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The Finishing Touch
(An explanation of what it takes to properly repair metalware)

Repairing is a combination of art, craft, science, skill, experience, intuition and luck.  There is no telling which
combination will be needed with any given repair, which will be needed most and which not at all.  Every repair is
totally unique; a one-of-a-kind operation.

When your piece was first created, the manufacturer established procedures that were as efficient, cost effective and
fast as possible, depending on how many they intended to produce.  A repair usually requires different methods and
possibly different materials to achieve the desired result -- none of which are usually efficient, cost effective or fast.
Actually, a repair is a re-creation.  All of the elements that originally went into making the piece must be considered,
along with what should be done to re-make the piece as close to original as possible.  There is no way to predict exactly
how a piece will respond to "treatment."  Because of this, work must proceed cautiously to account for the unexpected.

Our primary goal is high quality workmanship.   We are motivated by the desire to see quality metalware used and
 enjoyed.  Rather than buying a product, you are paying for a process that is the end result of years of study, practice,
concentration, acquisition of tools and dedicated work space. You are also paying for the time it takes to make that process work. 

In estimating how long it will take to repair your piece, we try to evaluate how the pieces ahead of yours are
progressing.  To be fair, we should work on them first.  If they take longer than expected, yours will too.
And, like other humans, repairers are subject to emergencies, illness, accidents and similar problems that can't be
predicted.  These all affect productivity and time, which, all things considered, is the finishing touch that makes it
all possible.