They mentioned a lot of what we agree with – below is a summary. Many of their statements are mirrored in our recent post on the topic.

• It is often wise to partner with a professional who has experience in the development and distribution of promotional products
• The more positive experiences that consumers have, the more apt they are to purchase products and services
• Some psychologists suggest that familiarity leads to liking.
• The best way to increase familiarity is to give away promotional items.

Check out the rest of the article here and more tips on marketing your business here.

5 piece Bamboo BBQ Set

I started using the 5 piece BBQ set last year and have to say, it has the best bbq utensils. Using this grilling set actually makes grilling more enjoyable.

The long reach handles are perfect for reaching your food in the far back of the grill without burning yourself. The spatula not only has the bottle opener, but is also a nice size for getting under those larger burgers for flipping.

Let me tell you, the knife is extremely sharp and cuts through steak like butter! The fork is great for poking holes in potatoes, too!

Everything is so sturdy. I love being able to keep the utensils all together in the case, which are securely kept in with Velcro and elastic bands, so nothing falls out when you open the case. If you enjoy grilling, I really do recommend this item.

Best Friends Picture Frame

Best Friend’s are precious – and a gift! When we have cherished memories of times with our best friends, we want to preserve those memories – in our minds, and also by using photos of the good times together.

The best way to remember those good times is to get together with your friends – relive the memories and recall the funny moments.

The second best way? A custom, laser engraved best friends picture frame – with your name, their name, the location of THAT incident, the date you will never forget.

Here are some ideas for your next Best Friends Picture Frame – whether it is a gift for your friend or just a way for you to remember the memory.

Idea 1
Pick out and personalize a best friends picture frame. Get one for each friend in the photograph (and yourself of course), and then insert the photo into the frame before you send the gift to your friends!

Black & Silver Best Friends Photo Frame

Idea 2
Not only can you personalize the photo frame with your names, location or text – but you can laser engrave clipart or photographs ONTO the frame! We have a gallery of clipart to choose from, or you can send in your own. Fill in the sides with symbols and images, and engrave your text on the top and bottom for a unique frame.

Idea 3
Personalize your best friends picture frame with a funny quote, special note or the name of a place you’ve visited together. What would make them smile and laugh just at the thought? What phrase became the trademark of your time together?

Ready to get started? Design your frame in your favorite layout program (CorelDraw or Adobe Illustrator for instance) and then send your layout in, or our design experts can create a unique frame for you if you just let us know what to laser and where!

Click here to get started shopping our Best Friends Picture Frames.

Custom engraved Divergent knife

What do you get a movie star to celebrate an exciting new role? A custom engraved Buck Nobleman knife is the answer! Lazer Designs is excited to be part of celebrating the launch of Divergent, the new film adaptation of Veronica Roth’s book, by custom engraving these stylish pocket knives for the cast.

Divergent knifes with movie title on handle, and character name on blade

Complete with their character’s name on the blade and the movie title on the handle, be on the lookout for these knives to be seen around Hollywood!

Check out who will be holding a Lazer Designs custom creation as new casting announcements are made and we see who is joining Shailene Woodley, Theo James and Kate Winslet in this highly anticipated production. Film is in theaters May 2015 but you can get a custom engraved knife anytime!

Spyderco Endura4 Stainless Handle C10

Spyderco has been around for years and has made a name in the knife community for their unique, quality blades and handles.  We here at Lazer Designs are excited to offer you laser engraving on these great knives.

This is the perfect choice for an thank you gift, safety award, birthday gift or Christmas present.  View our Custom Spydercos to check out all the models (and colors!), including the Byrd line and, for a smaller design, the micro-sized Bug knives!

To learn more about Spyderco blade edge grinds, see our blog post on the different types of Spyderco edge grinds!

My favorite Spyderco is the Rescue series – I love the blade and few extra features. I’ve carried one for years. Our most popular custom Spyderco knives are the Police model, the USA made Manix, the stainless steel Endura and Delica, and the Byrd line, Cara Cara and Meadowlark.

This is the start of a series of blog posts where we’ll look at viability of promotional items, and then get into how to effectively use them to grow our businesses and motivate our teams.

Promotional products continue to work. Why? Take a look around you, how many promotional items are near you right now? On my desk (granted I may have more than some people), I count 4, in my bag are 2, at my house are countless…. many of them are promotional pens.

Summary of facts:

• People want them! Useful, colorful items will always be “in”!
• People receiving a promotional item remember the name of the company imprinted on it
• It is more likely that people eventually shop at the company that gave away the promo item
• Consider these stats and then plan your next promo item giveaway!

Want proof? Here are the stats!

According to a 2005 study conducted by Georgia Southern University, recipients of promotional products have a significantly more positive opinion of a business through: more positive overall image, more positive perception of the business, higher likelihood of recommending the business as well as a higher likelihood of patronizing the business.

Cost-per-impression is VERY low, depending on the item and can be MUCH cheaper than traditional advertising when you take into account that the promotional item will be around for potentially YEARS getting repeat impressions from the recipients circle of influence.

Check out this study, with key parts in bold:

A study of business travelers at DFW Airport revealed that 71 percent of business people reported having received a promotional product in the last 12 months. Of that group, 33.7 percent had the item on their person and 76.1 percent could recall the advertiser’s name! 52 percent of that group did business with the advertiser after receiving the promotional product and 52.1 percent reported their impression of the advertiser was more favorable after receiving the item.

Need help determining what is the perfect giveaway or incentive for your company? Call us, we’d love to help come up with a plan!

Next up, things to consider when choosing a promotional item to market your business.

The Leatherman Wave is one of Leatherman’s classic, large tools. You may have given a personalized Leatherman Wave as a gift in the past – make sure the recipient knows about this!

See new Leatherman tools for 2013 here.

