Signwriting - Who did it? - Where - How much?

[huami]

Signwriting - Who did it? - Where - How much?

This forum and you guyz certainly came up trumps with some great information in reply to my "Navigation - Apps or Maps?" ... Thanks to all of you.
Just a couple more weeks and I hope to find a suitable boat (possibly around Braunston, Whilton area?)
I did a forum search for "signwriting" but didn't find any "recent" advice. I would luv to hear of your experience regarding getting the name you wanted on your boat - "Who did it? - Where - How much?".
In my previous businesses (not in the UK) I used a lot of "vinyl stick on" and in general I was very pleased with the results.

 Looking forward to your invaluable comments ...

 Thanks again.

Neil

[nicknorman]

Vinyl is cheap and effective. But signwriting gives a different and much more classic look. The difference is very noticeable. I suppose to some extent it depends on the type of boat you go for. If a modern looking one with no nods to history or tradition, might as well use vinyl. If something with a more classical look to it, vinyl will look out of place.

 

Our sign-writing was done by a chap called Kevin Reagan, I think it cost about £700 in 2011 but it is a large area, expertly executed in several colours. Transforms a boat.

[huami]

5 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

Vinyl is cheap and effective. But signwriting gives a different and much more classic look. The difference is very noticeable. I suppose to some extent it depends on the type of boat you go for. If a modern looking one with no nods to history or tradition, might as well use vinyl. If something with a more classical look to it, vinyl will look out of place.

 

Our sign-writing was done by a chap called Kevin Reagan, I think it cost about £700 in 2011 but it is a large area, expertly executed in several colours. Transforms a boat.

Hi Nick, Thanks for the reply. I'm not a traditionalist although I luv history. I will await replies from both traditionalists and  modernists and eventually make my own decision. 
Thanks again ... Neil

[matty40s]

Russ Thomas, fairgrounds , traction engines and narrowboats.

Glad I paid the £600, well worth it.

[huami]

21 minutes ago, matty40s said:

Russ Thomas, fairgrounds , traction engines and narrowboats.

Glad I paid the £600, well worth it.

and looking very good !
Thanks for the info
Neil

[mrsmelly]

I've had sign written and vinyl. It's a modern boat, never been put to work this one so I went vinyl. Cheap, quick and no Dock needed in case of inclement weather. Beer is expensive, don't waste yer money on name painting. 

[huami]

8 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

I've had sign written and vinyl. It's a modern boat, never been put to work this one so I went vinyl. Cheap, quick and no Dock needed in case of inclement weather. Beer is expensive, don't waste yer money on name painting. 

Nice one! .....Priorities! 
Thanks and have a great start to 2020!
Neil

[Boaty Jo]

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009404195247&__tn__=%2CdC-R-R&eid=ARAsS04FNGYTnuzNAJNQyOBrmB6ncWjTmsMIrmviINtriWKtJ6B2vvModzpluZL-36_zVH6t5laKua36&hc_ref=ARQwwI31d_-TbhlGho8h5uhb4st4EIoVGfNsrAboY2muNamK9Xw-q6WYVu9I2k9fn6c&fref=nf

This guy posts on Facebook, looks to be very good.

[LadyG]

https://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?/search/&q=funkymonkey

[Ray T]

Dave Moore of this parish is excellent if you want traditional style. He doesn’t do “frogs and wine glasses” however. 

Edited December 26, 2019 by Ray T

[Athy]

We used Robert Naghi, who I see has recently joined this forum. He did a fair job for a fair price.

[MikeHing]

https://www.stickonsigns.co.uk

[David Schweizer]

1 hour ago, Ray T said:

Dave Moore of this parish is excellent if you want traditional style. He doesn’t do “frogs and wine glasses” however. 

 Dave Moore's work:-

 

[mark99]

Dave Moore

 

 

 

[huami]

17 minutes ago, David Schweizer said:

Dave Moore of this parish is excellent if you want traditional style. He doesn’t do “frogs and wine glasses” however. 

It looks very nice but I don't think it is what I am looking for.

Also thanks to Mark99

Thanks guyz
Neil

3 hours ago, LadyG said:

https://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?/search/&q=funkymonkey

Thanks LadyG, that was the one I was looking for! I had seen some of their work but couldn't find the website (or remember the name!).
Neil

[cuthound]

Trevor Counsell, £500.

[Rob-M]

Ours was signwritten and roses and castles by Jim McCormack (now retired).

