he does go into things in somewhat more detail than the more modern books.Having been in metalsmithing off and on for over 40 years. Since high school I learned more from this book than I have from some classes I have taken over the years. The surface enrichment,refinement and finishing chapter and the one on the spout. Were of interest if for no other reason it pointed out things I never thought of in regards to the design of the opening in the spout. Having only made items with a spout for general shop work. No tea services ect. But the info will still work.
The art work is done by the author and are numerous. Since he was doing the drawing they reflect what he was thinking to a fine point. The pictures are in the style of the 70's brightly lit black and white. Each chapter has definitions of all things described. The glossary at the end of the book is illustrated with the drawings of the author ,the generic terminology,alternative terminology and etymological origins.
Having heard,and read all the artsy,2 dollars words thrown about by people that have no idea what they mean in relationship to the forms they are describing. It was a enjoyable read and I do own it.

Seppä has written the best book I know for anyone looking to expand their range in creating forged metal objects. Although this touches on a few additional topics, like surface treatments and linkages, the largest part of Seppä's discussion addresses raising, forging, and planishing.

This book starts where others leave off. As a result, it skips the basics that a reader is expcted to know already. Those include soldering, annealing, raising or sinking of simple forms, and matching of complex shapes to be soldered to each other. Instead, Seppä goes into detail about forging of complex forms, including anticlastics, multi-part shells, and even a forged cube! Within each section, Seppä guides the prepared reader through steps, with special focus on the unusual techniques needed. The well-prepared reader will easily follow along as Seppä shows which part of the workpiece requires attention, and the kinds of blows needed to create the desired form.

The other major thrust of this book addresses the language in which metalsmiths describe their forms. Seppä asserts that terms like "bowl," "platter," or "box" create un-needed confusion between form and function. That, he believes, restricts the creator's imagination. If, instead, the smith thinks of a rounded concavity rather than a bowl, it suggests many more ways to incorporate that same shape into different design contexts. So, in addition to using unfamiliar shape-words (like 'spathe' and 'xiphoid') in the how-to section, Seppä adds 30+ pages of glossary. That creates a verbal short-hand, summarizing a complex thought in one word. Then, when those complexities have been reduced to single words, it becomes that much easier to combine them into larger structures. The fact is, I have not seen this vocabulary put to use, but the idea remains intriguing.

Once the reader accepts the relatively advanced level of this book's discussion, I have only a few qualms about it. One appears when Seppä says, "The statement that 'anything that works is right' is no more than simple-minded sanction of inefficiency." True, well-known techniques make work faster and easier, and avoid deleterious side effects that might not be immediately obvious in poor technique. Still, I would not want hidebound obedience to rules to prohibit thoughtful experimentation, or combinations of techniques from different bodies of knowledge. A reader at this book's level will understand that, though, and have the background to incorporate Seppä's new advice with the reader's own knowledge and experience. This shouldn't be anyone's first or even second book on forged forms, but should be in the library of every advanced student of metalwork.

-- wiredweird

This book was highly recommended by my instructor who is, herself, a master of metals. She referred to Heikki Seppa as the Master of Master Metalsmiths. His book has taken me to a higher level of understanding and creativity. A valuable addition to any metalsmith's library.

First of all, this book is not a project book nor it will not teach you the basics of working with metal. It assumes the reader knows all the basics of metalworking and is competent in basic forging skills - raising, sinking, planishing, etc.

This book looks in detail at the different shapes that metal can be forged into, without, most of the time, being worried with what the shape will be used for. Seppa tries to separate form and terminology from function, believing that abstracting these shapes will allow the artist to use them more freely and in more unexpected ways. This book will take you deeper into working metal than almost any other book.

To me, the major drawback is the overly complicated language Seppa proposes for describing shapes, which sound, for the most part, clunky and even pretentious.

This book by Heikki puts considerable emphasis on educating the reader in the appropriate use of the correct terms used to describe the various forms and shapes, it is helpful to keep a dictionary in your workshop so at least if you are not successful in creating the desired shape that you aspire to, you will be able to describe with an impressive range of terminoligy what it was supposed to have been. On a more serious note however, I would have prefered, sharp detailed photos of the varying proceedures rather than drawings (A picture is always worth a thousant words ) . A sample viewing inside the book prior to purchase would also have been helpful. I have for a considerable time now been searching for detailed information about the proceedures for creating the very deep drawn Acanthus Leaves such as found in the early French era. This book unfortunately will be added to my collection of "interesting but not what I was hoping to find collection". I found nothing of great value in it for the persuit of traditional leaf work but I would certainly highly recommend it for anybody anticipating some freeform sculpture as depicted on the cover page.
Dietmar

This book is full of great information. I am a beginner in metal forming and this book has given me endless ideas and inspirations of projects I have added to my list of things to do.

it was a good book to read through but not buy alltogether