Handcrafted - no two are identical and they insist on attention.
We sand carve these awards (similar to sandblasting but with very fine grit and nozzles). It makes for a lovely deep etch that has depth and clarity. We can paint fill the etching but we think it reduces the 3D look.
The answer here could be a long article but in general, a rotary engraving machine is driven by compressed air which pushes a diamond or carbide tip into…