When students ask for my recommendation on repoussé and chasing tools, without hesitation, my response is ‘The set of 8 Eastern Repoussé Chasing Tools designed by Victoria Lansford’. I love how versatile they are, comfortable and lightweight, and the results are unbeatable. I cannot recommend them highly enough.
Nicole Ringgold – work in progress with Eastern Repousse Tools
Eastern Repousse and Chasing Tools move your metal wherever your ideas take you.
The small tools will fit even the tiniest spaces, so you Won’t need to buy or make others each time you create a new design.
The exceptional shape of the Line Tools can accommodate almost any curve by rocking back slightly on the tip of the tool as you go around the curve.
The planishing tools make excellent texture tools. They are also great for hammering flat small areas of patterned texture for easier soldering of stone settings or findings and can even be used as bezel pushers.
The tools are purposefully shorter than other brands because shorter tools are far easier to control without skipping or skating.
Hold them at the neck, between the thumb and first 2 fingers. No matter the size of one’s hands, this gives enough clearance to hammer without hitting knuckles. Holding the tool at the neck keeps the tool from skating or skidding across the metal. This also means the tools can be held with a more relaxed grip, which is much easier on your hands.
The round stock is easy to rotate and more comfortable to hold, which reduces hand fatigue.
The tapered necks allow the user to see tool placement with greater accuracy
Because they are designed to be held near the neck for greater control, they fit any hand size even though they are shorter than other sets on the market. (The package insert teaches the correct way to hold them.)
There is a tool shape in the set to fit into almost any relief space or type.
These sets of tools have been replicated from Victoria’s own unique tools, specifically designed for the oldest type of repoussé.
Each set has been precision crafted on CNC machines from high carbon steel, hand finished, high polished, and heat treated to 50RC +/- to produce the necessary types of forging strikes in both shape and depth.
These are the same quality tools Victoria has been making available since 2009.
Victoria personally tests every single tool and makes any necessary adjustments by hand to ensure they are perfect
Victoria has worked with many tool manufactures in the past to produce her tools. Because the makers of Fretz Tools understand what perfect finishing is all about, having Fretz now produce her Eastern Repousse Tools means the quality remains excellent without her having to regrind them to perfection. This allows Victoria to keep them consistently in stock and available.
Whatever your repousse technique, style, height, or level of detail, these tools will do the job.
8 tools in the set are all you need – and all Victoria uses – to create exquisite works in any type of repousse or chasing.
There are 2 Line tools, 3 Push tools, and 3 Planishing tools in each set.
These can be used for the precise steps in the Eastern repousse process and for anywhere smooth, accurate tools are needed to create relief.
These tools can be used for all types of chasing and repousse and are the only kind that can be used for Eastern repousse.
Victoria, you are the Michael Bublé of teachers. If you’ve never seen him perform, it’s a real treat because he is so connected to his audience. When he’s on stage it’s all about the audience, not about him. His ego is nowhere to be found, and you teach the same way. You love what you do, and it comes through in your teaching. Thank you for that!
Geraldine Brophy, Metalsmith
Victoria Lansford
2021-02-05T17:26:47-05:00
Geraldine Brophy, Metalsmith
Victoria, you are the Michael Bublé of teachers. If you’ve never seen him perform, it’s a real treat because he is so connected to his audience. When he’s on stage it’s all about the audience, not about him. His ego is nowhere to be found, and you teach the same way. You love what you do, and it comes through in your teaching. Thank you for that!
Victoria’s online Eastern Repoussé was a fabulous experience. Her approach to teaching is well organized and techniques are thoroughly explained both live and with pre-recorded close up videos. Victoria gave us thoughtful critiques as we progressed and I really enjoyed watching the show and tell presentations of everyone’s work. I’d highly recommend this class and hopefully I will get a chance to take another one with her.
Linda Wade, metalsmith
Victoria Lansford
2021-11-12T18:05:03-05:00
Linda Wade, metalsmith
Victoria’s online Eastern Repoussé was a fabulous experience. Her approach to teaching is well organized and techniques are thoroughly explained both live and with pre-recorded close up videos. Victoria gave us thoughtful critiques as we progressed and I really enjoyed watching the show and tell presentations of everyone’s work. I’d highly recommend this class and hopefully I will get a chance to take another one with her.
