Doing Some Stamping

I have gotten a bunch of orders in lately for custom stamped buckles.  I was out in the shop today stamping a customer's initials into a buckle, so I thought I would do a few others while I was at it.

For the George Orwell fan:

This is my flypress.  It's such an awesome machine.  I use it all the time.

I have a ton of different jigs and tools I've made for it.  This is the setup I use for stamping.

Here is the setup I use for bending the buckles into shape.

It's pretty safe.  I've only had one accident with it so far.  A few years ago, I got my finger caught in between the handle and a ring I was bending and my nail popped off like the press was opening a can of soda.  At the ER the nurse kept asking, "Are you okay?  You look pale." and I was all "Really?  Well, I suppose it could have something to do with the fact that I just smashed my finger in an industrial press."  Good times.

Gypsy Woman Buckle

I really love this design.  There's just something so cool about classic American tattoo flash.  I like it so much that I told my wife if I can sell 50 of these buckles, I'm getting this design done on my left arm.  We'll see what happens. 

Tattoo Flash Buckles

It's been a long time since I've come out with any new buckles.  I just listed all kinds of stuff in my Etsy Store.  What do you think?  Lots more to come ....

Surfrider buckles up and running!

I'm excited to say that the Surfrider Foundation liked the buckles I made for my friend so much, they have decided to include them in their product line.  Check them out here.  

If you haven't heard of the Surfrider Foundation, be sure to check out their website.  Their goal is to protect oceans, waves, and beaches worldwide.  Recent events like the Gulf oil spill and the nuclear crisis at Fukushima illustrate just how badly our oceans need protection in today's world.

The buckles pass the Surfrider Foundation's sustainability requirements, so, in addition to supporting an important cause and buying handmade, you can feel great about this product's low impact on the environment.  Here's a video of the manufacturing process: