ArtisticGraver, ArtistGraver and ArtGraver Machines and Handpieces
Lindsay Engraving & Tools - When quality means everything. In Your work and Ours!
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Click above for Gallery - Hand Engravings and Tools by Steve Lindsay
History of the AirGraver
Steve Lindsay has been engraving and building tools for more than 46 years, but his story really began in 1975. At age 17, he started learning hand engraving from his father, Frank, a watchmaker and jeweler who loved precision work. Around that time, the family became friends with innovators John Rohner and James (Bruce) Meeks. Their enthusiasm and guidance helped spark Steve’s lifelong interest in both engraving and tool design.
Early Curiosity and Hands-On Building
After high school, Steve went to the same Nebraska tech school his dad had attended. On the advice of John Rohner, he studied machine tool and die. The instructors allowed students to use the machine shop in the evenings, which gave Steve the perfect chance to start tinkering with engraving tools. He began designing smaller, palm-sized hand pieces that gave him better control for detailed work and that early experimentation set the stage for everything that came later.
Through the late ’70s and early ’80s, Steve and Frank worked together to explore new engraving tool ideas. Their early pneumatic setups were featured in a 1981 NEBRASKAland magazine.
Innovation That Redefined Control
After graduating, Steve worked nights in a tool room and engraved during the day, continuing to refine both his techniques and his tools. By 1980, he moved into full-time engraving. A valuable introduction from family friend Lynton McKenzie led him to the Knifemakers’ Guild Show, where he met top makers and collectors who soon began commissioning work.
In the 1990s, Steve dug deeper into creating tools that felt natural in the hand and responded instantly to an engraver’s touch. He experimented with airless systems, pulse electromagnets, and various mechanisms, some promising, some challenging.
The turning point came completely by accident. While working on a two-valve system, Steve discovered the mechanism worked better in reverse than it did in the forward direction. That unexpected moment became the foundation of what is now known as the AirGraver.
The goal was to create a hand piece that could whisper through the finest shading at extremely low air pressure, yet also deliver powerful cuts when needed, all without bulky pulse generators or complicated setups. Introduced in 1999, the AirGraver has since become a favorite among engravers and jewelers around the world because of its natural feel and incredible control.
A Career Shaped by Craft and Community
Over the years, Steve has collaborated with many respected engravers, knife makers, and watchmakers. Memorable projects include a Safari Club International rifle engraved alongside McKenzie that auctioned for $210,000, and hand-engraved watches for Gene Clark, one of which sold at Sotheby’s for $62,500.
As his reputation grew, Steve was also hired for a time by Oakley to contribute design ideas for ornate decorative concepts on their sunglasses. In addition Steve engraved for flute manufactures in the New England area, including Brannen Brothers, Straubinger and Nagahara
Art & Craftsmanship Highlights
In 2014, Steve’s contributions to engraving and tool making were formally recognized when he received the Joe Martin Foundation Craftsman of the Year Award, an honor presented by the Craftsmanship Museum. Miniature Engineering Museum
Publications & Magazine Features
Steve’s work and insights have been featured in numerous publications, including:
Cover feature in Guns Magazine (Jan. 1987)
Book cover Art and Design in Modern Folding Knives (2006)
The cover of Horological Times (January 1999)
The cover of Knives Illustrated (Fall 1990)
The Graven Image in NEBRASKAland magazine (1981)
Engraver Steve Lindsay in The Blade magazine (1984)
Feature in Knives Magazine (1992)
These publications helped document his evolving style, innovations, and influence and introduced his work to a wider audience of collectors, fellow engravers, and metal art enthusiasts.
Today
From those early nights in a machine shop to the development of the AirGraver, Steve has always focused on tools that feel intuitive and help artists bring their ideas to life. His tools are now used by engravers and jewelers around the world. His own hand engraved pieces continue to be collected internationally.
Below are examples of Steve’s hand-engraved work.
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