Nechamkin 16 Piece Starter Chasing Tool Set #2

The Nechamkin Starter Chasing Tool Set #2 is a carefully curated selection of 16 tools drawn from the full 25-piece Nechamkin core set — designed specifically for aspiring chasers who want a meaningful range of capability without committing to the complete collection. This grouping covers a medium range of chasing motifs and includes two matting texture tools for surface variety. To extend your toolkit further, pair this set with the 9-piece Basic Set #1 to round out the foundational tools needed as your skills advance.

Nechamkin Starter Sets offer an accessible entry point into professional-grade chasing at a competitive price — made up of what are widely regarded as the best ready-to-use chasing tools available today. In fact, a commercially available set of this caliber and design intent had not been offered through distributors since the mid-19th century. Designer and maker Liza Nechamkin spent years developing this line, drawing direct inspiration from her personal antique collection of over 2,000 individual chasing and repousse tools once belonging to generations of chasers at Tiffany & Co. and Gorham. The result is a toolkit rooted in historic craft tradition and refined for the modern bench.

Every Nechamkin chasing tool is formed from W1 tool steel with tips heat treated in a controlled environment for consistent Rockwell hardness. The 4.25" (108 mm) shanks are square — not round — for precision and control, with chamfered corners and a satin finish for comfort during extended use. Long, balanced tapers provide excellent sightlines to the working face. All tool faces are precisely shaped and polished to travel smoothly across metalwork, and each tool is individually numbered for easy identification. As Liza Nechamkin states: "I personally final polish and inspect each one. A substandard tool will never leave my workbench."

Features

• 16-tool selection drawn from the full Nechamkin 25-piece core set
• Covers a medium range of chasing motifs including two matting texture tools
• Compatible with the 9-piece Basic Set #1 to complete the core collection
• W1 tool steel construction with heat-treated, hardened tips
• Square shanks with chamfered corners and satin finish for comfort and control
• Long, balanced tapers for clear sight lines to the working face
• All faces precisely shaped, polished, and numbered for identification
• Suited to Western-style jewelry and silver chasing in the tradition of Tiffany & Co., Gorham, Kirk Steiff, and Georg Jensen

Specifications

What's Included

• A1 – Small Length Straight Liners/Tracer
• A2 – Large Length Straight Liners/Tracer
• B1 – Small Length Curved Liners/Tracer
• B4 – Large Length Curved Liners/Tracer
• C1 – Small Rectangle Planisher
• C3 – Intermediate Rectangle Planisher
• E2 – Small Oval Planisher
• E3 – Large Oval Planisher
• F1 – Medium Teardrop Planisher
• G1 – Intermediate Triangle Planisher
• H2 – Large Oval Embosser
• H3 – Small Oval Embosser
• I1 – Intermediate Rectangle Embosser
• J1 – Intermediate Square Embosser
• K1 – Raised Points Rectangle Matting Texture
• K2 – Honeycomb Almond Matting Texture

Notes

Care and Maintenance — Always wear eye protection when using these tools.

• Regularly file or grind off any mushrooming at the striking end to prevent injury from hammer blows.
• A lacquer coat applied during storage will wear with use; keep tools clean, dry, and stored in their container when not in use.
• For extended storage, apply a light coat of machine oil to inhibit rust.
• Remove minor shank rust with steel wool, fine sandpaper, or a coarse synthetic scrubby pad.
• Maintain polish on working faces with green rouge or steel polish on a small soft buff — do not over-polish, as delicate tools may be reduced to stumps by careless polishing.
• Alternate polishing method: Apply a small amount of linseed oil and green rouge to a piece of flannel laid flat on a work surface, then rub the tool face vigorously across it.

Tool Modification: Modifying these tools voids their warranty and should only be attempted by experienced metalsmiths. For slight reshaping of tool faces, use a 3M light deburring wheel or medium-grit emery paper, then a compressed felt buff with steel polish. Do not allow the tool to overheat, as this will compromise the temper.

These tools are best suited to Western-style jewelry and silver chasing — low to moderately high relief work outlined from the front, subsequently embossed with repousse, then final chased and modeled, in the tradition of 19th- and early 20th-century work by Tiffany & Co., Gorham, Kirk Steiff, and Georg Jensen. The embossers in this set can also achieve a respectable degree of high relief repoussage.

California Prop 65 Warning:
Cancer and Reproductive Harm. www.P65warnings.ca.gov.