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Kev Williams
05-11-2016, 6:00 PM
After being in this business for over 40 years, I've had several projects that were done for famous people or places.

Now, I've never had like Paul Newman show up at my door or anything like that, it's usually 3rd party jobs. The closest I've had to an actual celebrity wanting engraving done was when a member of the US Olympics Committee showed up with the old box that holds the Winter Olympics flag that the Mayor of the hosting city flies during the games; in the lid of the box is a nameplate from each hosting city from 1960. I got to make the 2002 Salt Lake City plate. I also engraved cowbells for all the US figure skaters, and I engraved 75 cowbells that were used as the stock market opening bells from the State Capital building one day during the Olympics.

I've also engraved a cowbell for Oprah, a belt buckle for the president of Mexico, and the dog tag for the 2004 replacement "Benji", the dog in the Benji movies. (I was given the original to make a duplicate).

--and last week, Tony Bennett bought 2 microphones, that I engrave the part and serial numbers on. I'm told they'll be used in an upcoming movie... :)

I must admit, it's cool! ;) - Just curious if any of you guys or gals have done 'celebrity' work? Ever have an actual famous person approach you for a job?

Clark Pace
05-11-2016, 6:08 PM
After being in this business for over 40 years, I've had several projects that were done for famous people or places.

Now, I've never had like Paul Newman show up at my door or anything like that, it's usually 3rd party jobs. The closest I've had to an actual celebrity wanting engraving done was when a member of the US Olympics Committee showed up with the old box that holds the Winter Olympics flag that the Mayor of the hosting city flies during the games; in the lid of the box is a nameplate from each hosting city from 1960. I got to make the 2002 Salt Lake City plate. I also engraved cowbells for all the US figure skaters, and I engraved 75 cowbells that were used as the stock market opening bells from the State Capital building one day during the Olympics.

I've also engraved a cowbell for Oprah, a belt buckle for the president of Mexico, and the dog tag for the 2004 replacement "Benji", the dog in the Benji movies. (I was given the original to make a duplicate).

--and last week, Tony Bennett bought 2 microphones, that I engrave the part and serial numbers on. I'm told they'll be used in an upcoming movie... :)

I must admit, it's cool! ;) - Just curious if any of you guys or gals have done 'celebrity' work? Ever have an actual famous person approach you for a job?


Yes but it has been many years. I product I used to make for computers. A glowing mouse pad, back in the early 2000 ended up on a tech tv show. Soon after everyone was making them. But it was still fun to see it on TV

David Somers
05-11-2016, 6:17 PM
Not me Kev!!!

But I am anxiously hunting for footage of those Olympic Figure skaters doing Triple "Cow"tows with their Cowbells on!!!

They gave you the original Benji to make a duplicate? How cool is that!!!!

<teasing grin>

Stan Clewett
05-11-2016, 7:24 PM
I use to restore and sell vintage ham radio equipment. Joe Walsh (The Eagles of Hotel California fame) has bought a few items from me over the years.

And my best friend is a famous old school rapper (late 80's early 90's era) and has gotten a lot of radio equipment items from me and through him I have sold other items I make to other famous musicians.

Joe Pelonio
05-11-2016, 7:27 PM
I did a piece for "Dog the Bounty Hunter" which appeared on the show a few times, but that was about 8-9 years ago. I did engraving work that went into Bill Gates' home (alarm panels, had to destroy the files after) a sign for Gary Payton's house (NBA) and a banner for Ken Griffey Sr. I have also done several banners for various politicians running for national office campaigning here, who will go unnamed to avoid any possible political comments (It's business, I don't discriminate against any party).

Gary Hair
05-11-2016, 7:34 PM
I've done a few things that ended up in "celeb" hands but only one that I actually gave to the celeb. Nathan Fillian was in town to see Arcimoto, an electric car he sort of invested in. I engraved a pocket knife for him and talked to him a bit about Castle and Firefly. Neve Campbell has some glasses I engraved along with a few other celebs that were at a movie event a few years ago.

Bert Kemp
05-11-2016, 7:45 PM
Well just so Happens I'm going to meet 4 Medal of Honor recipients tonight and I plan to give each one a key fob with their branch Insignias on them. I believe these men to be the biggest celebrities of all :). and if theres any Vets here in AZ that would like to meet them and reads this ,they will be at the Cave Creek AL post #35 tonight for 6pm till when ever.