Happy lanyard-ing!

Do you give ribbons or trophies which collect dust and end up in a box? Why not give prizes that are truly USEFUL that the recipients will hold on to for years?

Our customers love customizing bottle openers and carabiner keychains with laser engraving – with placements and the tournament name! Here are a few examples:

[Show as slideshow]

We can laser the individual, personalized places on the disc golf awards – we normally charge $0.60 each for this personalizing service, in addition to the price of the item. We can group by color/style as well, whatever your needs are. Click on the links above for some ideas, or check out all our custom shaped bottle openers, carabiner keychains or other custom awards.

What is the best disc golf award you have given out or received? Share in the comment box below!

Seahawks receive NFC championship rings

….. Most of the players immediately started wearing the rings. A number lined up in a conference room to meet with Jostens representatives about ordering auxiliary pieces for friends and family members.

The Seahawks added one special feature to the rings — a tiny image of a carabiner, an oval metal ring used in mountain climbing.

Before the season, accomplished climber Ed Viesturs gave a motivation speech to the team. Viesturs gave each player a carabiner, and the players received another – either blue or green and inscribed with motivational phrases — after each victory.

“We thought the look of it just came out perfect,” Ruskell said.

[ read full article on espn ]

The item they used was the 3″ Carabiner clip, available here. You can see the image of the rings here.

Go Seahawks!

What creative ways do you use carabiners for motivation?

The boy suffered non-life-threatening injuries — scrapes and puncture wounds to his face, according to park officials.

His father was able to fight off the cat by stabbing it with a pocket knife.

To continue reading, go to Big Bend mountain lion attacks boy, 6, at San Antonio News

On many Spyderco knife models you have a choice of one of the below edge grinds.

Plain Edge – a sharpened edge with no serrations or teeth, sometimes referred to as a “smooth” edge.	SpyderEdge – An edge featuring Spyderco’s two-step serration pattern consisting of one large and two small serrations. This pattern increases the cutting edge’s surface area by up to 24%	Combination Edge – A blade with an edge that is partially Plain Edge and partially SpyderEdge (The preferred Edge Style of this author)

Which edge do you prefer, and why? Let us know in the Comments below!

Picked your Edge? Now Personalize your knife, click here to get started!

Here are a few ideas on how to grow your photography business. Share your experiences in the comment section!

1. Be active on social sites – sites like facebook and flickr are photo rich, great opportunities to show off your amazing shots
2. Design your website around showing off your photos (use wordpress.org and a good photo business theme)
3. Setup your business on all the big directories (Google Places, yahoo maps, mapquest, superpages, citcysearch)
4. Get connected on the wedding websites – weddingwire.com for instance
5. Offer your clients the option to buy their photographs off your laser engraved, customized usb drives – easier to use than a CD, useful for years, plus it has your logo and name on it!
6. Always follow up with a thank you card or gift and ask for referrals. Ask something specific, like “Do you have any other friends who have just had babies that would like photographs done?”

Good luck!

• Name of recipient
• Purpose of gift/award (ie. Happy Birthday or For Outstanding Customer Service)
• Accomplishment (serious or fun, for example, 100 Sites Installed, or Best Office Prankster Award)
• Date (of the occasion you’re celebrating, or a significant day in the past)
• Company Logo (Here’s how to send it)
• Clipart of a hobby, occupation, passion or just something to make the recipient smile (IE, dog, cat, medical symbol, star of life, maltese cross, coffee cup, etc.  Check out our gallery here.)
• Photo (yes, you can engrave photos on some items!  Click here for some examples and here for information on how to send them to us!)
• Quote (try sites like Quote Garden for a wide selection on a variety of topics!)
• Inside joke
• Sentimental memory

Now that your creative juices are flowing, what would YOU add to this list?  Share below for the benefit of others!

What are you waiting for?  Order your knife now, and don’t go another day without being prepared.

(Already have a knife?  Great!  Let us know in the comments what you carry and why you are glad you do!)

Rescue Knife in use during a camping trip

“If you haven’t yet discovered the joy of having a quality knife, you owe it to yourself to learn”

When I was 10 years old, my father gave my sister and me our first pocket knives for Christmas. Mine was a two-blade Old Timer knife. Being a bit of a tomboy, I loved that thing. I used it for trimming my toenails and eating apples, as well as very useful things like peeling the bark off sticks. I lost that knife 14 years later at the airport when I forgot to remove it from my back pack. I have only the scar on my thumb from the time I cut myself rather deeply to remember it by.

Knives (especially customized ones) are a wonderful and practical gift for just about anyone old enough to handle one safely. There are a multitude of good knives out there – from a small single blade pocket knife to a hefty, do-it-all Leatherman tool. You are guaranteed to find one for any recipient on your list. Here’s a few ideas:

For the housewife, try a Buck Gent, small and lightweight, but more than able to handle opening envelopes and packages, cutting off tags, and any other task that requires a quick sharp blade.

For the hunter, how about a sturdy knife able to gut your prey as well come in handy around camp as you prepare meals and split kindling?  There’s even camo handles (and pink camo for the gals!).

For an EMT, firefighter, outdoorsman, or police officer, a rescue knife is an ideal gift; whether they are on the job, in the car, camping, or just hanging out at home, these tools come in handy.  With features like flashlights, glass breakers, sharp blades, and/or seat belt cutters, you can’t go wrong!

Ah, groomsmen.  While shot glasses and cuff links are nice, why not gift them with a knife that will last them years and never go out of style?  Personalize the blade or handle and you’ll be the groom-of-the-year. (And while we’re at it, more petite knives make fantastic and unique gifts for the ladies of the wedding party as well!)

