ABOUT OUR COMPANY

Fuel Your Craft is run by me, Damian Miles, with the help of my family. I am a gold and silversmith based in Okehampton, Devon, UK. As well as working in precious metals I've worked in wood, leather, horn and bone as well as a large variety of other metals.
Fuel Your Craft was set up in 2015 with the simple mission of helping people to find the craft supplies they needed. I was often asked to make bits and pieces for jewellers starting out as I have a well equipped workshop and can produce many things. Customising or making my own tools is second nature to me as often a shop bought version isn't quite right. I strongly believe that any maker needs to have tools and supplies that support their creative needs. When I make tools of my own for daily use, I try to make them interesting or "pretty" as I think it contributes to the creative process. 

 

The first product I produced was precious metal discs (which I still make now). This was firstly as a result of buying a disc cutting set as I couldn’t buy the sizes I needed. Decent disc cutters cost plenty of money and I soon realised I was in the fortunate position of being able to buy one. So why not help others out by offering punch cut discs? Alongside these I made some soldered jump rings for the simple reason that many beaders didn’t have soldering equipment. I was asked if I could make other things and often did. From there I added other findings and bits and pieces to my range. Later I added some Pearl and Bead Silks that I had used for many years as it was only fair to share what I think are the best products on the market. Other tools and equipment followed covering many disciplines.

I started selling these items exclusively via various online marketplaces, but as costs and the expectations of these marketplaces increased (such as paying compulsory marketing fees), it was becoming more difficult to give you what you need at as reasonable a price as I could offer.

I do not make or stock any product that I have not personally used. It's only when you start using a tool or supply that you can truly work out if it's any good or could be improved. The first tool I made was an awl and the reason I made it is because I didn't like the uncomfortable handles and cheap nature of the majority of products available and couldn’t afford the one I really wanted. I’ve always been a problem solver and many of the tools in my workshop are custom made or modified. Making something should be a pleasure and the right tools and equipment can help with that. 

All of this I try to do in the most ethical way I can with as minimal an impact on the environment as possible. All of the gold and silver I use is 100% recycled, The woods used are generally from salvage and many other items are repurposed or recycled. Yes, you will find animal products and plastics, but there are specific reasons for these pieces and if you're not comfortable with them, don't buy them. Many products that were originally made in horn were then made in plastic, then as plastics became recognised as an issue, horn started to come back. I have always maintained that horn hammers for jewellery are one of the best things to use.

If there is a tool or supply you are having trouble finding, please get in touch as I'm always looking for new ideas.

Best wishes,

Damian