When Shape and Design Complement Each Other

If the design of the product is integrated with the design of the engine turning the results will be a more unified product. This 18ct gold lighter is an example that also shows just how far you can go with the "technical drawing on metal" analogy to create exactly whatever you like!

OK, I hear you say, that lighter is going to retail for about £15+k UKP (2006 prices), so you can afford to spend a day engine turning it. True, but this is just a design example. There are plenty of ways to even reproduce this design economically if necessary, given the right product and materials, but this exact design is not the point - the example of using imagination and creativity with a very versatile design medium is what I am trying to convey.

After careful marking out the pattern is carefully constructed on straight line and circular machines.

The sharper corners are carried over with a file. This is an all over pattern.

The button was also cut to match. Getting all the joins between the straight lines and arcs to be invisible was quite an art. Not surprisingly we don't do many of these, though the principle is good and there are many cheaper and easier things that can be constructed like this.