Let’s not forget graduates, mothers and fathers, bosses, secretaries, anglers, veterans, pastors, and teachers…the list goes on. And, of course, it just makes the gift that much more special when you personalize it with a name, quote, date, or inside joke.  Who wouldn’t want a customized pocket knife?

In the comment section below, share with us your favorite memory of a knife you used to own or currently use – what makes a good knife to you?

Let us help you this year. We offer quality, personalized gifts, and you can find something for everyone on your list! From Buck knife to Thermos to bbq tools to fleece vest, your only difficulty will be choosing among your options!

Here are some ideas from a couple of the dads on the Lazer Team:

The Father’s Frame!  Personalize below the photo hole with names, a date, or a fun quote.

Is your dad into fishing, hunting or cycling? We have a custom photo frame for that!

A Buck Flashpoint!  Stylish and handy, with a clip for versatile carrying, this one is always a winner.

Great curves, great feel. Read one Lazer Dad’s review of his Buck Flashpoint

Bottle and Can Opener.  Who doesn’t need one?  Especially one that has a unique engraving just for dad.

Round Marble Paperweight.  Engrave this with special words to remind dad during the workday how much he is loved, or with a family photo for a unique and memorable gift!

Personalized car mats, a great way to help Dad’s commute go by!

Personalize with clipart, a quote or a saying that makes your Dad smile.

So, there’s a few suggestions to get you going!  Need more Father’s Day gift ideas?

If you just can’t decide, give us a call at 877-365-2737 or drop a line to info@lazerdesigns, and we’ll be glad to help you find the perfect, customized gift!

In the comments section, let us know what amazing Father’s Day gifts you received or gave this year!

It has never let me down! It has a great combo edge blade which comes in handy. It is not slippery even when wet, and holds a pretty good edge.

Recently, I had the opportunity to upgrade to the Buck Flashpoint – in my opinion, a much sleeker feeling, stylish and more functional knife because it has a carabiner clip on the end, so I can clip it on a pack or loop if I don’t want to carry in my pocket.

What are the differences in the Buck Redpoint and Buck Flashpoint, you ask? Well, let’s compare the two.

COMPARISON OF THE BUCK REDPOINT AND BUCK FLASHPOINT

Buck Redpoint (click to personalize and see more info) Engraved Price: $36.00 to $27.26

Buck Flashpoint (click to personalize and see more info) Engraved Price: $52.50 to $40.37

Blade Length: 2 3/4″(7 cm) Blade Material: 420HC Stainless Steel Blade Serrated: Yes Carry System:  Belt Clip Handle Material: Thermoplastic with Rubber Overmold, Blue Length Closed: 4 3/8″(11.1 cm) Locking: Yes One Hand: Yes Weight: 2.9 oz.(82.6 g) Key Features: SafeSpin open/close, all weather grip, Bottle opener on end Other notes: Easier to use bottle opener than Flashpoint but lacks carabiner Style: Function: Blade Sharpness: Perfect for: Safety Awards, Thank you gifts, customer appreciation gifts Available colors: Black, Blue, Gray, Yellow

Blade Length:   2 7/8″ (7.3 cm) Blade Material:   420HC Blade Serrated:   Yes Carry System:   Carabineer clip & Belt Clip Handle Material:   Anodized aluminum Length Closed:   4 1/2″ (11.4 cm) Locking:   Yes One Hand: Yes Weight:   4 oz. (113.9 g) Key Features: SafeSpin open/close, bottle opener & carabiner on end Other notes: Slides in pocket easier than Redpoint with smooth anodized aluminum body Style: Function: Blade Sharpness: Perfect for: Safety Awards, Thank you gifts, graduation gifts, camping and outdoors Available colors: Black, Blue, Orange

Which knife do you prefer and why? Share in the comments! If you found this review helpful, please share it with friends and co-workers!

A great way (especially with gas prices the way they are!) to reward and recognize your team is with gas cards or grocery cards.

Consider the Kroger family of stores gift cards – if ordered through your favorite charity, Kroger gives 5% of the value to the charity – for the life of the card!

So you can give a small gift or token of appreciation, and give back at the same time, and then when the recipient reloads it – 5% goes back to the charity!

We did this here at LazerDesigns and gave back to Global Refugee International – GRI with some gas/grocery cards for our entire team. Each time Team Lazer members reload their card, GRI gets 5%.

Do you have a non-profit? Learn more here and sign up, and post in the comments a link to your webpage or facebook page so we can check out your cause!

Buck Vantage *MADE IN THE USA*

Custom engraved Buck Knives are one of many items and brands we carry that are proudly made in USA.

Many Buck Knives are made in their Idaho plant, and some Buck Knives are made overseas – how do you tell which Buck knives are made in the USA, which ones are made in China?

Update on 3/12/2013: Today, Buck makes 88% of their knives in Idaho, USA, and 12% overseas. They continue to work hard to bring more and more production to the United States.

Here’s our handy list, with  many of the common Buck Knife models. This is not a comprehensive list, but may get you started. Wondering about a knife not here? Send us an email and we’ll let you know.

If you find this list helpful, please share it on your social networks and support Made in USA items!

Remember that any Buck Knife carries with it Buck’s famous Forever Warranty, and we find that Buck Knives made in China still have superb quality and durability.

