Jewelry: Fundamentals of Metalsmithing (Jewelry Crafts) [Hardcover]

Tim Mccreight (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

A professional metalsmith and teacher well known as the author of a standard text, The Complete Metalsmith (Davis, 1991. rev. ed.), McCreight offers a lavishly illustrated guide to techniques. As indicated by the title, this book covers metalworking fundamentals and is similar to Jinks McGrath's The Encyclopedia of Jewelry-Making Techniques (LJ 11/1/95). Photographs of other artists' pieces are interspersed throughout the text without any textual explanation, though evidently they are included as finished examples of the processes being discussed. No projects are included.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Hand Books Press (September 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1880140292
• ISBN-13: 978-1880140291
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 8.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #66,484 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Tim McCreight is a designer, teacher, author, and goldsmith. He received a degree in fine arts from The College of Wooster and an MFA in jewelry and silversmithing from Bowling Green State University. He taught fulltime for 25 years, first at the Worcester Center for Crafts and then at Maine College of Art. Along the way he has taught hundreds of workshops throughout the US and in Canada, Japan, Mexico, and the UK.

After writing two books for large commercial publishers, he decided to take on the challenges of illustration and layout, joining a new generation of authors who took control of all aspects of their books. In this way he has overseen all details of many of his books, most notably Complete Metalsmith, which is recognized as a standard text in the field. His books have been translated into Russian, Japanese, and Italian.

McCreight's books are characterized by a practical approach and commonsense descriptions that empower beginning artists while confirming information for advanced readers. His curiosity and the obvious pleasure he takes in sharing information makes his books not just readable but fun. Most of his books deal with metalsmithing but he has extended into design and into the genre of creative nonfiction with his very popular Syntax of Objects, re-released in a new edition in 2010. In his efforts to explore new approaches, he has also created an App for iPhone, iPod, and iPad called "Metalsmith Suite," available through the iTunes store.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

103 of 103 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fine, fine book, November 2, 2004

By 

Mike Reeves-McMillan (Auckland, New Zealand) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jewelry: Fundamentals of Metalsmithing (Jewelry Crafts) (Hardcover)

The fact that McCreight has been teaching for 25 years really shines through. The little tips he slips in are great and his suggestions for improvising and making your own tools would save you the cost of the book in short order. There are flashes of humour and the illustrations are inspirational.

One of the editorial reviews mentions that the book contains no projects. While strictly true this is slightly misleading. McCreight includes a number of step-by-step sets of instructions for achieving particular results, but doesn't arrange them into end-to-end projects - leaving you free to think up your own, which personally I prefer.

One of the customer reviews also notes that the illustrations and text are not directly tied together. This is also true, but I was able to make the connections myself in 90% of cases. In the section on hinges, the illustrations show pieces with hinges, and so forth. They are there to stimulate your creativity rather than to tie in tightly to the text.

If you buy no other jewellery crafting book, buy this one.

108 of 116 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book for going over basic techniques., November 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Jewelry: Fundamentals of Metalsmithing (Jewelry Crafts) (Hardcover)

I am in the midst of a beginning jewelry making class and this book is proving invaluable. Not only are there beautiful examples of work pictured, there are in depth descriptions of which techniques were used to create them. A beautifully designed book - a pleasure!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Photos Intimidating - recommend a different McCreight book, October 2, 2008

By 

CLG "Carrie Greenwald" (South Dakota) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Jewelry: Fundamentals of Metalsmithing (Jewelry Crafts) (Hardcover)

I truly wish I would have purchased "The Complete Metalsmith" by T. McCreight FIRST and possibly this book second as an inspiration/idea/picture book of metal art possibilities. Now don't get me wrong, there is a lot of useful information throughout the book, in between the incredible metal art, and he does cover some of the safety issues in one of the appendices that pleases me. Another sticking point for me is that the details are sketchy in many of the metal application processes in this book. Yes, this book was published years before "The Complete Metalsmith"...so now consider that book over this one for a more thorough review, incredible details, abundant information, great charts and tables with even more easily readable data, and so much more if you want to really get a grasp of metalwork even for beginners. I refer to "The Complete Metalsmith" frequently as it is organized in a fashion that appeals to me along with the spiral binding that keeps the page open when I need to glance at it during my work.......However, do not expect WOW images of metal art in this book. "Jewelry-Fundamentals of Metalsmithing" brings to light artists' work in beautiful photographed images. Many stimulate my brain in ways so I can create my own designs. Therefore, don't rule this book out...or at least get this book for the inspiration. You won't be disappointed.