Bob Davis - Sturgis SD
05-11-2016, 8:33 PM
10 years ago I owned a large screen printing business. We were licensed to print for several large companies, one was Anheuser Busch. We had a 40,000 sq ft factory out in the sticks, at the end of a dirt road out in a very rural county, very few visitors other than trucks picking up and delivering. One day a motorcade of about six Suburbans pulls into our gravel parking lot, it's August Busch III and his entourage. Just by coincidence we were printing a 14 color Budweiser design, snake wrapped around a Bud bottle. Auggie (as I like to call him, lol) snatched one of those shirts off the dryer belt, turned around to his entourage and announced "These people have my permission to print anything they want....do you understand? ANYTHING THEY WANT!" That surprise visit also got us an invitation to St. Louis where Auggie served us ice cold aluminum Buds while watching a hockey game in the AB box and dinner in his private dining room at AB headquarters. Not sure if that qualifies as a famous person, unless you're a beer drinker (which I'm not, lol).

Bob

David Somers
05-11-2016, 9:31 PM
Very Cool Bert! Hope it is a terrific evening for you folks!!!

Keith Winter
05-11-2016, 9:40 PM
Very cool guys!

Guy Hilliard
05-11-2016, 10:17 PM
I engraved a cover plate for a "performance gift" given to a very famous singer.
Unfortunately the NDA doesn't allow me to say more than that, but I do have a copy of the plate in my sample box...
:O)

I have also made a few small props for a couple of low budget movies.

Jiten Patel
05-12-2016, 4:49 AM
We do a lot of celebrity work due to the products we offer. Unfotuantely, due to NDA's we can't name them on here or anywhere. We do a lot of Footballers (soccer players for you in the US), TV and movie celebs, Royal families from around the world.

The worst part is, creativity is limited by budget, the majority of these folks have crazy budgets and allow us to create some of our best work, but due to those NDA's we can never show them off to anyone.

Kay, my wife gets to meet a lot of them and even gets invited to their houses for private consultations. Doesn't bode well for me as she usually comes home with the usual " you never guess what they had in their house, we should do something like that". I have to remind her that they earn in a week what most of us earn in a year or two. Our billionaire clients earn what we earn in in a lifetime in 10 seconds of interest!!!

Greg W Watson
05-12-2016, 3:30 PM
I have done work for Disney's Star Wars Launch Bay but I cant talk about it either :(

Jeff Belany
05-12-2016, 3:54 PM
Quite a few years ago, a parts of a movie were filmed here (A Simple Plan http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120324/?ref_=nv_sr_1). Starred Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton & Bridget Fonda. They visited my place of work and bought several items that I had lasered from the company Gift Shoppe. I took some pictures that were used locally. Nice people to meet. They seemed to enjoy the small town atmosphere. A few locals were used as extras, a friend of mine drove ambulance and was in a couple scenes.

Jeff in northern Wisconsin

Jon Sollee
05-12-2016, 5:15 PM
Did a job for Showtime. We etched a stone for Season 6 Episode 1 of Shameless. We etched a persons face and name on a piece of granite.(I don't want to ruin the series to anybody who watches it.) William H. Macy has some parts in front of the stone.

Ross Moshinsky
05-12-2016, 5:39 PM
We have done work that has found its way around the world. We have engraved plaques that were given to President Obama along with dignitaries in Turkey, Lithuania, Greece, Poland, Italy, India and China. We have awards that were taken to Haiti, Central and South America. We made plaque/awards given to NJ locals Bruce Springsteen, NY Jets Head Coach Todd Bowles and Chris Christie. We don’t have any celebrities as customers but our customers rub elbows with the rich and famous.

Bruce Volden
05-12-2016, 5:54 PM
I did a few sets of spatulas, forks and tongs for the WH kitchen staff.
Also, I have engraved many flintlock rifles and pistols commemorating the bicentennial of Lewis and Clark expedition.
These were presented to a bunch of governors and I believe a VP at the time.
I just did the engraving not the presenting, could care less about celebrities!

Bruce

Michael Hunter
05-12-2016, 6:04 PM
I made an acrylic holder for the scroll that was given to the Queen when she visited our town a few years back.


337370

Kev Williams
05-12-2016, 9:01 PM
Also, I have engraved many flintlock rifles and pistols...
Bruce

this jogged my memory- Many years ago Browning Arms had me engrave a shotgun for Peyton Manning.

It was back when the only computerized machine we had was our first Concept 2000. I mouse-digitized all the logos and scrollwork.
I do NOT miss hand-digitizing, nope.

<EDIT> --got my Peyton's mixed up! -- make that Walter Payton! Peyton Manning wasn't even born when Payton started playing!

Braden Todd
05-12-2016, 11:27 PM
Had a piece we made end up in time magazine, no mention that we made it tho. Also had a piece end up with snoop dog, Giselle Bundchen and a few pro athletes. All work was done through others, but they ended up with famous people and that's good enough for me.

Wish I could've made pieces for those that received a Medal of Honor! Heck I'd do those for free any day

Bert Kemp
05-12-2016, 11:59 PM
It was truly an honor to meet these men, true American hero's. They were all very happy to accept the engraved key fobs I made and they didn't make me sign any NDA's:D


Had a piece we made end up in time magazine, no mention that we made it tho. Also had a piece end up with snoop dog, Giselle Bundchen and a few pro athletes. All work was done through others, but they ended up with famous people and that's good enough for me.