WHERE ARE BUCK KNIVES MADE LIST

BUCK KNIVES MADE IN USA

BUCK KNIVES MADE OVERSEAS

Buck Ecolite 110 Buck Ecolite 112 Buck Ranger Skinner 113 Buck Quickfire 288 Buck 55, 055 Buck Folding Hunter 110 Buck Squire 501 Buck Gent 525 Buck Knight 505 Buck Vantage 340 Buck Vantage 345 Buck Vantage 346 Buck Vantage 347 Buck SpitFire Buck Omni Hunter 10pt 390 Buck Folding Omni Hunter 10pt 395 Buck Omni Hunter 12pt 392, 393 Buck Folding Omni Hunter 12pt 397, 398 Buck Alpha Hunter 194, 193, 694, 693 Buck Folding Alpha Hunter 279, 278 Buck Folding Alpha Hunter Rosewood 277, 276 Buck Mini Alpha Hunter, 195, 196 Buck Mini Alpha Hunter Camo Buck Alpha Dorado, 271, 270 Buck Bantam Nano 283 Buck Bantam BBW 284 – black, camo or pink camo Buck Bantam BLW 285 – black, camo or pink camo Buck Bantam BHW 286 – black, camo or pink camo Buck Metro 759 Buck Prince 503 Buck Ranger 112 Buck X-Tract 730 The Lux line 014, 015, 016 The Paklite Field Master and other Paklites 141 TOPS CSAR-T line Vantage Force 845, 846, 847 Solitaire, 302 Duet, 306 Folding ErgoHunter, 598, 597, 595 ErgoHutner, 498, 497, 495 ErgoHunter WaterFowler, 492, 491, 490 ErgoHunter Caping Knife 571, 570 Ergo Hunter Boning Knife 581, 580 BuckLite MAX line Buck Zipper 191, 691 Buck Vanguard 192, 692 Special, 119 Pathfinder, 105 Skinner, 103 Woodsman, 102 Smidgen, 160 Buck Hartsook Ultralite Rush, 290 Impulse, 292 Paradigm Line MiniBuck, 425 Stockman, 301 Lancer, 305 Companion, 309 Cadet 303 Buck Bantam Nano Orange Camo 283 Buck Bantam Nano Pink Camo 283 Bantam BBW Orange Camo 284 Buck Bantam BLW Orange Camo 285 Buck Bantam BHW Orange Camo 286 Buck Omni Hunter 12PT Blaze Orange Camo 394 Buck Folding Omni Hunter 10PT Blaze Orange Camo 396

Buck Revel 766 Buck FlashPoint 770 Buck Redpoint 750 Buck X-Tract LED 731 Buck Nobleman, 327 Buck Colleague 325 Buck Scholar 326 Bones, 870, 869 Silver Creek Versa, 222 and the entire Silver Creek line Parallex, 318, 316 Camp Axe, 757 Folding Saw, 755 Bones, 870, 869 Stockman 371 Trio 373 Deuce 375 Solo 379 Large Trapper 384 Canoe 389 Buck Flashpoint LE Titanium Blade 770 Buck Redpoint Rescue Knife Buck Nobleman Carbon Fiber Handle, Titanium Blade

Do you have any additions, corrections to this list? Post in the comments below! What is your experience with Buck knives made in the USA vs. knives made in China?

A challenge we’ve solved!

Outdoor Plaques installed by Morris Squire

These Lazer Stone plaques are outdoor safe, durable and elegant, and Morris Squire put them to great use as shown to left and in their blog post here.

Lazer Stone outdoor plaques can be used for pet memorials, memorial plaques or any where a stone-like plaque is needed.

These custom outdoor plaques are not actual stone, but solid acrylic - better than stone in many respects:

• Lighter than stone
• If it gets scratched, scuffed, or otherwise damaged, a quick buff with 300 grit sand paper restores the finish to new!
• When applying a sealant to the plaque, they are protected from UV radiation and the elements

Pet Memorial Stone

One great benefit to these plaques is they can be color filled in any color – or even multiple colors!

These plaques are made in Colorado, are laser engraved in our Broomfield, Colorado facility.

How do you make the Lazer Stone Plaques Outdoor Safe?

By spraying the plaque with a paint sealant or urethane sealant, you will seal in the color filled engraving and the plaque – protecting it from harmful UV rays and the elements.

Multiple colors on outdoor safe plaques

Morris Squire found that Varathane, from Home Depot, and 8 to 10 thin coats gives years of protection to the custom plaques.

You can also request that they be “Made Outdoor Safe” when placing your order with us and we’ll do the work for you.

How will you use your custom outdoor plaques? Send us your photos, we love to see them in use!

Here at Lazer Designs, we get to review A LOT of logos and images.  Sometimes they are ready to be lasered, and sometimes, well, sometimes they need a little work.  When it comes to laser engraving, or just about any other printing method, the better the input artwork, the better the output!

		This image is LOW quality, and would not laser as well as a higher resolution image. The jagged edges may come across when lasered. (this was a .gif used on a webpage)
		This image is higher quality, with crisp edges, and would laser well. (this was a 300dpi .PNG file)

If you’re not sure how your art will look or if you can’t find a high resolution image, just email your logo to us ahead of time and we’ll take a look and provide any tips and feedback. Remember to tell us what you want to engrave it on – some surfaces are more forgiving than others!

Sometimes we will be able to recreate or clean up low quality art.  We are experts with cleaning up artwork and sometimes there is no charge.  If a charge does apply, we will ALWAYS contact you before charging you any additional fees.

What about lasering my logo on Apparel?

Apparel (especially fleece) does not show small details as well as other substrates, so we have to be sure details are large enough to show up.

Follow these guidelines for lasering your artwork onto custom apparel:

• Files must be at least 100dpi in one of the following formats (.JPEG or .PNG) or vector art
• Files must be black, no color or gradients
• Fonts smaller than 30 point will not work!
• Images must be block style. Any fine detail will not show when lasered in fleece! (see diagram)

Other textiles, such as denim, some synthetics and dyed cotton may show smaller details very nicely.

Can you laser engrave photographs?

One last important tip: if you have already placed an order with us, reference your order number in any correspondence – doing so will save time and help us serve you better!

Please call or e-mail with any questions or if you would like a quote on your artwork!

How do you help avoid buyers remorse? Of course, a quality event is paramount – but don’t forget about memorable goodie bags!

