hand planishing (smoothing the rough lumpy)
 

Rough lumpy metal, bashed and beat on.
Brass. Old. Valuable.
Basic hand tools: small hammer, Marlin spike (12in), deep reach hammer
Good lighting.
Comfortable working position.

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Sometimes you never know what is under the lumps and bashing, nicks and gouges....
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:):):)
1800's French "bowl mfr" was hammered in "courses" - marked lines circumferential, starting heaviest hammering at outer edge and proceeding lighter towards Center.
Cool stuff to find when carefully planishing.
(Very particular customer and collection.)

Yes,
You are my source for metal working files.
Also most of my Martin hammers and dollies:D

Files
 

Not trying to get off topic here, but I was having a problem with the new Diamond brand files I purchased locally. I discovered that when I put a flat edge across the file, it was cupped (concave) in the the middle. I took my straight edge to Ace Hardware, and all the files had the same issue.

I was speaking to Boggs Tools about sharpening some of my vixen files and mentioned my issue. He said it wasn't uncommon with todays files.

Pferd files are still flat. Kent may know of others but those are the best new files there are.

https://www.pferd.com/int-en/product...ar-body-files/

Harry Boggs will re-sharp -
... and some files can be saved .... but not concave ones ... that "slipped" through copious inspection. :rolleyes:
(Be sure to label and clearly inventory your curved tooth files that go out for sharpening ... somehow, some can go missing when not clearly inventoried on the "sharpen request."

"Diamond" that we used to know - may now indeed be sourced from far distant villagers.
(thinking of the rural Taiwan chicken farm that was packaging up US Airline eating utensils in their home kitchen. circa 1975.)