It is in the brushing-and-polishing workshop that metal comes into its own. Like someone developing a photograph, the brusher removes the skin from a piece of metal. His hands mould the metal. With subtle movements he creates furrows that retain the marks of their encounter.

To do this, the piece of metal is carefully placed on a strip of rotating emery paper. The fineness of the grain gradually creates the brushing wire, a consistent direction, a matt look, a soft feel. The way it is handled is very complex. The brusher has to have a very developed sense of touch. He must feel a sort of balance in his fingers if he is to obtain the result he is looking for, a precarious balance that depends on a single thread, the thread of the metal that is known as brushed.