engrave equipment

[Carriage]

My favourite is the story explained in the first paragraph here. http://www.oxbridgeediting.co.uk/blog/british-and-american-english/

Winston Churchill in his memoirs discusses a rather animated debate with his American counterparts in the heart of World War Two. A disagreement arose in the discussion of a particularly sensible wartime matter, which when the British side argued it should be tabled, the American delegation insisted most strongly it should not. Mutual antagonism continued for a good amount of time until it become clear that the American word ‘to table’ means to ‘leave on the table’, i.e. to defer the matter, while the British word means to ‘bring to the table’, i.e. to discuss the matter.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

FWIW, we here in British Columbia, Canada refer to the plates on our car as licence plates and the numbers (and letters) on them as our car's licence number - even if it might more properly be described as a registration number. If we trade in or switch cars we can in most cases move the plates (and associated number) from the old car to the new.
In addition, a lot of the pay parking around here requires us to punch in our licence (plate) number into the machines that take our money.
For that reason, more often than not we tend to refer to the number on our driver's certificate (which serves as proof that we are licenced to drive) as our driver's licence number.
We also don't refer to the storage area at the back of the car as the "boot".
Isn't it marvelous how the English language offers so much flexibility ?

and you guys wonder why we have different photographic paper sizes in different countries? I think the EU members just agreed on a color for different EU passports. well done!

 

[Sirius Glass]

Two people separated by a common language.

 

[faberryman]

If your stuff is stolen, just file a claim on your homeowners insurance. Life is short.

 

[Sirius Glass]

If your stuff is stolen, just file a claim on your homeowners insurance. Life is short.

+1

At today's prices one could replace the equipment for less than it originally cost the owner.

 

[AgX]

I have a driving licence, any automobiles I own, have registration papers. The driving licence number stays with you and is not used again.

I do not even have a driving licence number...

(Though I have a driving licence.)

 

[benjiboy]

Engraving is oldfashioned you just buy a U.V security pen the marking is invisible and permanent,https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001AWT...t=&hvlocphy=9046316&hvtargid=pla-428122459679 and police stations have U.V lamps so they can read them.

 

[removed account4]

i don't engrave anythng or write anything on or inside a camera. i just make sure
it is't CLA'd and runs amok when i use it, and only use slow shutter speeds
( and purposefully over expose my film as a result ) .. so if someone steals my stuff
it will cost them more to get a CLA than the gear is worth .... that is if they can find my stuff ..
i also have gallons of lemon juice on hand and soak most everythng i have of value in that
i was told by people smarter than me it makes everything invisible .. i put it all over my car too
i was also told i have super powers because while no one else can see any of my stuff, I CAN ...
its a lot of fun driving an invisible car and using invisible cameras ! people always see me juse appear out of
no where thinking i am a mime when i tke their picture .. little do they know im no mime !!
problem i have is misplacing them i must have lost a 1/2 dozen cameras and a couple of cars this way.

 

[BradS]

As a consumer of used camera equipment, I find engraving to be an unsightly abomination.

I also find it odd that people engrave both their name and, in some cases, social security number !

 

[Sirius Glass]

I prefer not to engrave my camera equipment. Nor can I think of anything that I would engrave.

 

[MattKing]

Engraving some sort of unique identifier makes sense with valuable equipment that doesn't have individual serial numbers.
It also may make sense to engrave things that need to be kept in matched pairs - I'm thinking of Nikor developing tanks and their lids and caps here.

 

[Luis-F-S]

I had Jack Deardorff engrave a V5 I bought in 1988! Other than that, No!

 

[AgX]

As a consumer of used camera equipment, I find engraving to be an unsightly abomination.

But just this is one of the intended effects.

 

[BradS]

But just this is one of the intended effects.

ah...yes! Brilliantly observed.

 

[benjiboy]

My favourite is the story explained in the first paragraph here. http://www.oxbridgeediting.co.uk/blog/british-and-american-english/

Churchhill's mother was Jenny Jerome who was American, he of all people ought to have known the difference.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Randolph_Churchill

 

[Luckless]

Given how much hate so many people seem to have for engraved equipment, I'm rather sorry that it wasn't even more popular. If Dr. Smith's wife decided to pay for commemorative engraving on something back in the 60's, then I'll happily pay a little less for it now and enjoy the random bit of history from the item. (Before refinishing, plating over, or just ignoring and getting on with my work.)

I could see myself customizing some of my gear eventually, as I would like to learn engraving and inlaying as a hobby at some point, but I don't think I would likely take one of those electric engraving pens to something to scrawl my name over. A few pieces of gear I own have some finish damage in places where I can't readily restore to original finish, but I could totally hide the rework under some fancy engraving work or similar if I ever decide to take the time to make them look a little less beat up.

 

[faberryman]

There is no need to engrave a unique identifier on your equipment. It already has one - the serial number. If you keep your receipts, you have all you need to identify your equipment. Face it: if your gear is stolen, you're never going to see it again; you file a claim with your insurance company and move on.

 

[Dennis-B]

I've never engraved any equipment. In the pre-computer days, I kept everything listed on a good sized spreadsheet by hand; serial numbers, descriptions, costs, etc. When the computer era came along, I'd record the data in Lotus 1-2-3, than later on Microsoft's MS-DOS Multiplan. I finally migrated everything to Excel, and just kept it updated since. Where I was employed we used IBM software, and we kept a lot of equipment records on a program titled ADRS (A Departmental Reporting System). This was the first true "cloud" system.

About a month ago, I found a very nice Mamiya 100-200 f/5.2 zoom for my RZ67. The down side was that it was engraved with a company's "unique" ID. Otherwise, the lens is spotless. The up side? It came in a brand new Pelican 1450 case; lens and case were $135. Price on the case is around $125.

 

[guangong]

Engraving? One of my good friends was a star dealer of Leica and Leitz equipment who, in recognition of his benefit to E. Leitz, was given an M3 with his name engraved on the top plate. Camera stolen from the trunk of his car and camera never recovered. Sad because he was such a kind and generous man.
Best way to protect equipment is to keep it close at hand. Expensive stuff I keep in my fire resistant gun safe along with important manuscripts and works in progress.