Engraving, embroidery or laser-cut wood: choosing the right gift
Choose engraving for a date or a name that has to last, embroidery for something used every day, and laser-cut wood when you want the gift to be the object itself. Budget and deadline usually decide it faster than taste does.
Engraving
Precision engraving on a CO2 laser and a rotary tool, on wood, leather, slate, brass and anodized aluminum.
It suits the moments people keep: births, weddings, retirements, anniversaries. Wedding bands of slate, anniversary boards, plaques for the wall. Edges are hand-finished after cutting.
Small engraved pieces start around $30. Turnaround is 5 to 10 business days, the fastest of the three.
Embroidery
Custom embroidery on cotton, waffle and knit, for the soft things. A baby's first hat, a kitchen towel with a name on it, a placemat that holds a verse.
It suits a gift that gets used rather than displayed. Thread is chosen to match the fabric and the season, and it survives a washing machine, which engraved slate does not.
Embroidery runs $40 to $120. Turnaround is 7 to 12 business days.
Laser-cut and laser-engraved wood
Walnut, oak, maple and cherry. Wall clocks, serving boards, ring boxes and signs, hand-finished with food-safe oil where it matters.
It suits a gift where the object is the present. A serving board in maple is a thing somebody uses at a table for twenty years.
Laser-engraved wood runs $50 to $300. Turnaround is inside the engraving window for small pieces and longer for anything that needs finishing.
The deadline question
If you have more than three weeks, any bench can take it. Between two and three weeks, engraving and embroidery are safe and a large wood piece is tight. Under two weeks, ask before you plan around it.
Rush work is possible when the calendar allows, quoted with the timeline written out and no hidden surcharge. If a date cannot be met you will be told up front rather than on the day.
What we will ask you for
The exact spelling of any name and the exact date of any date, written out. An engraved name is cut the way you wrote it, and a laser does not notice a typo.
If there is a crest, a team mark or a company logo involved, we will ask you to confirm you have the right to have it reproduced.
Questions people ask
Can you combine two benches in one piece?
Yes. An embroidered pouch with an engraved wooden tag inside is a common one. It is quoted as a single commission.
What is the cheapest personalised gift you make?
A small engraved piece, from around $30. A ready-to-wear beaded bracelet starts at $24 and a made-to-order bracelet at $19.
Do you ship?
Yes, shipping is calculated at checkout from your address. You can also collect from the bench on a Wednesday or Saturday afternoon with no postage to pay.
Written at the bench in Hagerstown, Maryland. Questions go to [email protected].