Hello everyone. TimeMark™ is something I’ve been working on for about 4 years. I had envisioned this shortly after I acquired the laser engraving machine, but my knowledge was not up to the level it needed to be to accomplish this until recently. It has taken a lot of experimentation, testing, and planning to get the results that I wanted and to make it worthwhile to do this. Before making any changes to the brushes, I am always mindful whether it will be an improvement or not, and if any changes will push the brand in the direction it needs to go. Any improvement in quality, durability, and performance needs to be accomplished without harming the brushes aesthetically. In my mind The Varlet stands for durability but also design, among other things. Deep down we all know and feel how much of an impact it has on our daily lives when the things we interact with and use on a daily basis are pleasing to the eye.
I think owning beautiful things can add a richness to our lives if we approach that aim in a healthy way. It’s one of the reasons that I focus so much on design, because I feel I can make a positive impact in someone’s daily routine with my craft. A beautiful design can elevate our mood and inspire us. I still believe that form should follow function, however, and making something beautiful without a foundation in solid craftsmanship just isn’t worth it from my point of view. I’ve rejected many handle designs that would mean a drop in the durability of said handle, no matter how remote the chance of the material failing. This is why all of my two-piece handles are secured with a mechanical method (threaded) and by an adhesive method. The two-piece construction can take a handle in a certain aesthetic direction but durability cannot be sacrificed for the sake of design. ln that same vein with the TimeMark™ method the brushes make a vast improvement in more than one way, and this is why I am so pleased to be introducing this new feature.
TimeMark™ is a new material and technique for coloring and filling The Varlet’s laser engraving on each handle. The name represents enhanced durability of this key aspect of the brushes, and aims to do it in The Varlet’s usual fashion of being nice to look at also. Of course, since the handles have been engraved for some time, the “maker’s mark” is already permanent, even if the chosen color of enamel were to fade with use. That has always been important to me, because it’s nice to have that longevity. This new method for coloring each engraving aims to match that longevity as much as possible, and though because I don’t have the luxury of time I can’t be certain, I do believe it to be near-permanent. The new material for the fill-in is several times harder and more durable, and is either equally beautiful or improves the look when compared to the enamel. The only exception is the gold option, so I will talk about that in detail below.
The TimeMark material has been developed in-house, using a mix of adhesives, hardeners, and pigments as well as techniques for application and methods to ensure a solid and speedy curing process. Being that The Varlet’s engravings are so minimal, this method requires very delicate and detailed preparation of the fill-in material as well as careful attention during application to ensure the letters are crisp and striking. Each part of the mix has to be measured with extreme accuracy, because with the small amount that is required to fill in the engraving as well as the size of the letters any small deviation could result in a poor curing process. If the material does not cure to the hardness necessary, it most likely means the entire handle has to be scrapped. This is very costly since the engraving is done near the end of the production process. This is part of the reason why it has taken me years to make this a reality.
All handles shipping henceforth will feature the TimeMark™ engraving. The colors are gloss black, pearl white, and silver. A gold color option will feature the TimeMark™ engraving combined with a gold enamel topcoat. This is a two stage process which combines the durability of the TimeMark method with the striking look of the gold enamel that I have been using for some time. I made this decision with regards to the gold engraving because I could not find a mix of gold pigments that could match the luster of the gold enamel. It is very close, but not quite there, so I will use the TimeMark as a sort of “primer” for the enamel. So, if the enamel fades a little with time, the gold color-matched TimeMark will be underneath. Even if eventually the entirety of the enamel fades the TimeMark gold fill-in will still be in place, and quite frankly it is very striking on its own so the handles should look beautiful for a very very long time. I’ll illustrate the process a bit with some photos and also feature some of the first few handles that will officially have the TimeMark™ engraving.
TimeMark™: In Detail
The fill-in base and hardener is first measured and mixed in a specific cup made with a completely smooth interior, to ensure no material remains un-mixed in any crevices, using a toothpick initially to ensure the ratio of base to hardener is as undisturbed as possible.
After the initial mixing, a final and extremely thorough mix is done with a larger stick to ensure a good result in the end. The mix is transferred to a disposable cup in the next stage and the mixing cup is cleaned for re-use.
The pigment is then added, in this case black, with the amount of pigment very carefully monitored. Too much or too little pigment and the engraving can either not cure properly or not provide enough richness to the color.
The color fill-in is applied with a small paintbrush, using a technique which fills the engraving but still allows some depth to each letter, and avoids the engraving being filled in “flush” to keep the beauty and traditional look of engraved letters.
With proper mixing and technique the result is sharp.
The excess is carefully removed without disturbing the fill-in, a method that took a while to perfect.
After the excess is removed, a more careful cleanup is done with a specific method and cleaner which does not harm the curing process.
Another handle at mid-process receiving the TimeMark™ in pearl white.
The TimeMark™ gold “primer” base, very nice in its own right.
Gold enamel topcoat applied to bring the luster to an even higher level.
After the initial clean-up of the enamel, the handle is ready for a final touch-up finishing.
Shipping Soon
A few of the handles from the first official TimeMark™ run, which will be shipping shortly.
I hope you’ve all enjoyed this post and that perhaps it has been enlightening and educational. I’m very proud to be able to share what I’ve been working on, and really appreciate those who take the time to read. I will be catching up on emails tomorrow so I will be in touch with everyone and I’m looking forward to it.
Thanks!
Aldo
