I'm Rose Duke of Talisman Design of Baltimore, Maryland and I've been Hand Engraving since 1979.
I offically started my own business last October, after working for several years in retail after Kirk-Stieff Silver closed (a combined business of 2 major precious metal manufactures in Baltimore MD.
It is a dying art here, but I keep getting new customers & I'm supporting myself. It's a big plunge.
Stieff is were I learned to engrave. Primarily I hand cut flatware designs & later lettering & a lot of trophy work. Sometimes the occasional ornamental piece or coffee service.
I also worked for Jenkins High School Ring Company as a hand engraver & master model carver, learning the skills to do crest rings and really, really, tiny designs.
I use all hand tools, no power. Use a Crocker & India stone to sharpen & polish with hand made rouge paper. I use Muller tools.
I do mostly sterling & gold work for customers. For my art engraving for myself I have pewter hollow ware I got when Stieff closed.
Below is the link to my pictures:
http://s198.photobucket.com/albums/a...alismanDesign/
I also do watercolor wildlife miniature paintings & an acrylic painting of a life size tiger. I haven't posted those yet.
So that's me,
Rose