Goody bags are a great way to add value to your event! People go home after the event, and see what favors and goodies they received – adding positive feelings to the event and your organization.

Let’s look at a few pointers on how to plan a successful goodie bag promotion and how to make goodie bags with these goodie bag ideas:

• Ask neighboring businesses to chip in – many are willing to send in promotional items with their name/logo on them (try hospitals, financial groups, athletic stores and services, chiropractors, restaurants in area)

• If you’ll have different age groups or different demographics, put some thought into having two separate goodie bags for each group

• Did we mention restaurants? Free food and free food coupons are wildly popular! Many restaurants not only will provide coupons for the perfect goodie bag item, they are prepared to have a booth with free samples of their delicious offerings.

• Favors in the goodie bags should match your theme if possible – if a golf event, include golf tees, divot repair tools, golf pencils, etc. If a race, include sun screen, lip balm, water bottles, etc.

• If you have ability to choose the imprint on the promotional items, remember it is All in the imprint – put thought into a quality, relevant imprint. Make sure it makes sense to the recipients. Your business name may not mean anything and get little response, but an invitation for a free sample or report, or your unique selling proposition, that may pique interest and encourage people to logon to your site to learn more.

• Do you get local businesses interested, but not committed? Why not help them by asking for a donation, promising them you’ll do the work of providing a relevant, quality promotional item? Provide them with photos of the promotional gifts you plan to include in the goodie bag, and offer to include their logo. Sometimes, businesses want to be involved but lack the resources or time to plan, so the have to drop out. This is a great way to get ideas for goodie bags – talk to businesses, ask them if they have ideas, and then call us and finalize the ideas!

• Don’t forget about food! Food coupons, food gift certificate raffles or silent auctions, travel size samples in the goodie bags (bananas, apples, fruit drinks, bars, cookies) and restaurant tables with free samples

Remember, we provide many customized, small items perfect for goodie bags! Browse our site or contact us for personalized help and ideas. Our sales team loves putting together successful goodie bag promotions (we do it for a living after all), so give us a call if you need help.

Any other ideas for a great goodie bag? What’s the best thing you’ve ever received from a goodie bag at an event?

This is a combination you probably have never seen before. A grapefruit. A laser engraver. A shark. And blue color fill paint.

Grapefruit, anyone? Way to go Aaron and Bryce, Grapefruit Engraving Gurus!

Laser Engraved Grapefruit

Laser Engraved Grapefruit Color Filled

Display your memories for all to enjoy on personalized digital frames

Digital Picture Frame

Highlight your special Valentine’s Day memory with a personalized Valentine’s Day photo frame!

Be Mine Sweethearts Frame

Celebrate each other and toast to your love with many fine wine gifts.

Wine Bottle Presentation Box (wine not included)

Give the gift of music, with a custom laser engraved iPod!

• iPod Touch 8GB

Customized Car Mats, a unique gift and long lasting for that special someone in your life.

Personalized Car Mats - set of 4

Snuggle up with your Valentine in this super soft, warm personalized blanket.

Super Plush Valentine's Sweethearts Fleece Blanket

What gifts are you giving your Valentine this February 14th? Share your ideas with us!

 

Leatherman Sidekick Carabiner Accessory

The Sidekick and Wingman are tools geared toward the first time tool buyer. Not sure you need a Leatherman Wave or Skeletool? Does your team need a quality, American made safety award without all the heft and extra features? The Sidekick and Wingman are the tools for you.

Your logo, names or message is permanently laser etched onto the body panels on the front or back of these engraved Leatherman tools.

So what is the difference in the Sidekick and Wingman? The biggest difference right off is the Sidekick has 1 extra tool – the Carabiner Accessory, which can clip, has a hex bit driver and opens bottles. The Sidekick also features a saw while the Wingman features scissors and a package opener. The Sidekick includes a nice leather sleeve.

CUSTOMIZED LEATHERMAN SIDEKICK PERSONALIZED YOUR SIDEKICK NOW	CUSTOMIZED LEATHERMAN WINGMAN PERSONALIZE YOUR WINGMAN NOW
15 Tools Spring-action Needlenose Pliers Spring-action Regular Pliers Spring-action Wire Cutters 420HC Knife 420HC Serrated Knife Wood/Metal File Saw Small Screwdriver Medium Screwdriver Phillips Screwdriver Ruler (1.5 in) Bottle Opener Can Opener Wire Stripper Carabiner Accessory: Hex Bit Driver and Bottle Opener Great for: Fishing, bicycling, sailing, camping	14 Tools Spring-action Needlenose Pliers Spring-action Regular Pliers Spring-action Wire Cutters 420HC Combo Knife Package Opener Wood/Metal File Scissors Small Screwdriver Medium Screwdriver Phillips Screwdriver Ruler (1.5 in) Bottle Opener Can Opener Wire Stripper Great for: Fishing, camping, sailing, Do-it-yourself home use

Both tools feature:

If you are looking for uses for your traditional carabiner, take a look at these 55 useful and fun things to do with a carabiner keychain and this video with 4 more ideas.

carabiner clip holding camera - perfect for timed shots!

carabiners make great zipper pulls - also can clip sunscrean, bug spray or water bottles onto pack easily

carabiners help hold up tarps over campsites - who would've guessed?

Sunni holding a "small" sample of the squash grown by our very own Susan Durst

Some may think of squash as just another sport we don’t understand here in the U.S. (learn more from the World Squash Federation).

Now check out this squash! The giant Zucchini variety. We have talents among our team members other than laser engraving!  Master gardener Susan coaxed this beauty out of her summer garden. Her secret?  Lots of equine fertilizer ( horse poop ).

Lasker Consulting redesigned and redeveloped our website, so we can better serve you!

