clivetage

10:40 Dec 18, 2010 

No, haven't heard back from the client yet. Thank you for all of your v. useful input. If I do get a satisfactory response, I will post it. Thx again!

09:20 Dec 18, 2010 

I suspect that unlike the French "cliver", which is derived from the English cleave meaning split, "clivetage" is derived from the other meaning of cleave: adhere (as in cleavers, a country name for the velcro-like goose-grass). I still favour the idea of the fusion of two metal sheets, as opposed to electroplating. Do you have any more from your client yet on this? I'd be very interested to know what this technique turns out to be.

14:07 Dec 17, 2010 

The "clivetage" technique (assuming this isn't a typo for something else, though nothing obvious leaps to mind) would be more likely to refer to the silver plating technique than the engraving. It's a bit of a long shot, but it could be a technique of fusing the silver layer onto the base metal using heat and pressure, similar to Old Sheffield Plate, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheffield_Plate <p>As I can't find any reference anywhere to pull the English and French together, it could be nothing of the sort. I'd advise you to ask the client for clarification, as it seems to be a very obscure term. <p>- Or am I missing something?

10:07 Dec 17, 2010 

I've found two uses of the word, both meaning "key" in English: one is the keying together of concrete blocks to form a dry wall: http://www.hellopro.fr/mur-de-soutien-par-empilage-darmur-20... , the other is the key mechanism on a flute: http://fluteirlandaise.space-forums.com/mon-dernier-travail-... . I've yet to be able to relate this to any silversmithing technique. If I have a moment later, I'll have another think.