Durston Tools: Britain’s Jewellery Toolmaker

About Durston

If you’ve ever spent time at a jeweller’s bench — in a professional workshop, a jewellery school or a spare-room studio — chances are you’ve turned the handle of a Durston. This family-run British firm, founded in 1961 and based in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, is the world’s number one manufacturer of jewellery rolling mills, and its tools are sold in over 50 countries through a network of more than 250 dealers.

Durston began by making rolling mills alone, and that obsessive focus shows: its mills are famous for one-piece cast iron bodies, induction-hardened rolls and a build quality so robust that they’re routinely passed down from one generation of jewellers to the next. Today the range has grown far beyond mills to include disc cutters, dapping sets, ring stretchers, draw benches, workbenches, chairs, lighting and consumables — everything a maker needs to kit out a studio.

Recognition has followed, including a King’s Award for Enterprise in 2023. But ask jewellers why they buy Durston and you’ll hear the same words again and again: reliable, precise, built to last a lifetime. For anyone serious about making jewellery, Durston is the benchmark.

Top 5 Durston Products

1. Hobby 80 Rolling Mill

The perfect first mill. The Hobby 80 packs Durston’s legendary build quality into a compact, affordable 80mm machine that suits beginners, hobbyists and small studios alike. Despite its size, it delivers the same precision rolling of sheet and wire that made Durston’s name, with hardened rolls and smooth, easy operation. If you’re moving beyond hand-forming and want to roll your own stock, this is the classic starting point. View the Hobby 80 at Durston

2. Agile C110 Rolling Mill

One of Durston’s best-selling mills, the Agile C110 hits the sweet spot between price and professional performance. Its lighter frame makes it ideal for home studios, while rolls induction-hardened to 64 RC, self-lubricating maintenance-free bearings and a heavy-duty 4:1 gearbox make every pass effortless. A combination mill, it handles both sheet and wire — a genuine do-everything workhorse for the serious maker. View the Agile C110 at Durston

3. DRM C150RE Rolling Mill

The top of the range for professionals. The DRM C150RE features extra-wide 150mm rolls for larger sheet work, 11 wire grooves, four half-round side extensions and Durston’s smooth 5:1 reduction gearbox. Cast from a single piece of iron for maximum rigidity, it’s the mill you’ll find at the heart of manufacturing workshops — built to run for decades under daily use. View the DRM C150RE at Durston

4. Deluxe Disc Cutter Set (3–32mm)

A best-selling forming tool, this ten-size disc cutter punches perfectly clean circles from 3mm to 32mm out of sheet metal — essential for earrings, pendants, domed elements and layered designs. Precision-machined hardened cutters give crisp edges with minimal cleanup, and the solid construction means it shrugs off years of hammer blows. One of those tools makers describe as a genuine bargain for the quality. View the Deluxe Disc Cutter Set at Durston

5. Ring Stretcher / Reducer / Bender

A three-in-one machine that every ring maker and repair bench covets. It stretches rings up in size, compresses them down and bends shanks with controlled, even pressure — turning fiddly resizing jobs into quick, repeatable work. Built with Durston’s trademark cast solidity, it’s a staple in repair workshops and a smart investment for anyone offering ring sizing services or making wedding bands regularly. View the Ring Stretcher / Reducer / Bender at Durston