UNMOUNTED STEEL HARDIE
The hardie, mounted into a log, is one half of the cutting equipment used by classical mosaicists; it is used in conjunction with a special hammer. Particularly good for marble and other stone, also excellent for smalti. If you haven't used a hammer or hardie before, the combo may need a bit of explanation - see the note below.
Our hammers and hardies all come from Giacomello SNC. Founded in 1911 in Spilimbergo, northern Italy (mosaic capital of the world), the firm is now run by the fourth generation of the Giacomello family and is renowned for its quality tools.
This hardie comes as you see in the photos; you need to set it into a log before you can use it. You can see how it's done in this video from Chicago School of Mosaic. The log should be seasoned hardwood - beech and hornbeam are good - oak may be too hard if it has dried out too much. Get the height right, depending on whether you intend to work standing or sitting.
About the hammer/hardie combination The hardie is made of solid steel and is shaped like a large chisel head. Traditionally it is mounted, blade upwards, in an up-ended log, but many mosaicists today find it more convenient to use hardie set into a small steel base and used on a tabletop. The material to be cut is held, gently-balanced, on the hardie top, and the hammer is brought down in a slicing action; the material is neatly fractured between the top of the hardie and the contact point of the hammer. Once you've got a bit of experience, using a hammer and hardie is a very efficient - and satisfying - way of cutting quantities of stone and other materials. You can watch this video from the Chicago Mosaic School, which has tips on how to hold the hammer and how to set your hardie in a log. It also discusses sharpening your hammer and hardie using an electric grinder. Our hammers have x2 tungsten carbide tips, so sharpening shouldn't be necessary for years. If you do want to sharpen your hammer or hardie, our recommendation is that you get help from an experienced metalworker; this is not something to do at home as you can certainly do more harm than good if you hold the tools at the wrong angle against the grinder.
Mounted hardie photo: Wikimedia/taken during a workshop at the Touchstone arts Center in Wharton Furnace, Pennsylvania
