Has any of your work ended up in 'celebrity' hands or places?

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?

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Originally Posted by Kev Williams

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?

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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

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>

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.

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).

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.

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.

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

Very Cool Bert! Hope it is a terrific evening for you folks!!!

Very cool guys!

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.

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!!!

I have done work for Disney's Star Wars Launch Bay but I cant talk about it either :(

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

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.