I am Stuart Wylie and, before I started Orkney Crystal in the year 2000, I worked mainly with wood.  I am a trained machinist and have built almost everything from kitchens to houses.  I still work with wood today and own a CNC machine.  As you will discover, we are glass and crystal engravers using the sandblasting method (it gives the most superior results) – but other mediums are also suitable for sandblast engraving, including wood.  We now offer a large range of products, all of which can be bespoke engraved to suit all occasions.

Plaques engraved and infilled with colour, supplied to Orkney Harbour Authority.

A Family Business

My wife, Sandra, works with me in the business.  Sandra looks after all the bookkeeping, as well as washing many hundreds of glasses!  Our daughter, Kathryn, also helps and is an expert when it comes to applying masks to glass and then taping up, prior to sandblasting.  Our eldest son, Magnus, is away at College at present, but will help during the holidays, when he’s not ‘resting’! 

The youngest of our brood, Andrew, also helps with all sorts of odd jobs and follows me with his practical nature, enjoying sailing his model yacht on the Peedie Sea in Kirkwall.  Although I have to say that my boat is a little larger than his and my passion is for sea fishing – cod, haddock, ling and mackerel.  As you can see, we truly are a family business!

Kathryn, our daughter, ‘taping up’ a glass to protect it during sandblasting.

Orkney Crystal Workshop and Showroom

Orkney Crystal trades from a purpose built workshop, in front of our home in Deerness. The ‘showroom’ part could be tidier and better laid out, but we know where everything is and can show off plenty of samples of engraved glass in the blink of an eye! The advantage is, that folk can see how we work and view work in progress, assuring them of the high quality, unique products that we offer.

Stuart, at one of the sandblasting machines.

Product Range

Orkney Crystal are the sole suppliers to the Orkney Islands of The Glass Scribe products, one of the major manufacturers and importers of glass and crystal in the UK. The Glass Scribe manufacture the range of products known as Rock Tablets and Ice Blocks and we have supplied and engraved many of these products for customers, including one for presentation to Princess Anne, when she opened the new lifeboat station on Hoy.

Princess Anne receiving a Rock Tablet

 In addition to glass, crystal and wood products, we also offer granite, stone, slate, brass, pewter and stainless steel items, all of which can be bespoke engraved.  I mentioned our CNC machine earlier and, for a Christmas 2012 Pantomime, with the help of a friend, we built a model car, named Toad 1. The machine has enabled me to build all manner of different products to suit our glass and crystal engraving business, including special trays and stands.

We offer a good range of stainless steel hip flasks and tankards and a similar range in pewter.  If you are looking for an engraved tankard or an engraved hip flask, feel free to pick up the ‘phone or pay us a visit.

Stuart, on left with ‘Toad 1’.

Artwork

We offer full artwork services and will not charge the earth for drawing up your crest, logo or any other design.  The old maxim “you can’t make a silk purse out of a sows ear” is never more true, than with glass engraving. 

One has to start off with high quality artwork, otherwise, after the several stages of production, one would not end up with high quality engraving.

High quality artwork equals….

A Sample of artwork is on the right.  Please note that it is not coloured, has no greys and no pixellation.  The drawing is pure black, against pure white and the lines are crisp.  Don’t worry about providing us with the best image you have got, we will advise and help with redrawing if necessary – and it only needs doing once; we always keep artwork on file for future use.

…. high quality engraving

Quality First

Sorry, we do not offer ‘Free Engraving’!  We don’t want to insult your intelligence by adding in the cost of engraving or printing and then calling it free – we break down all costs, so that you can clearly see what you will be paying for.  Yes, we do offer discounts for large quantities, but our mantra is “Quality First and Foremost” and that cannot be hurried.  Therefore, every single piece you receive from us will be engraved to the same high standard.

“Quality First and Foremost”