Wood you can stamp with a homemade punch.
I have made several and they aren't terrible. 
 Peter made me a real beauty!   2 actually.
The stamps are superb but the artwork is the real deal! 
End grain wood takes a brilliant mark!

 Brass, you aren't marking so much.  Steel, even soft steel, forget it.
 To mark metal you purchase an expensive piece of gear. A sharp face 
stamp it's called.
 If someone comes across a good deal for a best quality custom cut steel 
marking stamp, please let me know!
 I want a copy of Peter's design in a sharp face stamp, in the worst way!
 Last quote I got was $140, btw. 
 
    You can drill and carve soapstone or onyx and probably several other 
kinds of soft stone like it was hard wood.
You could drill a shallow hole with a forstner and carve your letters in 
that and cast raised lettered disks if you want.
 Drill a little deeper than you want because you will want to flatten 
the back of the medallion some.
 
  Not kidding how easy it is to get the letters backwards!! If you have 
any trace of dyslexia at all, call for a second opinion before you cut!  
:-)
    yours, Scott

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   Scott Grandstaff
   Box 409 Happy Camp, Ca  96039
   scottg@s...
   http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/sgrandstaff/
   http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/hpages/index.html

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