 

[alan_fincher]

The work of Colin Dundas, based on the Grand Union, between Weedon & Nether Heyford.

 

Done as part of the cost of a full back to metal repaint, so I can't say how much just the sign writing would have been...

Unlike many of the "historics", the "British Waterways Transport" logo is not a vinyl - it was meticulously hand painted on each side by Colin.  A vinyl might be more historicaly correct, (we don't know what was used in 1957, on the livery we have now replicated), but those we have had in the the past have quickly lost their colour, (particularly the yellow), and always fail where they have to go over rivet heads.

Edited December 26, 2019 by alan_fincher

[PD1964]

6 hours ago, Athy said:

We used Robert Naghi, who I see has recently joined this forum. He did a fair job for a fair price.

Robert does some excellent work and for what he charges goes well over the top, you won't find better for the price. Check his web site out below.

http://boatpainter-signwriter.co.uk

[Richard T]

Jon Leeson trading as Letter Knight did ours - see my avatar. It cost about £700 6 years ago.. You can contact him via John Barnard at Debdale Wharf. He does traditional work as well as airbrushed or gold leaf things. He also does hot rods etc.

 

[Ally]

We also used Robert Naghi for our own boat, excellent price, lots of ideas and flexibility, open to suggestion. Sheila Smith did our commercial boats, superb but I'm not sure she still does any.

[Athy]

11 hours ago, Ally said:

We also used Robert Naghi for our own boat, excellent price, lots of ideas and flexibility, open to suggestion.

Indeed - we gave him a colour scheme and a lettering design to work with, but he came up with the idea of the Cambridge blue surround to the name panels, which gives depth to the panels and which we greatly like.

Edited December 28, 2019 by Athy

[cheshire~rose]

I would add that it isn't always as straightforward as signwriter versus vinyl.

 

You get a lot more than just a name on your boat when you use a signwriter.

 

I had used signwriters in the past for works vehicles and had been impressed when the discussion with the individual about what I wanted had ended up with them making suggestions I had never even considered and ended up looking far better than my original idea would ever have done. A signwriter is a professional with an artistic flair who can often visualise the finished article far better than many of us can.

 

We used Robert Naghi for our previous boat (he painted the entire boat so I can't suggest how much the signwriting was) He painted it under a motorway bridge. We both had the same idea of the name being on the rear panel of the boat like it had been before:

This is before he painted it and the name and scroll further forward are in vinyl:

 

 

When he saw the boat he said he felt the name would look much better filling the panel on the side. We had never considered that and it felt like a very bold change but, knowing how I had put my trust in signwriters before we went with it and he was so right!

 

 

He did all the Celtic scrollwork and rope patterns on the deckboard and on the hatch too. Even 5 years later people were saying how good our boat looked and we would happily use him for signwriting again.

 

Roll forward a few years and we got this chap who is also known as "Signy Steve" to do Python's signwriting:

 

 

After doing loads of research into what the specifics of the font size and colours should be I got in touch with him and he said oh yes, I have done a few before and just got on and did it in that way that signwriters make it all look so infuriatingly easy I can certainly recommend him

 

Next on our list is to get Delhi repainted next year.  She is booked in with Dan at "Lost Art" who has come very highly recommended to us.

https://www.facebook.com/pg/LostArtPainters/photos/?ref=page_internal

 

There are a lot of very good signwriters out there but one of the problems you may encounter is that those who do full boat repaints that are good - like Andy Russell for example, tend to have a very long waiting list. They may be able to slot in a quick signwriting job but probably prefer to work their way through their 2 year plus waiting list. We were fortunate to get a slot with Dan because although he has been producing some great quality work for a long time through a boatyard he was working for he has only releatively recently started out on his own and has not yet built up a long waiting list.

 

[cheshire~rose]

I will also add; if you decide to go with vinyl and want the colour of the letters  to match a colour of the paint on the boat, perhaps some stripes or lines you have for example. You should choose your vinyl colour first and match the paint to it as not all paint shades are available in vinyl. Of course it doesn't end there because the pigment in the paint will oxidise at a different rate to the pigment in the vinyl so it's probably better to avoid any attempt at a match. 

[frangar]

On 26/12/2019 at 08:27, Ray T said:

Dave Moore of this parish is excellent if you want traditional style. He doesn’t do “frogs and wine glasses” however. 

Another vote for Dave Moore. But then I’m a lover of the tradition & history of the cut....