Training Tales: Robert Walker on Brilliant Cutting with David A Smith
26th May 2022
A QEST Winch Design Scholarship enabled Robert Walker, owner and founder of Signs by Umberto, to learn the art of brilliant cutting and chemical silver mirroring with David A Smith MBE. Here Robert recounts the experience:
I began the journey for my training in West Yorkshire, where my studio is based, and Iheaded down to Torquay via Fortnum and Mason in London, to drop off work to be shown in their exhibition, The Art of the Exceptional: A Jubilee Celebration of Makers. An early and tiring start to the day was soon forgotten when I held glass over the wheel for the first time, fulfilling my dream and lifelong quest to learn brilliant cutting.
Brilliant cutting is a form of decoration on glass made by a stone wheel with which various types of cuts may be achieved, which are subsequently smoothed and polished. Combined with the endangered technique of water gilding, glass can be transformed into highly decorative works of art which are pinned to our heritage.
David Smith is a master of brilliant cutting and it was a true honour to learn from him. I first visited David back in 2017 to learn water gilding, which I have since integrated into my studio practice, and which is now at the forefront of my studio output.
Brilliant cutting is a craft practiced by so few that it has been declared critically endangered by the Heritage Craft Association.
Hours are poured into achieving the cuts, and the process begins with a design on the glass. The correct wheel must be chosen to match the desired cut, such as a straight edge cut or a punty cut [a round deep concave circle].
The craft then consists of holding the glass over the stone wheel and moving it in the desired direction without slipping. A physical and mentally exhausting process that gives the most rewarding outcomes.
I feel a sense of fulfilment in my life when I work with my hands. All of my studio output is by hand. I have a deep sense of respect for materials that will not give in easily, such as water gilding. I soon discovered it is no different with brilliant cutting. The stone wheels are extremely rare – they are made of stone and therefore fragile. Glass has to be brought to the moving wheel cautiously, to ensure it does not break. In addition, the glass needs to stay where you want it – on a moving wheel – in order for the cut to be accurate and successful.
The next stage is the polishing of the cut. The stone wheel is replaced with a polishing wheel made of MDF, before finishing with a felt wheel. All of the wheels are ‘dressed’ by hand to keep the quality of the cut and polish to the best it can be.
Since the training, I have purchased a series of wheels along with a hoist for holding large pieces of glass over a wheel. Some of my wheels date back to the late 1800s and acquiring these pieces of equipment adds to my lifelong dedication to this wonderful craft, as well as my desire to leave my own legacy to inspire others who may wish to follow this path.
My path with brilliant cutting glass has only just begun and thanks to QEST the protection and longevity of this rare craft has been firmly cemented into my future, along with that of my family and my clients.