I learned repousse' back in the 90's, but haven't done much since then. I took a Zoom class with Victoria and my love of this technique has been reignited! She is a fantastic teacher and her methods make it so much easier to achieve amazing dimension and detail than how I originally learned. It's a really satisfying way to work metal and Victoria's love of the technique really comes through in her teaching. She is very thorough and explains everything in a way that is very easy to understand.
featured image: Rabbit Moon talisman by Susan Urquhart of Lulubug Jewelry - begun in Victoria's class
Susan Urquhart of Lulubug Jewelry
Victoria Lansford
2021-07-15T19:08:11-04:00
Susan Urquhart of Lulubug Jewelry
I learned repousse' back in the 90's, but haven't done much since then. I took a Zoom class with Victoria and my love of this technique has been reignited! She is a fantastic teacher and her methods make it so much easier to achieve amazing dimension and detail than how I originally learned. It's a really satisfying way to work metal and Victoria's love of the technique really comes through in her teaching. She is very thorough and explains everything in a way that is very easy to understand. featured image: Rabbit Moon talisman by Susan Urquhart of Lulubug Jewelry - begun in Victoria's class
No painting, song, or sculpture had ever moved me like your art did. It's beyond beautiful, I cannot describe my feelings. Each piece is so organic, they look alive. Each one left me with different feelings, mostly: wonder, amazement, happiness, and curiosity. Some even a soft anger or loss. But each one left me emotionally rolled. You're work is....life changing. I've finally heard the thundering beacon of what I want for my future. And that is to someday be as an amazing of an artist as you.
I thank you so much for what you do.
Alexandria Reyes
Phoenix, AZ
Victoria Lansford
2017-11-06T18:30:18-05:00
Alexandria Reyes
Phoenix, AZ
No painting, song, or sculpture had ever moved me like your art did. It's beyond beautiful, I cannot describe my feelings. Each piece is so organic, they look alive. Each one left me with different feelings, mostly: wonder, amazement, happiness, and curiosity. Some even a soft anger or loss. But each one left me emotionally rolled. You're work is....life changing. I've finally heard the thundering beacon of what I want for my future. And that is to someday be as an amazing of an artist as you. I thank you so much for what you do.
“In Japan, Victoria would be considered a national treasure…”
Victoria teaches techniques used for millennia to create many of the great works of art one can see in museums. Though these techniques had fallen into disuse due to their labor intensive nature, Victoria has found many tricks that streamline and improve the processes, and she uses them to make strikingly contemporary pieces rooted in the ancient world.
One will never go into a hardware store with the same mind set again. Students are given a series of challenges and opportunities to grow their own inner voices and are encouraged to create works unique to them, at their levels of ability.
The number of places one can learn these skills in the US can be counted conveniently on one's thumbs. In Japan, Victoria would be considered a national treasure, and she would be funded to pass these skills on to the next generation.
Al Boyers, Metalsmith
Victoria Lansford
2017-11-06T18:06:31-05:00
Al Boyers, Metalsmith
Victoria teaches techniques used for millennia to create many of the great works of art one can see in museums. Though these techniques had fallen into disuse due to their labor intensive nature, Victoria has found many tricks that streamline and improve the processes, and she uses them to make strikingly contemporary pieces rooted in the ancient world. One will never go into a hardware store with the same mind set again. Students are given a series of challenges and opportunities to grow their own inner voices and are encouraged to create works unique to them, at their levels of ability. The number of places one can learn these skills in the US can be counted conveniently on one's thumbs. In Japan, Victoria would be considered a national treasure, and she would be funded to pass these skills on to the next generation.
“The quality of your production is really top class…”
The quality of your production is really top class, you should be rightly proud of such a fantastic project; That is just the production, which is, in my opinion head and shoulders above any other informative craft DVD I have ever seen.
The quality of your production is really top class, you should be rightly proud of such a fantastic project; That is just the production, which is, in my opinion head and shoulders above any other informative craft DVD I have ever seen.
In the process of repousse, the tips of your tools, their shapes and their finish are what get transferred to your metal. With every hammer blow to your tool, your metal beneath changes shape and texture. Victoria Lansford and Fretz Tools have teamed up to provide the very best Eastern Repousse Tools to move your metal wherever your ideas take you.
Never have to make another tool to “fit that shape” ever again…
From Victoria:I’ve taught the technique of Eastern repousse and chasing to hundreds of people, and while some people very much enjoy making the the tools, most people just want to jump in and explore the technique. There have always been other sets of tools commercially available, but I’ve never found any that didn’t require a great deal of re-grinding to make them usable. I’ve also found that half the tools in the sets are often redundant and unnecessary.
After years of searching for a better way, I had my own tools replicated so that people, who don’t wish to spend hours at a grinder, can jump into moving and shaping metal right away. Because the high quality round stock steel they are made from is smooth and easy to hold, I now use them exclusively to create all my repoussé and chasing artwork instead of my original tools.
Victoria has worked with many tool manufactures in the past to produce her tools. Because the makers of Fretz Tools understand what perfect finishing is all about, having Fretz now produce her Eastern Repousse Tools means the quality remains excellent without her having to regrind them to perfection. This allows Victoria to keep them consistently in stock and available.
