BURNISHERS

Here is a question for the reader. Would you saddle a Zebra for a horse race? Of course not!. Then why use a furniture burnisher for raised gilding. You should not, but its certainly recommended. That of course is one of the problems. Not the most important, but you need the right tools in order to do the job properly.

Historically, burnishers were made from semi precious stones. Most notably Agate and a soft stone called Hematite. These were used as flat stones that were held by hand and not anchored by wood or any other form of holder. Some Hematite were double sided solid pieces of stones. One side rounded and the other providing a blunt point. These stones were prized. The more use that they provided , the better the burnisher became. These were truly a major part and highly protected tool of the gilders trade.

Once the stones became commercialized in the gilding market, they were fixtured in beautiful Ivory and wooden handles. More ornamental than functional.The size of the stone was also diminished considerably. Basically a small stone with a big handle. As of todays writing, most if not all of the burnishers with the exception of the Hematite are used for flat gilding residing within the furniture , and moulding world of gilding.

Calligraphers are also using what is available on the market which is a small hooked beak stone made of Agate on a 6 inch handle .These stones are called hounds tooth. Also available are 2 other stones made from Hematite and Psilomelanite in a lipstick shape embedded in a 4 inch wooden handle.

Burnishers were also made from teeth. These were prepared from the tooth of a carnivore. Usually Wolf. These were placed and glued in handles for use. But never achieved the stature of a fine semi precious stone that gilders protected.

When we speak of burnishers within the calligraphic world of raised gilding, people who dabble in their attempt to burnish, really do not realize that 2 burnishers are required. This information never comes up in books. In most cases are ignored because even the authors who write these books or sections devoted to raised gilding, do not realize the importance of using these tools correctly in the application process of raised gilding.

The photo below shows what should be a Hematite burnisher, in fact

it is not. It was sold as a Hematite and is actually a Psilomelanite stone. True Hematites are considered HOT burnishers. They are used exclusively for burnishing AFTER the Gold has been applied. Most of the burnishers that I tested came up negative and were NOT Hematite. It turns out that these stones were called Psilomelanite.

Its bad enough to use a furniture burnisher for raised gilding. It just adds insult to injury that most of the Hematites that have been sold in the US are fake. Even the distributors were unaware of this. The importers certainly knew. Many were and probably are continuously being sold for high prices as Hematites when in fact they are not! Retailing for as much as $ 100.00 each. Here is an easy way to detect the fraud.

Using an off white fine or superfine sand paper, place a drop of water on the surface. Gently rub the face of the Hematite on the water making slight contact with the sand paper. If the water turns Reddish , its real. If it turns Black, its a fake. Hematite is an Iron ore, and it has been called The Blood Stone because it sweats a rustic red color . That is exactly what it produces a rustic oxide. Harmless but reddish nevertheless. Certainly not black. See the photo below.