TaylorCustom

I began making these pieces while taking a night course in metalworking. The first piece I made for sale was the hammerhead shark in the bottom row. I had several cast in Silver, and I took out an ad in the back of a dive magazine… an effort that resulted in a small handful of sales.

I carved all of my work by hand for several years, but as computer modeling and 3d printing became more widely available, I knew I would have to adapt! Now I am using a variety of software and hardware tools to create ever more complex designs. You can read more about the evolution of my process here.

I originally intended to pursue a career in science, but was thwarted by the more technical subjects. Fortunately I did better as a sculptor and designer, and now I have this venture to satisfy the frustrated scientist in me. Please check the Links page of this site to find out where these products can be purchased. In addition to the trinkets, I have also put a lot of effort into creating and improving my product packaging. View a product catalog here.

Animal Cell Keychain
Stratigraphy Keychain (I remember thinking, as I made this, that if it worked, it would be the coolest keychain in the world…)
Here's
Revised Stratigraphy Keychain
(Created many years after the one on the left. For more info, see product packaging page.)
Revised Stratigraphy Keychain
Articulating Foot Keychain
Articulating Foot Keychain
I spent months trying to figure out how to design an articulating brain. The way the parts interlock made this a big challenge… Eventually I hit upon this arrangement, which uses a sort of euro-cabinet hinge.
Here is the articulating brain in the closed position
As with each new design, I try to add some new sort of mechanical functionality. I was a bit surprised that I got this to work… though in retrospect it seems simple
This design shows how you can never predict what will be popular… I was unenthusiastic about this because it looks like a plain bean when closed, but it has been a best-seller.
I went online to research Paramecium and Euglena, two well known protozoans, and I happened upon a video about these amazing critters!
Here is the Choanoflagellate keychain in the open position. I had a huge amount of very expert help in getting the anatomy correct!
The ability to have parts plated in several metals can be used to good effect!
The thread inserts for this lamp finial were a challenging bit of hardware to source!
I didn’t design the features that hold the two pieces together very well… so ironically, these take a bit of blacksmithery to assemble.
Hermit crab assembled.
Hermit crab dissassembled.
Over the years I’ve found ways to adapt my designs to many purposes: Lapel pins, drawer pulls, belt buckles and more.
This archaeological “tell” is one of my most complex pieces. for more information, see the “product packaging” page.
Tides Necklace
This Eye Keychain was the culmination of several developments. Click here to see the full story.
This orthoceras is am extinct nautiloid.
This was the first design I sold. I had several cast in Silver, and sold them to the Boston Museum of Science store (where I was a cashier). I also took out a small display ad in a dive magazine.
This is the second piece inspired by a trilobite nodule that my dad brought back to me from Bolivia when I was a kid.