Engraving services in Hampton
Machine engraving on flat surfaces, for Hampton, Twickenham, Teddington, Richmond and Kingston. Send me a photograph on WhatsApp and I will price it the same day.
The engraving machine sits in the Anna Lou Design Lab on Taggs Island, Hampton. It marks silver, steel, brass and pewter, which means a great deal more than jewellery comes through the workshop.
A salver for a leaving gift. A set of knives for a wedding. A brass plaque for a front door, a tag for the dog, a bookmark with a line on it that only one person will understand.
Flat surfaces only. I do not offer hand engraving, and I cannot engrave curved or round items such as tankards, cups, bangles or pens. I will tell you so rather than attempt it and spoil something you care about.
What I can engrave
A name, a date, initials, a house name, a line of handwriting, a small illustration. If the surface is flat, it can usually take a mark.
Salvers and trays
Retirement, long service, a club presentation. Flat, generous, and the most forgiving surface there is.
Plaques and door signs
House names, presentation plaques, trophy shields, and the annual job of adding this year's winner to last year's list.
Knives and cutlery
A name on each handle. Wedding and anniversary sets, a christening knife, or a single chef's knife.
Coasters and discs
Monograms, initials and small illustrations. Club medals and commemorative discs too.
Pet tags
Name on one side, your number on the other. Quick, inexpensive, and worth doing well.
Luggage tags and key fobs
A name, a word, a destination. The sort of thing that gets used every day and noticed every time.
Bookmarks and keepsakes
A line that means something, a date, a quotation. Small, flat, and a very good present.
Something else?
Cufflinks, tie bars, money clips, watch case backs, hip flask panels, tankard bases, trophies. If it is flat, send a photograph and I will tell you honestly whether it will take a mark.
Ask on WhatsAppNot possible at present: tankards, cups, bangles, pens and anything with a curved or round surface.
What it costs
Payment is cash on collection. Prices are for engraving only and do not include the item itself.
How it works
- 1WhatsApp me a photographThe item and the exact wording you want. A phone photograph is perfectly good enough.
- 2I confirm the price and the layoutIncluding whether the surface is flat enough and whether your wording will sit well at that size.
- 3Drop the item offAt Half Mile, Taggs Island, Hampton TW12 2HA. By arrangement, so you are not standing on a bridge in the rain.
- 4Collect, and pay thenI will let you know when it is ready. Cash on collection.
Where I am, and who I engrave for
The workshop is on Taggs Island, between Hampton and East Molesey, a few minutes from Hampton Court Bridge. Most people who bring work to me come from a short drive away.
Hampton · Hampton Hill · Hampton Wick · Twickenham · Strawberry Hill · St Margarets · Teddington · Whitton · Richmond · Kew · East Molesey · West Molesey · Thames Ditton · Surbiton · Kingston upon Thames · Sunbury · Shepperton · Walton on Thames
Local clubs, schools, rowing and rugby clubs, restaurants and companies in the borough use the service for awards, long service gifts and branded pieces. If you are further afield, items can be posted.
Common questions
Where can I get engraving done near me in Twickenham or Richmond?
Here. The workshop is at Taggs Island, Hampton TW12 2HA, roughly ten minutes from Twickenham and fifteen from Richmond. Drop off is by arrangement rather than a walk in shop, so WhatsApp me first and we will fix a time.
Can you engrave something I did not buy from you?
Yes, and a good deal of the work is exactly that. Inherited silver, a gift bought elsewhere, a trophy that needs this year's name adding. Send a photograph first so I can check the surface.
Can you engrave a tankard, a cup or a bangle?
Not at present. The machine works on flat surfaces only, so anything curved or round is beyond what I can do properly. I would rather say no than spoil something you care about.
Do you do hand engraving?
No. Machine engraving only. If you need true hand engraving I will say so and you can find a specialist.
How quickly can it be done?
Tell me your deadline in your first message and I will tell you straight away whether it is possible. Short inscriptions on flat items are usually quick.
What does it cost?
Flat items such as salvers start at £10 for the first 50 characters. Knives are £20 each for up to 9 characters, then £1 per character. Everything else is quoted from a photograph, usually the same day.
And if it is your own jewellery
I have been making and marking jewellery in London since 2004, so if you have a piece of your own you would like engraved, bring that too. A signet ring, a locket, the flat back of a pendant, a bar or a disc, the inside of a band.
Inherited, bought elsewhere, or made by me years ago. Send me a photograph and I will tell you whether the surface will take it and what it will cost.
Send me a photograph and I will price it
A picture and the wording is all I need. Nothing is too small, and the odd and the awkward are the jobs I enjoy most.
Anna Lou of London, Half Mile, Taggs Island, Hampton TW12 2HA
Handmade in Hampton since 2004