Letters cut in stone
A call came through last week from a customer who asked if I could add some lettering to the Birdbath they had ordered. I love to be part of making something special, personal and individual in this way, so was glad to agree. I think it makes a lovely marker for a point in time and we discussed what the letters would be and how to place them. I was also asked how the lettering would be done – by machine?
When the birdbath was collected we had a little tour of my workshop and I explained how I cut the letters by hand with a small mallet and sharp chisels. Basically, I first cut a fairly rough incised line with the tip of the chisel blade down the center of the letter. This small trough then acts as a start for the V-section cut which is made by the chisel angled from the surface of the stone. Care with the edges and corners is required, to achieve a crisp, neat finish, and at times just the lightest feather touch is needed.
A machine would be quicker I’m sure – but I enjoy the slow steady chiseling and striving to improve my craftsmanship to give a fineness and delicacy to the cutting, despite the relatively rough texture of the stone, and make incisions worthy of a gaze rather than glance.
4 Comments
We’re so surrounded these days by machine made things that hand made really is very special. I applaud your endeavours in this regard and the result is beautiful :o)
Thankyou CT, I remember going to an exhibition where some Eric Gill’s carvings and lettering were on display and I could see how he had cut the letter, there were drawing marks still in place, marks where different chisels had been used, and had real sense of him being there, it was a beautifully elegant account of his presence and dexterity. These things inspire us don’t they.
I prefer to do things by hand too. There is a guy with one of those printer/plotter things and he has the computer cut all his stencils. I still cut mine by hand.
I’m not at all against machines, but I think we’re empowered by the nature of making, and there’s a real human instinct to create. I love the thought of you cutting by hand, it invests pieces with specialness, it speaks of dexterity, knowledge of material and skill.