How long a custom piece takes, bench by bench
Engraving is 5 to 10 business days, embroidery 7 to 12, jewellery 2 to 4 weeks, 3D-printed parts 3 to 7 business days, and art commissions 2 to 6 weeks. Those are estimates, not promises, and they are measured from the deposit clearing rather than from the day you first wrote.
Where the clock starts
Not when you send the first message. A commission starts when two things have happened: the deposit has cleared, and we have everything we need from you.
The second one is what catches people out. A piece sitting half-quoted while we wait for the exact spelling of a name is not in the queue. Send the spelling, the date and the photographs in one go and you can take a week off the whole thing.
The numbers
Engraving: 5 to 10 business days. Embroidery: 7 to 12 business days. Jewellery: 2 to 4 weeks. 3D-printed parts: 3 to 7 business days, and prototypes faster than that. Art commissions: 2 to 6 weeks.
Made-to-order beaded jewellery is quicker than the jewellery window above, because it is strung rather than fabricated. A bracelet, necklace or pair of earrings leaves within 5 working days of the payment clearing.
What makes a piece late
Three things, in order of how often they happen. Waiting on a detail from you. A material that has to be ordered in. And the simple fact that other pieces were in the queue first.
Heavier periods are October to December for the gift benches and spring for weddings. A fixed date can be agreed, but only in writing before the work begins.
What we promise instead of a date
If anything is going to be late you will hear it from us early, not on the day it was due.
If a piece cannot be finished at all, everything you have paid is returned in full, including the deposit. We would rather return your money than hand you something we are not proud of.
Planning a gift backwards
Work back from the date, not forwards from today. Take the top of the range for your bench, add a week for post, and add another week if it is December.
Tell us the date it is needed for before we start, and we will say honestly whether it can be done rather than find out together in week three.
Questions people ask
Can you do a rush job?
When the calendar allows. It is quoted with the timeline written out and there are no hidden surcharges. If a deadline is not possible we say so up front.
How many changes do I get?
Two rounds of small changes at no cost, asked for at the stage they are offered. A change of material, size or format is a new commission.
When do I pay the rest?
The balance falls due once you have approved the finished piece and before it is posted. The deposit is 50% and books the place.
Written at the bench in Hagerstown, Maryland. Questions go to [email protected].