Engraving Lenses/Stones etc.

[eyemann]

We have been getting questions about inserting decorative stones in lenses and engraving names and objects on lenses. Used to be a company named
Lens & Eye in California that did this. I cannot find them, do any of you have another company that will do this? Thanks for the help.

[Grubendol]

the new santinelli edger will do it, and I know that T2 Lenswork does something similar called "tattoo"

[Fezz]

You should contact a fellow Optiboard member-Billy Brock.

He has a website. WWW.billybrock.com. Fantastic works of art.

[Judy Canty]

I second that recommendation. Billy and Robin are the best I've ever used.

[hcjilson]

I third that recomendation. The Tura catalog used to have some examples of his work.

[Framebender]

We've used Billy Brock in the past and he does beautiful work. Billy Brock is the man when it comes to lens art!!

:cheers:

[cocoisland58]

We have been getting questions about inserting decorative stones in lenses and engraving names and objects on lenses. Used to be a company named
Lens & Eye in California that did this. I cannot find them, do any of you have another company that will do this? Thanks for the help.

Oh my God, not again. If you knew how many hours I spent engraving initials, names, whatever on lenses back in 1978. I thought it was odd then and even more odd to revive it. However....what was used was an engraving machine. You had templates, a stylus, etc. You traced the stencil and the machine did the same thing on the lens next to you where it was vice gripped in. Then you swiped some gold paint over it and wiped it off again. If this is back, then faceted rimless, make-up tints, and stick on zodiac lens trinkets can't be far behind. Why would anyone want to revive the tacky 70's?

[Judy Canty]

If you were at all familiar with Billy's work, tacky is a word you would never use. His work is art, and for those who can afford and appreciate it, will never go out of style.

www.billybrock.com

[foureyes]

the work is really spectacular. you can tell that even by looking at the website. it may not be your taste, however, you really shouldn't knock what someone has worked so hard to accomplish, especially when it is a creative expression. in style or out, i can appreciate what goes into creating works of art such as those.

in art school i hear these things all the time. i grow tired of the people who say certain painters aren't artists and this and that.

i think you should visit the site and enjoy it's excellent craftsmanship and creativity, not the decade it represents in your own mind.

[Fezz]

If you were at all familiar with Billy's work, tacky is a word you would never use. His work is art, and for those who can afford and appreciate it, will never go out of style.

www.billybrock.com

I agree full heartedly with Judy's statement. Tacky is not even in the same universe. I will agree that there may be a very limited need, desire, or want for this type of ARTWORK. But..it exists. This is a type of business model that identifies a niche, fills it, and does it with such competence, that he defines the niche. That niche IS Billy Brock.


I can say from personal experience that what he produces is ART. I am in awe. I can remember as a young "apprentice" in the mid-eighties, the facet, scalloped edge, tri and quad tinted lens and frame craze. I was so fortunate to get shafted...I mean,....given the awesome oppurtunity, to be stuck with doing more than my fair share of these gems. When you have walked a mile in these shoes, you can than truly appreciate what Billy's work represents. The old Tura catalogs were more like art portfolios.


I have not ordered any product from Billy, nor do I profit from the above statements. I am only an admirer of his craft, talent and skills.



:cheers::cheers::cheers:

[Johns]

You traced the stencil and the machine did the same thing on the lens next to you where it was vice gripped in. Then you swiped some gold paint over it and wiped it off again.

Now THAT is tacky!:D

[Dave Nelson]

I recently did 2 pairs of facet eyewear for one of our clients, in 60 mm lens size. I do the faceting by hand on a handstone, and hand polish the lenses, then drill and mount by hand. She also wanted the triple colour tint. I had to work really hard to do that kind of work since I'm a bit out of practice, but I have to say, they turned out really nice. It was nice to dust off some of those old skills, but if there is a God, it aint comin back.
If it does, I'll show up for work in a leisure suit and platform shoes, and play disco tunes. (stayin' alive, stayin' alive ah, ah, ah, ah, stayin' ali-i-i-i-ive.)

[Fezz]

Come on Johns, let me tell you about TACKY:


I just may dig out the old book of glue or stick on Zodiak and Alphabet "trinkets" and start a trend.


