Carved & gold leaf signs

Yes — genuine 23-karat leaf, not a gold-coloured paint or vinyl. That is why it still looks like gold decades later: real leaf does not oxidise or fade, where metallic paints dull within a few seasons.

A properly finished HDU sign will hold up for fifteen to twenty-five years outdoors in this climate, and can be refreshed rather than replaced. Wood is more variable and depends heavily on exposure — a sign under an overhang lasts far longer than one facing south with no shelter.

For exterior signs we usually recommend HDU: it carves with the same detail, weighs less, and cannot rot, split or check. Choose real mahogany when the sign is interior, when a historic commission requires timber, or when you want the material to be genuinely what it appears to be.

Frequently. Repainting a weathered carved sign and re-gilding worn letters is a large part of our carved work — often the substrate is sound and only the finish has aged. We have repainted signs we made twenty years ago and signs made by other shops.

They are usually the easiest kind of sign to get approved. Carved wood or HDU with painted or gilded copy is what most historic commissions in this region consider appropriate, and we can supply the drawings and material specifications the review asks for.