One mark, considered twice, cut once, kept always
Engrave Refuge opened in Porto in 2017, in a rented workshop on Rua do Almada that had previously been a bookbinder's. Tomás Ferreira had spent the previous eight years working as a graphic designer at a print house in Matosinhos, where he became increasingly interested in the physical permanence of letterforms cut into material rather than printed onto it. He bought his first rotary engraver secondhand from a retiring watchmaker in Braga, taught himself the calibration over a winter, and took his first paid commission in January 2018: a set of twelve brass house numbers for a renovation project in the Bonfim neighbourhood.
The studio grew slowly and deliberately. Tomás resisted taking on more volume than he could handle alone, which meant turning down several wholesale enquiries in 2020 and 2021. The decision to stay small was not romantic. It was practical: the quality of the line changes when the person holding the tool is tired, and a studio that books more than it can finish carefully is a studio that starts making errors. Today the workshop occupies a larger space on Rua de Cedofeita, with a separate proofing bench, a material storage room, and a small reception area where clients can come to discuss commissions in person.
The work that comes out of this studio tends to be quiet. It does not announce itself. A brass plate on a door, a date on the back of a watch, a name on a piece of slate in a garden. Tomás believes the best engraving is the kind that looks as though it was always there. That is the standard he works to, and it is the reason he has not changed his process in any fundamental way since 2018. What has changed is the range of materials, the precision of the tooling, and the depth of the client relationships.
Every layout is drawn on tracing paper before any machine is switched on
Material sourced from a sawmill in Braga and a slate quarry in Valongo
Proof pass on scrap material sent to client before the final piece is cut
No subcontracted finishing: every piece leaves the studio complete
Beeswax on wood, lacquer-free patina on brass, food-safe sealant on slate
The most common question we receive from new clients is not about fonts or layouts. It is about material. Brass or slate? Wood or glass? The answer depends on three things: where the piece will live, how often it will be handled, and how long it needs to last without maintenance. This guide works through each material honestly.
Read more →Brass changes. That is one of the reasons people choose it. A brass door plate or a pocket watch back that has been handled for ten years looks different from the day it was engraved, and in most cases it looks better. Understanding what is happening to the surface helps you decide when to clean it and when to leave it alone.
Read more →Architects and interior designers who contact us for the first time often have a clear visual idea of what they want but are uncertain about what to specify in a brief. This guide covers the decisions that matter most: material, fixing method, letter style, and lead time. It is written for professionals but is equally useful for anyone commissioning signage for a renovation or new build.
Read more →Every commission begins with a pencil draft on tracing paper. We do not send a file to the rotary cutter until the layout has been approved on paper first. This adds a day to the process. It also prevents most mistakes.
We stock brass, slate, borosilicate glass, Portuguese cork oak, and three grades of hardwood sourced from a sawmill in Braga. The material is chosen based on where the piece will live, not on what photographs well.
Tomás Ferreira does the engraving. There is no subcontracted workshop, no outsourced finishing. What leaves this studio was made in this studio.
Answer three questions and we will point you toward the material and format that suits your commission best.
Most personal gift commissions take five to seven working days from the moment the layout is approved. Architectural and corporate projects vary depending on quantity and complexity. We always give a specific completion date when we confirm an order, and we contact you immediately if anything changes. Rush turnaround of two to three working days is available on most personal pieces, subject to the current schedule.
Yes, and we do this regularly. Pocket watches, hip flasks, jewellery boxes, and similar items can be sent to the studio by post or dropped off in person. We photograph the object on arrival and send you a condition report before we begin. If the material is one we have not worked with before, we will tell you honestly whether we can achieve a clean result.
Vector files are strongly preferred: AI, EPS, or SVG. If you only have a raster image, send it at the highest resolution you have and we will assess whether it can be redrawn cleanly. We do not charge for simple redraws. Complex artwork reconstruction is quoted separately, typically between 20 and 60 EUR depending on the detail involved.