Written at the bench

Notes from the workshop

Six pieces on how the tools here are chosen, read and used. Written by the people who grind them, for the moment when the catalogue alone does not settle the question.

Reading a catalogue numberWhat the parts of a Bergeon reference number mean, why the number is how a tool is asked for, how a suffix…

Choosing a blade widthWhy a screwdriver is chosen by the width of its blade rather than by its name, what happens to a screw head…

Changing a strap at the lugsThe order of work when a strap or bracelet comes off: which end of the spring bar tool does what, the…

Opening a stubborn case backSnap backs against screw backs against monobloc cases, how a case key and its dies engage a fluted rim, why…

Oilers, cups and how much goes onWhy oilers come in graded sizes, what an oil cup with a lid is for, why the oil is picked up from the cup and…

Keeping the bench cleanCleaning putty and what it lifts, why solvents are kept away from some surfaces, the point of a bench mat and…