Concerning the business of engraving.

[Leland Davis]

Jonathan, this is all great advice wish I had that starting out. John B's comment on H&C drawing a crowd is spot on, I do H&C at national muzzle loading rendezvous events.The first time I had not even thought of that ,camps were scattered for a mile up and down the valley in the 3 days I was working nearly everyone there came to see what the tapping was. It took 3 days to do what would have taken 2 hours in the shop because of all the visitors but it was well worth it.
Good luck,Leland

 

[Strelok]

Practice, practice, practice. Watch all the videos and read all that you can. Be a sponge for engraving knowledge.

My suggestion: Follow the advice of the people who have responded above.
My second suggestion: Key fobs. They're small, very inexpensive, and with enough practice can be easy jobs that advertise themselves. Monograms are very simple and easy to lay out once you get the hang of it.

Best of luck!

 

[MRoyse]

Hello Jon, and sorry to hear of your divorce and financial problems.
I believe I read that you engrave with hammer and chisel and that is a strength in marketing.
If you can attend a few decent gun shows this is a plan that worked for me and many of my students.
Before the show, while at home, where you can take to get it right, cut the lines and borders on some parts or steel belt buckle banks.
At the show start the undercuts for inlaying the borders, using H&C.
Be sure to have your graver in a metal handle
The tap-tap of the hammer on the steel graver handle will draw a crowd around you to see what is going on.Stop and talk to the people, take the work out of the vise and pass it around.
Also pass the gold or silver inlay wire around.
Then proceed to inlay some wire into the borders and stone or sand it down.
Pass the piece and the wire around again. The person that hangs around is your potential customer. Be sure to talk to them, give them a business card and answer their questions
You should have some finished steel belt buckles with inlaid borders on display and ready for sale. This system will work well if you want to get into gun and/or knife engraving.
A variation of it will work at a jewelry/music show using silver buckles or instrument parts if you want to get into jewelry or musical instrument engraving.
I strongly advise against doing quicky engraving jobs at the shows. the quality and pay is poor and it lowers the value of your skill to the level of "while you wait Mall engraving."
Sorry for the long spiel. But best of luck for a successful future.

I too am in the same arena and this advise yo have given is EXACTLY what I was looking for. I owned a tattoo business for years until the droning of clients constantly wanting me to spend time designing and drawing art for a tattoo that they would get as soon as they had the money destroyed my passion. I have been engraving a little over a year and have attended three one on one classes with a master engraver and am at a point where I correctly want to begin the journey into having a business again BUT at my own pace. thank you again for such sound advice.

 

[John B.]

MRoyse, welcome to the Cafe and the wonderful world of engraving.
With your design skills already in place I am sure you will find engraving enjoyable and profitable.
Best of luck with your new venture.
Look forward to reading and seeing your posts and successes here soon.