This project has been a long time coming, but finally it’s finished. Engraved Zippo lighter number 9.

Engraved Zippo

One rather quick and simple Zippo engraving. This is 1979 Dodge pick-up truck.

Dodge on Zippo

This is the first time I tried to engrave chrome plated Zippo and is actually worked out rather well. But the engraving has to be inked, otherwise the cuts are yellow-ish and showing the base material (brass).

What are the best days for engraver? When a customer comes in and says “Do me something nice on that silver Zippo. I like your scrollwork and just do your thing. I’m sure it’ll be good looking lighter”.

So I get to drawing board, I can try out some new styles, play with ideas for a while and then “do my thing” on a lighter. Sure it can take way more time than allowed by the budget, but it’s fun and I’m always learning new things for the future.

One engraving style that has fascinated me since I first saw it, is called “Liberty”. It has quite unique look to it and can be concluded with one work - spaghetti’s. But very beautiful and graceful ones.

Without further ado, here my next Zippo project on a silver body.

Hand engraved Zippo

My bulino practice plate has had some progress, so now it is about 50% completed. Unfortunately at this time I don’t have time to work on it for quite some time. Few engraving, knife and sword projects need my attention. But, here’s what I have up to now.

Bulino Angel

I definitely learned a lot from this practice and next one will be hopefully better. It is was quite a surprise for me how small the dots have to be to create nice smooth effect. Basically just mere teeny-tiny scratches on the surface and even then it’s rather easy to overdo it. That engraving is 5cm high, nose is 1mm high and 0.5mm wide. Just to give you a sense of scale…

In the mean time I engraved one more Zippo for a customer. Design was given to me, so my job was just to engrave it.

Engraved Zippo

Quite nice design, isn’t it?

I’m also preparing for next Zippo engraving project. Design for that engraving is about 90% completed, just need to touch it up a little and it’s ready to do. As you can see I’m trying out yet another style. It’s called Liberty (some engravers call it spaghetti scroll, because of all those long, skinny and intervening… spaghettis). So, if you’re interested in getting a Zippo with that kind of engraving, now is the time to let me know.

Today’s sketch gave me also fits. Just couldn’t get it right.

Maybe some of you recognize from which photo this model is taken from? There were 4 of them… Anyways, I think I will take a little break from full figure drawing and try out something else. Maybe just hands. These don’t come easily either (what does?).

But on another note. One Zippo engraving is starting to take a shape. Today I managed to start shading. Here’s a bit of it.

I was in a finishing phase of Zippo engraving when I had an idea to try out time-lapse function on my camera. So I still had a chance to film shading, sharpening and stippling phases of engraving.

Enjoy!
Vimeo better quality version: Engraving Zippo.

Here’s your chance to help me.

This autumn I want to do a small advertising campaign to promote my hand engraving and custom knife business. Currently I have 3 things in the list I want to make for this campaign:

• iPod nano with engraved back (maybe even a pair – black & pink, for him and for her)
• Silver Zippo with full hand engraving
• Engraved custom knife

Campaign purpose is to promote hand engraving and custom knives, at the same time drive traffic to my blog and website, generate links and get up in Google ranks. I want to make it a campaign in disguise – there will be a competition and winners will get these prizes.

Now here’s what I need. Ideas for which competition(s) to make. That competition should also be something that’s useful. Be it something to do with marketing (best ideas what and where to market), products (what cool things to engrave, like iPods) or whatever.

How to make this campaign more… um, viral? I want it to spread. I will probably do a photo session (hire a model and the whole shebang) and a short video for it. More ideas are very welcome, also about photo and video!

People who will comment this post and have good ideas will get a small something from me. Can’t say right now what it is, as it’s creation is in very early phases. But it’s coming. Two sides with about 15mm diameter.

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Follow me @ Twitter: vilts
Website: Custom knives and hand engraving

Here’s an engraved silver Zippo I did for a customer. As this was my first project where I had to engrave on sterling silver I had some doubts about it, but it turned out just great. Sterling was very well engrave-able and result looks really good. Design was submitted by customer, all I had to do was to engrave it.

Hand engraved silver Zippo

Hand engraved Zippo in a box

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Now you can follow me at Twitter, my name there is vilts. Usually I update it once or twice a day, you’re welcome to follow me there.