Wish I could've made pieces for those that received a Medal of Honor! Heck I'd do those for free any day

Glen Monaghan
05-13-2016, 1:10 PM
I'm guessing we have radically different ideas about what constitutes 'celebrity' and its significance ;^)

I'm also more tickled by bizarre situations like vacationing at Disney and noticing a guy drinking from a travel mug that you engraved, striking up a conversation with him and hearing about how delighted he was to get the mug as a gift and how it goes everywhere with him, and then handing him a business card with the same name/logo as engraved on the bottom of the mug and watching his jaw drop.

Bill Cunningham
05-24-2016, 11:00 PM
I've done a number of props for television and movies. But the one that surprised me the most was a piece of cherry wood engraved with the names of a bunch of carollon bell ringers. Never thought much about it, until the customer sent me a photo of the final installation at the Washington National Cathedral. I think it might even be posted on here someplace. Hopefully it's there for a few hundred years.. If they ever tear it down, my name is on the back ;=)

Terry Rawers
05-25-2016, 1:13 AM
I have engraved the logo on some cutting boards used on the TV show The Chew

Mike Null
05-25-2016, 7:05 AM
I've done a number of things that might qualify but, but other than a HOF pro football player, no names you'd recognize. I am quite pleased with two of the items pictured on my web site. The perpetual plaque I designed for the New Jersey national guard headquarters and the logo I designed and digitized for Little Patriots Embraced, a charity that serves military families. When I say I designed it I should acknowledge that a member gave me a pencil sketch and I took it from there.

Bert Kemp
05-25-2016, 10:25 AM
Very nice Mike and thank you for you support of our troops and their families .:)


I've done a number of things that might qualify but, but other than a HOF pro football player, no names you'd recognize. I am quite pleased with two of the items pictured on my web site. The perpetual plaque I designed for the New Jersey national guard headquarters and the logo I designed and digitized for Little Patriots Embraced, a charity that serves military families. When I say I designed it I should acknowledge that a member gave me a pencil sketch and I took it from there.

John Blazy
05-25-2016, 11:00 AM
Wow - some amazing stories! I wish August Busch would visit my shop. My laminates have been on the cover of several design magazines, but my favorite was the conference table I did for MTV. Had to deliver it personally on Times Square, NYC. Talk about a hairy delivery.

338094

Kev Williams
05-25-2016, 11:23 AM
Just ran across this photo I forgot about-- I lasered the blade of this knife with the old 25w ULS- A bit of white-knuckle work since I was still learning how to use Cermark back then!

http://www.engraver1.com/work/blade2.jpg

Kev Williams
02-07-2018, 1:52 PM
I was just told by my Cowbells customer that last Sunday's Parade magazine shows off
a little of my work AND my photography :)
378542
-been lasering these, and several varieties with different sponsor's logos
nearly non-stop since November. Not getting rich from them, as I've
agreed to steep price cuts as a way of donating...

Mike Null
02-07-2018, 3:43 PM
Since this was first posted I've taken on the National Blues Museum as a client. Every month they honor one or two performers with an award. I'm not much on blues or blues history but apparently these folks are well known and, I understand, quite pleased to receive the awards.

Dee Gallo
02-07-2018, 4:05 PM
Fascinating stories and just goes to show how talent and hard work is recognized around the world in very corner! Keep up the good work you guys!

Craig Matheny
02-17-2018, 8:31 PM
We had a booth at the LA County Fair and my daughter was working and RJ Mitt from Breaking Bad showed up a posed for a couple photos. pretty cool nice guy.

Mike Null
02-18-2018, 8:45 AM
Craig

Your daughter is the star of that photo. You also have some pretty nifty work in the background that would be good to see close up if you have photos you'd like to post.

Tim Bateson
02-18-2018, 7:51 PM
John Travolta – Gift for youngest son
Donald Trump – Gift for daughter Ivanka
Nelson Mandela – Award from Underground Railroad Freedom Center (posthumous given awarded)
Space-X - many parts
Disney - Parts for a new ride

Note - These were all indirect sales, I was just the engraver

Bert Kemp
02-19-2018, 10:30 PM
Pretty Impressive Tim:)

[QUOTE=Tim Bateson;2779647]John Travolta – Gift for youngest son
Donald Trump – Gift for daughter Ivanka
Nelson Mandela – Award from Underground Railroad Freedom Center (posthumous given awarded)
Space-X - many parts
Disney - Parts for a new ride

Note - These were all indirect sales, I was just the engraver[/QUOTE

Jiten Patel
02-20-2018, 6:09 AM
We just did a load of things for the BAFTA awards - so pretty much all the celebrities that attended would have seen and used our work there!