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Current clients looking for Gold-leaf signs

Hand Lettering topics: Sign Making, Design, Fabrication, Letterheads, Sign Books.

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Jack Hollands
Posts: 22
Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2012 5:14 pm

Current clients looking for Gold-leaf signs

Post by Jack Hollands »

Hey everyone, I'm writing my Dissertation at University on gold-leaf gilding.

I'm looking to include experiences from craftsmen in the trade, I'm lucky enough to be working alongside Nick Garrett here in London. This has given me great insight, but just from one perspective.

I have now used gold-leaf for a variety of clients with Nick; Love-Hate Tattoo Parlor, Raffety Antique Clocks, Crazy Pig Designs hand crafted Jeweler, William Cheshire Jeweler and Penhaligon's Perfumer's.

Dave Smith has also given me insight into his work and his client's, our latest gold leaf work went up next to his work for Burberry in Regents street.

To my understanding through research at the British Library, gold leaf was commonly used at pharmacists, butchers, solicitors offices, churches and schools.

It appears that trends have shifted in clientele. But I cannot ascertain this from my limited experience.


Would anyone else please be able to share the type of clients they have request gold leaf?


Gold leaf to me seems like the perfect option for anyone looking to establish themselves as a long standing business that prides themselves on quality and luxury.

Here's a photo of our latest work, just as some eye candy for anyone interested in this post.

Thank you
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joe cieslowski
Posts: 338
Joined: Sun Apr 11, 2004 6:15 pm
Location: east canaan ct
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Re: Current clients looking for Gold-leaf signs

Post by joe cieslowski »

I make hand carved home and property markers. All incised numbers and letters.

I make about 200+ of these signs each year and almost all are gilded with gold and a small percentage want aluminum leaf.

I also make about 20 different decorative ornaments for the signs. All are pierced reliefs and they are gilded too.

Here's one of the larger ones...

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and here's are samples on my display...

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Hope this is a help.

Joe
Makin Chip$ and Havin Fun!
Tyler Tim
Posts: 209
Joined: Fri Feb 03, 2012 12:12 am

Re: Current clients looking for Gold-leaf signs

Post by Tyler Tim »

I've been working on a Funeral Home that requested Gold Leaf.

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Sure I paint thing for my amusement and then offer them for sale. A brushslinger could whither en die from lack of creativity in this plastic town my horse threw a shoe in. :shock:
Marius Mellebye
Posts: 49
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2013 4:42 am
Location: Oslo, Norway
Contact:

Re: Current clients looking for Gold-leaf signs

Post by Marius Mellebye »

I´m not sure if this is the type you are looking for, but if it counts, I´ve only been gold leafing motorcycles.. :-) Here is some of them.

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Marius
Marius Mellebye / 276ccm Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/276ccm Blog: http://276ccm.blogspot.no
Jack Hollands
Posts: 22
Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2012 5:14 pm

Re: Current clients looking for Gold-leaf signs

Post by Jack Hollands »

Thank you for your responses, they are all greatly beneficial.

Joe, you sound like you are very busy making those wonderfully carved signs. You must have a helping hand to produce that volume of work?

Tyler, funeral homes are a new one for me. Thanks for your input.

Marius, the bikes are awesome, the custom bike scene is definitely alive with hand painted lettering and gold leaf. Thanks for sharing that. Do you get lots of international clients coming to you?

Jack
Marius Mellebye
Posts: 49
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2013 4:42 am
Location: Oslo, Norway
Contact:

Re: Current clients looking for Gold-leaf signs

Post by Marius Mellebye »

Thanks Jack! I get quite a few international requests, but as I said in another post, Norway is one of the most expensive countries in the world, so it would be very hard for me to compete with your prices, which I totally understand :-) but it has been some jobs shipped over seas, but mostly leather work.. The "Fortyseven" bike above, is soon ready for the streets of Brunei in Asia, which I think is pretty cool and proud of. I told him it would be a lot cheaper for him to get it done else where, but he really wanted me to do it, so.. The owner shipped me his gas tank for me to pinstripe and gold leaf.. after a little while, he bought one of my seats with a hand mad seat pan in brass.. and now he is sending me the fenders and the oil tank for more work to complete his build :-)

Nice glass sign you got there! I´m very new to water gilding, and just started to experiment a little, so this forum is a great place with a lot of inspiring work, good tips and helpful people :-)

Cheers, Marius
Marius Mellebye / 276ccm Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/276ccm Blog: http://276ccm.blogspot.no
Jack Hollands
Posts: 22
Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2012 5:14 pm

Re: Current clients looking for Gold-leaf signs

Post by Jack Hollands »

That's great to hear you taking advantage of international trade. Your work is of a really high standard which must be hard to find. I bet the owner of the Forty-Seven is very proud. This is an aspect to craft I am interested in, working to the highest standard possible to produce work that will be appreciated. Thanks for your input. Good luck with the gilding experiments, I've seen some of the samples you made.

Jack
Doug Bernhardt
Posts: 1077
Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2004 9:29 am
Location: Ottawa Canada
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Re: Current clients looking for Gold-leaf signs

Post by Doug Bernhardt »

Hi Jack. There's a pile of old leafed projects in almost every city in North America. You just need to look a little deeper. Even in the town I'm in (Ottawa Canada) there are remnants of hundreds of gilded transoms.....some are amazing shows of talent. I should have spent more time with my camera around here years ago as alas, many are broken or lost in some misadventure or improvement scheme.
Jack Hollands
Posts: 22
Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2012 5:14 pm

Re: Current clients looking for Gold-leaf signs

Post by Jack Hollands »

Doug, there are also gold leaf signs all around me here in London too. I'm interested in patterns of clients over time, but it's very difficult to put an exact date on signs that are in situe. If I just guess things and make my own opinions, they are ungrounded in facts and wouldn't have any academic integrity.

Maybe I didn't word my initial enquiry properly.

Thanks or your input

Jack
Bill Riedel
Posts: 15
Joined: Thu Jul 08, 2004 9:03 am
Location: 15 Warren St Little Ferry, NJ 07643
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Re: Current clients looking for Gold-leaf signs

Post by Bill Riedel »

I know that this is about 6 months late, but it is a case of money, there are many who would love to have gold leaf signs of any kind. The problem is that they have no idea of the cost and then they settle for a less expensive sign. I found no definite pattern, all types of business and people order gold leaf, even non sign related projects. One unusual one was a large Budda for a religious client, another was the inside of an apartment door completely covered.
Bill Riedel
Bill Riedel
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