[tamimi]

Call me old fashioned, but I'd love to have a crest so I can wax-seal my mail. I'm into that sort of stuff.

As far as I'm aware, my family never had a crest. Well, they had a few over the ages, but not quite the sort you could have engraved on a ring or whatnot.

So, how would someone go about taking the leap of designing a family crest? Are there any particular conventions or "rules" that I should be aware of?

Sin Cera

[Fuzzpig]

You don't have one at all?

My surname is Dunn, so my crest is O'Duinn's crest as Dunn comes from that. As Dunn is such a common name I can get it in 'Dunn' quite easily, thought it's all the same design and everything, even our motto is the same - Mullac Abu = "victory from the hills", though this is sometimes changed to "Victory for the Dunns".



I'd advise you to look for the origins of your name and see if you can make a relevant design from that if you want to down that route.

[tamimi]

(Original post by aliluvschoc)
I'd advise you to look for the origins of your name and see if you can make a relevant design from that if you want to down that route.

Well, that's the thing. I know the exact origins of my name and the full family history.

However, I'm not from English descent so our concept of a family crest is very different. So I would be designing one from scratch.

[Dux_Helvetica]

I'd love such a thing. I have mostly German/Dutch/Swiss heritage though (a small bit of English somewhere up there) so I can't really find a crest for my name

[Democracy]

(Original post by tamimi)
Call me old fashioned, but I'd love to have a crest so I can wax-seal my mail. I'm into that sort of stuff.

As far as I'm aware, my family never had a crest. Well, they had a few over the ages, but not quite the sort you could have engraved on a ring or whatnot.

So, how would someone go about taking the leap of designing a family crest? Are there any particular conventions or "rules" that I should be aware of?

Sin Cera

Paul McCartney had one made a few years ago...he had to pay several thousand pounds though. Depends on whether or not you think it's worth it.

http://www.beatlesbible.com/2001/06/...-arms-granted/

Personally I think it's a load of claptrap. Paul McCartney is one of the greatest human beings to have walked the planet thanks to his contribution to modern music and The Beatles. The fact that he has a crest doesn't add to that!

[Cocklebur]

Here's the crest for my name:




Could you not get a wax stamp that has your second name or your initials with a decorative border?
Although your own crest would be pretty cool.

[tamimi]

Hey guys. Found this. V. useful IMO.
http://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/Faq.htm

[AdvanceAndVanquish]

(Original post by tamimi)
Hey guys. Found this. V. useful IMO.
http://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/Faq.htm

I would definitely reccommend reading this, especially the first bit. It clears up a very common misconception.

(Original post by tamimi)
Call me old fashioned, but I'd love to have a crest so I can wax-seal my mail. I'm into that sort of stuff.

As far as I'm aware, my family never had a crest. Well, they had a few over the ages, but not quite the sort you could have engraved on a ring or whatnot.

So, how would someone go about taking the leap of designing a family crest? Are there any particular conventions or "rules" that I should be aware of?

Sin Cera

There are both conventions of heraldry when it comes to designing armourial bearings and actual laws about who is entitled to use particular arms, and indeed about whether you can use any at all. You can only use arms in any official sense if they have been granted to you by the College of Arms, or if you have proven your right to bear previously-granted arms by right of legitimate male-line descent from the original grantee.

This page on the same website explains how you go about petitioning for a grant of arms
http://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/About/08.htm

[tamimi]

(Original post by AdvanceAndVanquish)
I would definitely reccommend reading this, especially the first bit. It clears up a very common misconception.



There are both conventions of heraldry when it comes to designing armourial bearings and actual laws about who is entitled to use particular arms, and indeed about whether you can use any at all. You can only use arms in any official sense if they have been granted to you by the College of Arms, or if you have proven your right to bear previously-granted arms by right of legitimate male-line descent from the original grantee.

This page on the same website explains how you go about petitioning for a grant of arms
http://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/About/08.htm

Indeed. I intend on getting it approved when I become rich and famous. ;D

For the time being, I'm only concerned about design aspects. I couldn't find any guidelines on Family Crests as graphical representations.

[AdvanceAndVanquish]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heraldr...ents_and_rules