What will you find on the new website?

• Easier to order product pages
• More context help as you personalize your product
• Easier to navigate
• More photographs of products to help you make a buying decision
• Better product review system (don’t forget to review what you purchased and used!)
• A better back end system that you won’t see, but is at work making it easier to get your awards and marketing items on time!

We hope you love it! If you have any suggestions, just email them to us!

While we were at it, we developed a custom URL shortener, to make it easier to share information with our customers and friends online. You can now go to lzer.it/C8 to load item C8 for example.

We hope you find the new site easy to use and useful – we’re here to serve you, and the website is one extension of that effort.

Leave your comments about the new site below!

	XL50	XL100	XL200
Date Released	Q3 2010	Q1 2010	Q3 2011
Lumens	104	83	172
Max Distance	145 m	134 m	138 m
Size	4.8″Long x 1″ Diameter	4.8″Long x 1″ Diameter	4.8″Long x 1″ Diameter
Weight w/ batteries	3.68oz	3.68oz	3.68oz
Batteries	3-AAA	3-AAA	3-AAA
Presentation box?	Yes	Yes	Yes
Run time	High: 8hrs 45min; Low: 35hrs	High: 5hrs 15min; Low: 201hrs	High: 2hrs 30min; Low: 218hrs
Modes	High Power, 25% Power, Strobe	Normal, Strobe, Nite Lite, Signal, SOS, Lockout, Variable Power	High Power, Strobe, Nite Lite, Signal, SOS
Other features	Click sequence for mode selection	Accelerometer and click sequence, rotate to right or left for “Variable Power Level”	Click sequence for mode selection, accelerometer used for Lock Out mode and “Variable Power Level,” adjustable brightness with memory
Accelerometer?	No	Yes	Yes
Great for	Do-it-yourselfers, handy men, utility companies, electricians, plumbers	Tactical minded, gadget lovers, hunters,	Hunters, fishermen, outdoors people, tactical minded,
Summary	Easy to use, 3 modes, good light output for less price, longest run time of 3 lights,  (read review at led-resource.com)	Lots of features, good “geek” factor with accelerometer features, variable power is nice option (read review)	Combines XL50′s ease of use with XL100′s features, best light output of the 3 lights, adjustable brightness with memory is nice, short run time on high setting (read review)
Personalization Available?	Yes	Yes	Yes
Price with personalization (laser etching in 1 location) - No Setup fee, No minimum order, - Laser logos, text, initials, dates, etc - Prices subject to change	1    $37.10 6    $31.00 12    $29.00 24    $25.06 50    $24.56 100    $24.30 250    $23.91 500    $23.56 (order today and check latest)	1    $43.00 6    $37.90 12    $35.90 24    $31.35 50    $30.70 100    $30.30 250    $30.00 500    $29.66 (order today and check latest)	1    $46.00 6    $41.23 12    $39.23 24    $34.68 50    $34.03 100    $33.63 250    $33.33 500    $32.99 (order today and check latest)

Did you find this helpful? Any features we missed? Tell us about it in the comment section!

Ever need your tent stake just a little bit snugger? Or that cord holding the tarp down just a smidge snugger? Well, you don’t have to undo the entire thing and redo it to get it tighter. Just use your carabiner keychain!

• #56: Tighten rope or cord
• #57: Entertaining babies
• #58: Hang a camcorder or accessories from your hammock
• #59: Hang car keys while camping in car or tent

How do you use your carabiner clips? Share below! See more creative ways we use carabiners: uses 1 to 55 and 20 uses for Sbiners.

• After a big project or in the middle of a busy week, get everyone on the team smoothies or coffee – it will help boost energy and keep everyone motivated to finish the project well
• Have a “Frisbee Memo Day” where memos are delivered attached to a frisbee (get a soft one, like Trek Flight Pocket Flyer)
• Have a company massage day – bring in a massage therapist for an afternoon. It will help keep everyone alert, relaxed and productive! (we used to have a monthly massage day at LazerDesigns, it rocked!)

Subscribe to our blog for more tips on growing your business and motivating employees!

What quick and easy things do you do to keep everyone focused and excited?

We needed small tokens for our retreat, and the pocket crosses from LazerDesigns.com were perfect! When we received the crosses I was more than pleased. Wow!! They looked great!! We will be using LazerDesigns for all our gift needs. Thank you so much for your professional work.
Brenda T
Florida

Thank you Brenda for the opportunity to work with you!

What is the most memorable token you have received at an event? Did it help make the event, theme or message more memorable?

Did you run at the 2010 race? Will you be running in 2011? Comment below if you are!

The two most popular types? Buck Knives and Leatherman Tools. Who wouldn’t want a high quality, useful tool or blade that will last their lifetime?

Check out what Nate C., from Seabrook, Texas said about his Leatherman Freestyle’s:

I was looking for some groomsmen gifts for my upcoming wedding, and decided on the Leatherman Freestyle from LazerDesigns.com because of their great pricing and customer service. The order showed up on time and everyone loved their gifts. All of my groomsmen said it’s the best gift they’ve ever received for a wedding!
Nate C., Seabrook Texas

Thank you for your order Nate, and best wishes for your future family!

Here are a few of my top picks as unique and memorable Father’s Day Gifts. What are your ideas?

Personalized Car Mats - set of 4, in gray or khaki. A great choice for the Dad who has everything

Buck Flashpoint - one of Buck's new knives, this is the one I want! Great feel, fits in pocket easily, serrated blade, carabiner clip on handle... Plus it looks sweet!

Does your Dad own a business? Get him some custom business cards - wood, metal, plastic, something that sthands out from the crowd!

What are you giving your Dad this year?

