Steel Bench Block

A steel bench block is one of those tools that quietly sits on your bench and gets used constantly. You need a hard, flat surface to work against for hammering, stamping, flattening, riveting, and chasing, and a good bench block provides exactly that. Working on a soft surface like timber absorbs the force of your strikes and produces uneven results. Working on steel gives your hammer blows somewhere solid to land.

This one is made from tool steel, ground flat, polished, and case hardened. The polished surface matters because any texture or roughness on the block can transfer to your metal when you're hammering. You want the face to be smooth and consistent.

At 63.5mm x 63.5mm x 19mm it's a practical size for jewellery work, solid enough to stay put under repeated strikes without being unwieldy on the bench.

If you work in a space where noise is a concern, the version with a rubber base is worth considering. The rubber absorbs some of the sound and vibration from hammering and prevents the block from sliding around.

Worth knowing:

• Tool steel, ground flat, polished, and case hardened
• Smooth face won't transfer texture to metal
• 63.5mm x 63.5mm x 19mm
• Also available as the Steel Bench Block with Rubber Base if noise reduction matters
• Also included in the Premium Jewellery Tool Starter Kit