Fab Friday Feature | Tie Bar Clips for All Your Groomsmen!

October 24, 2014

We met Michael Rehker of Hammerhead Designs and fell in love with his metal designs. As many of you readers are in the thick of planning your wedding, we wanted to introduce you to Michael and his tie clips, which make excellent groomsmen gifts!

*hint hint*

“Art is the desire of a man to express himself, to record the reactions of his personality to the world he lives in.” ~A.L.

Who Is Michael Rehker?

I am a Metalsmith and Jewelry Designer, proud father to three amazing beautiful children and a very blessed husband to an incredible, supportive wife! In my spare time I enjoy farming, rock climbing, yoga, cooking, eating chips & salsa but above all else, spending time with my amazing family and playing with my kids! They are my true inspiration and the force behind all that I do in life.

A self taught metalsmithing artisan

I have a huge fascination for creating things from various metals like silver, copper, steel, aluminum, bronze, brass and other recycled metals. My passion for the unique and inspiring has led me here. I love hand forging and designing one-of-a-kind jewelry and keepsakes. I am the sole designer and maker for the items you see in my shop. And I’m very grateful my hands put into form what my mind sees.

What is Hammerhead Designs?

Hammerhead Designs is Modern, Tribal, Rustic, Boho, Gypsy, Contemporary, Traditional, Southwestern, Folksy, Hippie, Wanderlust, Steampunk, Medieval and everything in between, handcrafted jewelry & accessories for men and women!

Gypsy, Tribal, & Bohemian soul merged with Victorian and Dark Romance combined with a dash of Fantasy and Steampunk splashed around, and a bit of Modern and Contemporary style added in – can all be found in my shop!

Creating the items you see in my Etsy shop is a way for me to express my imagination and use my hands…in a metal artist sort of way…a form of inspiration takes over when I begin working with the metal. I take pride in my work and enjoy the stories behind each of the pieces that I create. My inspiration comes from nature mostly. I love things that are earthy, rustic, organic and eco-friendly, anything that encompasses the mountains, bodies of water, fire or terra firma, leaves, trees, flowers and rocks.

I love working with metal and designing jewelry so much that I decided to create Hammerhead Designs. My ambition is to develop a business that is self supporting and allows me to express my artistic visions.

Our Favorite: The Tie Bar Clip

Each tie bar clip is created out of very strong, yet lightweight aluminum sheet metal. I chose aluminum because of its similarity in color and finish to sterling silver but without the high cost. And it resists tarnishing and discoloring fabrics so it’s perfect to wear against a dress shirt. Once I receive the order, I take the aluminum tie bar clip blank and place it on a large steel block. I keep a notepad on my stamping table that lists the initials and words that the customer wants stamped onto the tie bar. Then, one at a time, each letter is stamped onto the metal. I use a two pound brass hammer that gives the right amount of force to properly imprint the character onto the tie bar. Once I have finished stamping the characters, it is then time to finish the piece. The most popular option is the brushed satin natural finish. The letters are not darkened, but left natural so they look classy without being too bold or distracting. A small steel wire brush is used to apply the brushed satin finish. Once that is complete, I then take a special set of pliers and make the two bends need to complete the final shape of the tie bar. Finally, the tie bar is given a quick wipe with a polishing cloth to remove any smudges and it’s then placed into its own organza gift bag and is ready to be packed and shipped.

The custom hand stamped tie bar clips are one of my most popular items. They are very trendy right now and people love the way that each one is custom made for the recipient for a special occasion.  The tie bar clips are very popular as groomsmen gifts for wedding parties as well as a popular choice for Father’s Day, Christmas and Valentine’s Day.

Check out the shop and get some gifts for your groomsmen!

I am an estimator by profession, but my real passion lies in creating the items you see in my shop.

The ability to customize items like the tie bar clip and gift it with a personal touch is what makes this such a great and affordable gift.

I love working on custom orders and am happy to take on any special requests you may have in mind to create an original one-of-a-kind piece for you. Please email me directly at hammerheaddesigns@gmail.com to discuss.

To shop for Hammerhead Designs tie clips, jewelry, and more, visit their Etsy site by clicking here.

Follow Hammerhead Designs on Facebook for updates on new designs, specials, promotions, giveaways and news of Michael’s adventures.

Follow Hammerhead Designs on Instagram for sneak peaks into new and upcoming pieces, as well as promotions, contests and giveaways!