I say we get all of our frame board "DOGS" and custom make them all into semi-rimless, logo type mountings. You know, clip the bottom eyewire off, drill a few holes, string some Trilene and viola-trendy frames.

I can break out the old Edgemaster and facet a bunch of these clunkers.

OK-Now we get Cocoisland58 to fasten some real fancy Zodiak signs on the left lens of all stock frames. And maybe, we can cajole Coco into adding a few dog, cat, rainbow or shamrock logos.



Then.........We can sell them as one of a kind, art deco, avante-garde, hip and stylish fashion accessories for the up and coming young hipsters with boatloads of disposable income.

We could also offer them as a "Designer" line.

Well, that may be tough. Maybe we should get a real fine frame rep who really believes that designer frames and names are the wave of the future. That fantastic rep could then marry our bogus, shoddy, lame-O frames as the hottest thing to hit the states since the first Ferrari started burning rubber here.


Yeah.....that would be TACKY. Why would anybody want to do that?

Besides...morals? Or lack thereof?

[foureyes]

fezz-

you know i'm looking for a job. i'd love to represent your new line.
:-)

[Fezz]

WHVisionLaurie:

Do you posses the ability to lie, stretch the truth, bend facts and feign interest in what potential clients are saying?


Have you kept abreast of current fashion trends? Do you follow the fashion market as reported in such fine magazines as Mad, Popular Science, and Backwoodsman journal?


Do you have the skills to discreetly pad orders, hold returns, misrepresent facts and terms?


If so....We are your future.

Hopefully my esteemed colleague, Johns, will be along to review your resume and interview you.



;):cheers:;):cheers:;)

[cocoisland58]

If you were at all familiar with Billy's work, tacky is a word you would never use. His work is art, and for those who can afford and appreciate it, will never go out of style.

www.billybrock.com

Alright, not tacky. But still not something I would wear. Nor would it sell in my conservative white collar area. They'd think the trendy little rhinestones are silly. They have money and they spend it. They just don't like it to show.

[cocoisland58]

Now THAT is tacky!:D

YEP!

[cocoisland58]

in art school i hear these things all the time. i grow tired of the people who say certain painters aren't artists and this and that.

I've never said that someone who creates something is not an artist, only that they may lack talent.

[cocoisland58]

i think you should visit the site and enjoy it's excellent craftsmanship and creativity, not the decade it represents in your own mind.

I did visit the site and all I heard were the stacatto echoes of my platform sandals running away as fast as they could.

[cocoisland58]

I agree full heartedly with Judy's statement. Tacky is not even in the same universe. I will agree that there may be a very limited need, desire, or want for this type of ARTWORK. But..it exists. This is a type of business model that identifies a niche, fills it, and does it with such competence, that he defines the niche. That niche IS Billy Brock.

I truly thought he did kick boxing.

[Judy Canty]

Actually that was Billy Blanks.

Regarding the engraving and stones, you just never know. Fairfax, VA is fairly conservative(think Rep. Tom Davis R-VA) and I sold quite a few.

[cocoisland58]

OK-Now we get Cocoisland58 to fasten some real fancy Zodiak signs on the left lens of all stock frames. And maybe, we can cajole Coco into adding a few dog, cat, rainbow or shamrocks

Or the Man / Woman symbols so they don't have to guess which ones to try on. O-> +-O

[foureyes]

I've never said that someone who creates something is not an artist, only that they may lack talent.

are you referring to the above mentioned artist or just in general?

[foureyes]

but, i know you guys are artists and everything, but do you have the TALENT to really pull this off?

:-)

(in all seriousness, i tried repping for about a month. you may have seen my earlier posts. i hated it.)

[Fezz]

but, i know you guys are artists and everything, but do you have the TALENT to really pull this off?

Talent. You question our talent?


Well, well, well.

I will leave all the talent to the likes of Johns. I posses more of the Beauty, The LOOK, The Image. I could be the Face of this designer frame movement.




**Seriously......talent-in the thread at hand "Engraving lenses/stones, etc", is really solid in two words=Billy Brock.