Silversmithing in Sheffield

My 4-Week Training Scholarship with The South House Silver Workshop Trust

I’m absolutely thrilled to share one of the most transformative experiences of my career—my recent four-week training scholarship with The South House Silver Workshop Trust. This incredible opportunity not only sharpened my technical skills but also deepened my appreciation for the living traditions of British silversmithing.

For those who may not know, The South House Silver Workshop Trust is an exceptional organisation dedicated to preserving and advancing the art of silversmithing. Established to ensure that specialist knowledge and traditional techniques are passed on to future generations, the Trust offers training, scholarships, and mentorships for experienced silversmiths seeking to further develop their craft. The Trust’s residential scholarships are designed to accelerate the professional growth of talented silversmiths. Each scholarship lasts either one or two months, providing an intensive, hands-on learning experience in Shetland or Sheffield under the guidance of master silversmiths Rod Kelly, Brett Payne, and Chris Perry. Scholarships cover tuition, travel, accommodation, and a subsistence bursary, with each one-month placement valued at £5,250.

What makes their work so important is that silversmithing is a craft at risk—complex, time-intensive, and demanding a level of skill that can only be developed through hands-on training with experienced masters. By creating pathways for makers to learn directly from established silversmiths, South House Silver not only protects these traditions but also breathes new life into them, ensuring they remain relevant and vibrant in today’s creative industries.

Weeks 1 & 2: Hot Forging Mastery in Sheffield

My journey began in Sheffield, the historic heart of British metalworking. For two intensive weeks, I trained under the expert guidance of Brett Payne, a silversmith whose knowledge of hot forging is unparalleled.

Hot forging is not just a technical process; it’s a dialogue between the maker and the material. Each hammer strike must be precise, each heating cycle perfectly judged. Under Brett’s mentorship, I began to understand the subtle cues that silver offers—when it’s ready to move, when it needs rest, and how to coax it into the desired form.

The highlight of my time in Sheffield was an ambitious project: forging an entire set of cutlery from a single sterling silver billet. Standing at the forge, hammer in hand, shaping glowing metal into functional, beautiful forms was nothing short of magical. There was a sense of connection to centuries of tradition, as though every strike of the hammer carried with it echoes of generations past.

Of course, tradition didn’t warn me about the heatwave that rolled in during my training. Picture this: a blazing forge, 2kg hammer blows, and the sun outside determined to roast us alive. Who needs a gym membership when you’re hammering silver in sauna conditions? By the end of each day, I felt like I’d signed up for some extreme fitness bootcamp—Hot Forging: The Sweat Edition. Exhausting? Yes. But it was definitely worth it!

Short Video summarising 2 weeks with Brett Payne

Weeks 3 & 4: Advanced Techniques with Christopher Perry

The second half of the scholarship took me into new territory, working alongside the renowned silversmith Christopher Perry. These two weeks pushed my skills even further, introducing me to advanced techniques that demand both patience and precision.

One unforgettable moment was soldering my forged silver handle to a Sheffield steel knife blade. This marriage of metals required perfect alignment, steady hands, and a clear understanding of how silver and steel behave when joined. Watching the two components fuse into one seamless, functional piece was deeply satisfying.

Christopher also introduced me to the art of professional buffing. On the surface it might sound straightforward—polishing until it shines—but in reality, it’s equal parts skill, courage, and mess. Imagine standing at a powerful motor with a piece you’ve spent weeks crafting, gripping it just right, and praying the “snatcher machine” doesn’t snatch it out of your hands and fling it across the workshop! Once you get over that initial fear, though, it’s messy but so much fun—and the results are astonishing. Learning to polish large silverware with confidence is a game-changer for my practice.

Perhaps the most challenging yet rewarding task was mastering the engineer’s lathe. My project was to create a precision screw-top fitting for a handmade hip flask. Unlike forging, which is organic and fluid, lathe work is all about millimetric accuracy. Achieving threads that fit perfectly, ensuring smooth mechanics, and balancing form with function pushed me into the realm where silversmithing meets engineering.

