Basic Tool Kit - Dictum Search Codes

Holguín Luthier
Sep 8
2 min read

When we begin to build a violin, we realize, to our surprise, that we will need a lot of tools, which entails a significant expense, even for the wealthiest.

In the construction, adjustment and repair of the violin we will use countless tools, some even for a specific process.

The tools that are essential in our workshop are files of various shapes and sizes, planes, chisels, gouges, clamps, saws, measuring rulers, set squares, calipers, gauges, and other tools. Most of these can be found in specialty stores, but others will have to be ordered from foreign distributors via catalogs, unless you want to manufacture them in-house, which will be quite difficult if you lack the experience.

A frequently visited store is Dictum, a German distributor of tools for a myriad of uses in manual labor. It has a vast catalog that serves as a reference point for understanding the characteristics of the suggested tool. Ordering from Dictum is a serious matter, as the prices are quite high, coupled with the taxes and customs duties that any import entails. It's important to clarify that the website is not the exclusive distributor of the brands mentioned, nor does this article promote their mandatory purchase; they are simply search references.

I will then list a suggestion of some tools that I have used on the recommendation of the Querétaro Luthier School, which I consider essential when starting out in violin making. I will provide the search codes to easily find them at the link www.dictum.com.

Glardon/Vallorbe Files

Flat file grit 0 705007

Lima almond grain 0 705033

Half-round file, grit 0, 705026

KING Sharpening Stones

Stone grit 800 711001

Stone grit 6000 711003

Measuring rules

Semi-rigid ruler 30cm matte 707255

Semi-rigid ruler 60cm matte 707256

Flexible ruler 15cm 707263

Ultra flexible ruler 30cm 707271