Engraved iPod Nano 16GB - 6th Gen

Engraved iPod Classic

Engraved iPod Touch - 32GB

Engraved iPod Shuffle 2GB - 4th Gen

Gifts and Awards. Reward top performers or your largest customers with a personalized iPod, engraved with your logo and personalized with their name.

Customer satisfaction. Attract customers with the ideal promotion. They’ll take notice when you offer a customized iPod.

Training. Free your employee to learn on the go with an iPod featuring pre-loaded product seminars or other useful content.

Security. Laser engraving your iPod is a great way to add security to your investment – personalize the iPod with your name, phone number and email address to deter stealing and make it easy to locate you in the event it is lost.

We can engrave your logo, text or custom design anywhere on the iPod (except dials and screens). Send us your custom art and we’ll make an iPod unique to you! Or, tell us how you want it to look, and let us design it for you (setup charge applies). Call today (1-877-365-2737) and ask about our special pricing on volume orders.

Custom engraving your iPod is safe and does not void the warranty.

Unsure what you want to engrave on your iPod? Check out these Custom Engraved iPod Ideas and Examples.

Decorated Grip Hunting Knife



The Decorated Grip Hunting Knife features a Rosewood handle, locking three-inch blade when open and a beautiful decorative handle. Decorated bolsters give this knife an elegant look.

Buck Folding Alpha Hunter Rosewood

Bronze washers, and just the perfect balance of weight and design give this knife the smoothest one-handed, manual action on the market. This knife offers Resin-impregnated Rosewood scales and a high grade 154CM Satin Finish blade, and features Buck’s patented gutting hook or a drop point.

SpotOn Knife with LED Light

The SpotOn Hunting Knife features a Rosewood handle, locking four-inch blade when open, a belt clip for added convenience and an LED light. Its unique, modern look plus a flip up LED light make this laser engraved knife stand out! Two useful, popular functions on one knife.

An Elegant Stainless Steel Knife

If you prefer a stainless steel knife, we have many to choose from. Our most popular, the Sidekick, is a contemporary, slimline 3″ lock back stainless steel pocket knife that features a 2 1/4″ taper stainless blade.

Sidekick Stainless Steel Pocket Knife

Your logo or text laser etches black on the knife body. It makes a  great groomsmen gift, Father’s Day gift and corporate award, including safety award. This quality knife ensures your logo and message will be around for a long time!

So what did I give my wife for Mother’s Day? Aside from a surprise candlelit dinner and cleaning the house (ok, I admit, a small section of the house), among other things, here they are:

An large, engraved bamboo spoon - just what every mom needs! Not your ordinary spoon - smooth finish, long handle, large scoop

Engraved keepsake box with a photo of a hiking trip.

You can view and buy this keepsake box here

Engraved Buck Nobleman

Things I like about the Buck Nobleman as an every day carry pocket knife:

• The blade keeps an edge fairly well.
• It slides in and out of pocket easy, nothing catches.
• Small enough it does not bulge and I can still fit my hand in pocket around it to get at bluetooth earpiece.
• Easy one hand open and close with thumb notch.

But after seeing a customer order the Buck Redpoint, I started to reconsider. After trying out the Redpoint for a day, I made the leap.

Engraved Buck Redpoint

Why? Things I like about the Buck Redpoint as an every day carry pocket knife:

• Serrated blade! Part smooth, part serrated. This was the main reason
• Fits in pocket with room to fit my hand – though not quite as much room as the Nobleman allowed
• Includes Buck Knives’ “safespin opening” technology – pretty cool, easy open
• The Redpoint blade uses 750 steel, compared to Nobleman’s 327

Plus, the Redpoint has nice big area to laser on its super sharp blade!

What is your favorite knife to carry or use and why? Is yours personalized?

Update 4/26/2012: I still carry the Buck Nobleman sometimes, when I want a sleeker, thinner and different styled knife. I’ve also upgraded to a Buck Flashpoint from the Buck Redpoint, read my review on Buck Flashpoint here.

Personalized Micra

Looking for a Mothers Day Gift?  Or perhaps an outside-the-box baby shower present?  Or maybe you find yourself frustrated by toy packaging and those little plastic pieces that hold tags on clothing.  Two words for you. Leatherman. Micra.  A small multitool you can carry on your keychain that has a multitude of practical uses.  Listen up!  Adrienne, over at Baby Toolkit recommends it….here is just the beginning of her list of things she has done with the Micra

• opened countless boxes, cartons, envelopes, shrink wrapped objects, and blister packs
• broken down boxes for storage and recycling
• cut paper dolls and puzzles for squirming children
• removed retail tags and hanging threads
• cut and filed fingernails, ours and BabyGeek’s

Visit her post for the rest of the list!

Personalized Leatherman Style

This little tool is also on Parenthackers toolkit list thanks to Adrienne’s recommendation

A reviewer on shopping.com received a Leatherman Micra as a Mothers Day gift.  At first she was a bit disgruntled, but as she used the tool, her perspective changed  “Every mom could sure use one of these! I’m not “mad” at my husband anymore for getting me this. ”

Add a unique element by having the receivers name, a significant date or quote expertly laser etched on the tool.  Make it an identifier for your keys by having your name and phone number engraved!

However you choose to personalize the Micra, it is bound to be a hit! Also see other small, keychain size Leatherman Tools like the Micra in colors, the Squirts and the new Style and Style CS (full list).

Daisy Photo Frame

Bugs and Boys Photo Frame

Easter Eggs and Bunny Photo Frame

Easter Lily Custom Photo Frame

Rather Be At Grandma's Photo Frame

Daddy's Little Girl Photo Frame

Your Signatures Custom Photo Frame

And for Your Winter Ski Trip Memories …

Ski Trip Custom Photo Frame

Didn’t find what you are looking for?

Take a look at our entire line of custom wood frames.

