Sinking

• Also known as dishing, this technique is used to hammer silver in such a way that it is stretched into a larger, thinner shape. The silver is set on either a piece of wood--like a tree stump--or a sandbag and is hammered on the side that will be the finished piece's inside. If the sinking method is used too much, the piece becomes too thin to be workable. Two types of sinking exist: shallow sinking and normal sinking.
  
  

Chasing

• Silversmiths use the chasing technique to add detail to their work. They hammer the backs of certain kinds of punches to create designs on the surface of the silver.
  
  

Truing

• Truing is the technique used to even the sides of a piece. The piece is set either on a metal stake or on a flat surface and is then hammered with a rawhide mallet. Stakes are used for pieces that are too tall to be workable on a flat surface.
  
  

Raising

• Raising is a technique performed with a raising hammer. The piece is first set on a stake. Then it is hammered in such a way that the metal is made compressed. There are two types of raising, which are raising without crimps and raising with crimps. With the raising with crimps technique a silversmith shapes valleys that start at the center of the piece, then uses the raising technique.
  
  

Planishing

• Done with a planishing hammer, the planishing is a technique that silversmiths may use for different situations. The planishing technique is used to create a smoother surface finish on an already smooth piece of silver and it is also used to get rid of pre-existing hammer marks on a piece.