Hi fellow Letterheads. Have you ever relied on a "tall tale" to explain to some passer-by just what it is you're doing ? Here's one that I once told to a lady who wanted to know why I was palletting my quill:
"Actually, what I'm doing is turning over the paint so that the glossy side is facing out. If this isn't done properly, this lettering could have some letters that look flat, and that just wouldn't be consistant."
" Well,that makes sense, she replied, and I could tell that she walked away completely believing what I'd told her. Posted by Wayne Osborne (Member # 4569) on :
Got to put the paint on sticky side down Ken
Nice one I've had the "very dark Black" conversation a couple times with clients who get hung up on colours
Posted by Elaine Beauchemin (Member # 136) on :
2 thumbs up!
and i did lol! a chance i had finished my coffee
Posted by Rene Giroux (Member # 4980) on :
Posted by William DeBekker (Member # 3848) on :
My one time where I got Sarcastic with a walker-by blew up in my face and made me feel real bad.
Was lettering our new window on the shop.. Large as life SIGNS was already up. My back is to the sidewalk. Someone asks.. "What's going in here." Without turning around I just replied "A Bordello" (Thinking to myself What a Fool can't you read)
I then look back, there is our Paperboy who is a special needs child with his Father with the most shocking look on his face escorting him on the paper route.
Needless to say I felt about 1" tall while apologizing. Posted by John Lennig (Member # 2455) on :
After hearing the "I knew/saw this signpainter...he'd shake....til his brush set down on the sign/truck,etc., then...Steady as a Rock...." time for me to relate story about the signpainter..."he'd just walk up to the truck/wall etc, and just get letterin'.....didn't even know whose truck/wall it was......." usually silence ...head shaking, maybe...
Posted by Joey Madden (Member # 1192) on :
A woman whose vehicle I just repaired at a body shop once said to me that her son had done pinstriping until he got a real job at McDonalds. She just about had a heart attack when she saw the bill I had given to the shop manager as I said, sure beats an 8 hour day. Years later when I finally came to Oregon I heard many stories from others who watched me stripe while telling me that they used to stripe when they were younger and how they knew Von Dutch, the Kid and others with all the crap they could make up figuring that with my accent I could never have known these persons first hand. I still go through this stuff even though I been out west off and on since 62
Posted by Si Allen (Member # 420) on :
Hahahahaha....must be the accent!
Posted by Sheila Ferrell (Member # 3741) on :
When a customer sees a pounce pattern they always inquire about 'all those little holes' and I say, 'Yeh. I tell ya . . . it just takes hours tracin' around those letters with a straight pin . . . .'
I love their deer-in-the-head-lights expressions.
[ September 04, 2008, 01:07 PM: Message edited by: Sheila Ferrell ]
Posted by David Harding (Member # 108) on :
"Must be the accent"
Naaah... must be the pretzels.
Posted by Cam Bortz (Member # 55) on :
I once told someone, while lettering a window, that I didn't do round letters because I didn't have my union license - and that the sign would be finished whenever the "round letter man" could get to it (I said there were only two in the state, and they were some busy).
Posted by Rod Young (Member # 6707) on :
Sorta on topic, and good for a Friday afternoon fun watch. This is a six minute video "documentary" about the fine profession of the crossword puzzle inker...
Come on Cam, they way you told it in Wales... it was a boat, and the guy was all shook up when you "left"(for lunch) anyway, it was sure fun to hear you tell it, i repeat it once in awhile(giving full credit to you, by the way...)
there is alot that "they" don't know about our calling...
John
Posted by Frank Magoo (Member # 3950) on :
lol John;
Onlookers have always "provided" the entertainment while working in public, questions range from the silly to the incredibly, stupid...such as, "Are you doing that by hand?", "My brother used to do that.", but my all time favorite is the personage that has that clueless look about them and spouts off, "Your so steady, you should have been a brain surgeon.", which I almost always reply, "I was, striping pays better.".....
Naivete is such sweet bliss... Posted by Cam Bortz (Member # 55) on :
Your memory is close to right, John... it was a window (actually a glass door) AT a boatyard. And I did pack up and leave without lettering the Os, Cs and Ss, then came back after lunch to finish.
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