Cross tokens are also in a variety of styles.
Custom sizes are available.
Click here for some additional options.

Check out additional wood and acrylic pocket tokens.

Just what is the Stainless Steel S-Biner by NiteIze? Check it out here!

Below you’ll find a few ideas we at Lazer Designs have for putting your S-Biner to good use.

If you are looking for uses for your traditional carabiner, take a look at these 55 useful and fun things to do with a carabiner keychain, this video with 4 more ideas and this post with 3 more ideas with photos.

1. Hang a hanging plant from a ceiling hook.
2. Clip dual zippers closed on your backpack or luggage.
3. Attach technical gear to your daypack, or not so technical gear like that bag of beef jerky.
4. Clip your keys to your belt loop … your hands are now free!
5. Secure your paint can to your ladder.
6. Hang tools on your tool belt.
   

   Stainless Steel S-Biner by NiteIze

7. Attach your cell phone to your bag, just don’t forget to detach before use.
8. Clip your water bottle to your backpack.
9. Suspend wet items to dry, especially while out in the wild.
10. Secure scuba gear, because no one wants insecure scuba gear.
11. Store webbing in your gear closet, with personalization on the s-biner to indicate the length or use of the webbing.
12. Hang a flashlight inside your tent, outside your tent, or just about anywhere.
13. Organize your keys (use size #2, and have each engraved with info about the key).
14. Use a size #5 to hang all those organized, well labeled keys.
15. Hang your ID to your belt loop, and get rid of that lanyard around your neck.
16. Attach to the end of a rope and use it to pull your hunting bow up a tree.
17. Hold you hair back with this makeshift ponytail holder … it is lovely!
18. Use to hold up your shooting targets (thanks hunter Jake).
19. Gloat to all your friends that you have the coolest little gadget around.
20. Clip just about anything to just about anything, just about anywhere.

So order your S-Biner, make it your own with personalized engraving, and let us know how you use it to make your life easier!

Stainless Steel S-Biner by NiteIze

Made of high quality, weather-resistant stainless steel, this ultra-handy  stainless carabiner clip with its dual spring gates will hold, secure, and connect everything from house keys and cell phones to technical camping gear. Attach valuables to the center bar for more security, link gate ends to a second set of items and anchor, or connect many items together. Smaller-sized S-Biners are excellent for connecting two zipper sliders on backpacks, duffels, and suitcases. (view more ideas for uses for these carabiners)

Available in 4 Sizes:

Size #2
dimensions: 2″ x .88″
weight rating: 10 lb.
Gate opening: .35″

Size #3
dimensions: 2.63″ x 1.13″
weight rating: 25 lb.
Gate opening: .52″

Size #4
dimensions: 3.5″ x 1.5″
weight rating: 75 lb.
Gate opening: .72″

Size #5
dimensions: 4.38″ x 1.94″
weight rating: 100 lb.
Gate opening: .88″

Backpacker Magazine said it best when they wrote:
“Don’t ask yourself if you need this useful little widget.
The question is: how many?”

Acrylic Award

Congratulations on your award! Now, how to get the smudges off so it sparkles like new again?

Special care must be taken when cleaning acrylic products. You should avoid household cleaners like Windex or 409. The chemicals in these products can dull and craze the clarity and beauty of acrylic.

The best way to care for your Acrylic awards is to clean with warm water and a small amount of liquid soap such as Ivory, rinse and dry.

The same principles apply to acrylic furniture and decor.

For minor smudges, you can breathe a breath of warm air and use a soft cloth to buff it clean.

Always use a clean, soft cloth to avoid scratches (paper towels are generally not “soft”). If you have a lot of acrylic awards with large surface area that you must keep polished, consider buying acrylic cleaner from a plastic supply shop.

Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas For Her

Are you looking for a truly unique gift? Consider putting a photo on a piece of marble, granite, wood or acrylic and capturing that moment in permanence. Create a unique gift for your loved one, employee, customer or friend. All you need a high resolution photograph of a memory.

Some of our most popular mediums are below, and there are many more out there we can laser engrave on.

Black Granite Tiles

Basswood Planks

We can also do custom license plates and more!

When sending us a photo, keep in mind these tips:

• The better the input image, the better the output engraving – higher the resolution the better
• Quite backgrounds work best (busyness behind the subject can detract from engraving)
• If in doubt, send your photo over to our skilled art team and we’ll let you know how it will work on your desired product.

1. Good quality engraving – spend time on your design, logo or artwork that will be on the mug – make it pop! Create something in house, or have the Lazer Designs design team create something that is what you are looking for. Of course, we prefer laser etching to other kinds of printing because it is permanent and will last a lifetime!
2. Personalize each one! With LazerDesigns, you can personalize each individual custom mug with a customers, leads or friends name, nickname or design. When an item has a persons name, hobby or interests on it, they are much more likely to keep it around for years and show it off to others (“Yeah, ABC company gave me this mug with my name and this funny logo of an accountant!”)
3. Include surprises or gifts inside – coffee, hot coco, mints, keychains. Wrap it up in clear paper, tissue paper or black velvet bag for a great presentation
4. Give it away with hoopla – organize a party and give it away there, or other event such as fund raiser or conference.

There you have – 4 ways to give away something useful to help build your business. Lazer Designs can help you with all 4 steps – just give a shout. We’re here to help make you successful.

Any other tips on elevating common gifts to something unforgettable?

NEW ITEMS at LAZERDESIGNS.COM

Holiday Gift Ideas

Christmas Tree Ornaments

Gifts for Him

Gifts for Her

Gifts for Your Boss

Gifts for Kids and Teens

Gifts for Your Teacher

Gifts Made in the USA

Eco-friendly Gifts

Take a moment to review our Christmas Delivery Guidelines to ensure that your gift arrives on time for the holidays.