I went into this training with a clear sense of purpose: I wanted to build on my forging skills, gain confidence in polishing large-scale silverware, and learn how to utilise the lathe to make components like my flask’s screw top. To walk away having achieved all of these goals—and more—felt incredibly empowering.

Short Video Summarising 2 weeks with Chris Perry

From Raw Material to Finished Masterpiece

What makes this scholarship truly special is that I didn’t just walk away with new skills—I walked away with tangible pieces that represent the journey. I created both a complete set of forged cutlery and a hip flask, each made entirely from scratch.

Starting with sheets and bars of sterling silver, I used traditional hot forging techniques to transform billets into knives, forks, and spoons—functional pieces that connect directly to centuries of silversmithing heritage.

The hip flask was an even bigger challenge. To make it, I first created a specialist tool and then used a massive fly press to press the silver into its form. From there, I combined precision lathe work with meticulous buffing to bring the piece to life.

Both the cutlery and the flask have now been hallmarked at the Sheffield Assay Office—a mark of authenticity and quality that ties my work back to the very heart of Britain’s silversmithing tradition.

These pieces are far more than objects. They are testaments to four weeks of growth, discipline, and discovery. Together, they embody the full spectrum of silversmithing: tradition, innovation, and the maker’s personal voice.

Gratitude and Acknowledgments

This journey would not have been possible without the support of several key contributors:

• Argex Silver, whose bullion loan allowed me to work freely to my designs.

• The South House Silver Workshop Trust, whose commitment to supporting emerging silversmiths through scholarships keeps this vital tradition alive.

• The South House Sponsors for their generous donations: The Goldsmiths’ Foundation, The Clothworkers’ Company, The Goldsmiths’ Centre, The Radcliffe Trust, The South House Silver Workshop Trust, The South Square Trust, The Saunders Family, Argex Ltd and other donors who prefer to remain anonymous

• My mentors, Brett Payne and Christopher Perry, whose generosity, patience, and mastery opened doors I couldn’t have reached alone.

  
  

The Impact on My Practice

This scholarship has fundamentally reshaped my practice.

• Forging techniques have expanded the design language I can bring to custom commissions.

• Precision engineering skills will enable me to integrate complex mechanical elements into future work.

• Advanced finishing methods have raised the standard of quality I now hold myself to.

But perhaps most importantly, I’ve gained a renewed sense of connection to the long lineage of British silversmiths. Standing in Sheffield’s workshops, using tools and trade techniques that have been passed down for centuries, I was reminded that silversmithing is not just about making—it’s about belonging to a living tradition.

Looking Forward

This scholarship has been more than just a period of training—it has given me the time and space to dedicate fully to developing my silversmithing practice. My journey in silver really began to take shape in 2019, following my work in jewellery. What drew me to silversmithing was the freedom it offers for design: the interplay of form and function, the space to explore decoration, and the challenge of creating objects that are both beautiful and practical.

I’ve also loved revisiting ancient silverware objects, studying not just what they were used for, but also what eventually replaced them. There’s something magical about understanding the evolution of everyday objects, and then applying that insight to modern work.

📸 The finished pieces.

The pieces I created during these four weeks—the forged cutlery, the hip flask—carry a special meaning. They are not just objects, but markers of growth, perseverance, and gratitude.

I feel incredibly fortunate to have been selected for this scholarship, and I’m excited to see how the lessons I’ve learned will continue to shape my work for years to come.

Thanks to My Clients

I also want to extend a very special thank you to my clients. Running a creative business single-handedly is both rewarding and challenging, and being away for four weeks was no small undertaking. Your patience, encouragement, and understanding while I took this time to develop my practice meant the world to me.

This scholarship was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—one I simply couldn’t pass up—and I’m incredibly grateful that my clients supported me in taking it. Knowing that you trusted me to pause, learn, and come back stronger has made this journey all the more meaningful.

Sharing the Knowledge

I’m particularly excited to pass these techniques on to my students at The Creative Coach House. Many of the methods I learned are rarely taught outside professional apprenticeships, and I can’t wait to weave them into my own workshops. Keeping these traditions alive depends on sharing them with new generations of makers.

I hope you have enjoyed this blog post! There is more to come after ... all 2025 is my year of development!