Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Update On My Mobius Bracelet Quest

(I prefer to spell it "Moebius", by the way, since there's an accented character in the middle, but the search engines tell me most people spell it the less complicated way.)

Recently I mentioned my quest for a Shakespearean Mobius bracelet.  I noticed them a year or so ago when looking for a gift for my wife.  First I thought about a pendant of some sort, but when I saw the bracelet, especially with the "infinity twist", I loved it.  It helps that by writing on both sides of the bracelet you can also get a very long quote, something not as possible with a simple pendant.  But I loathe that dreaded Sonnet 116 ("Let me not to the marriage of true minds....")  Using that sonnet in your wedding is like believing in Buddhism because Brad Pitt does.  There's a 154 of them to choose from, surely you can find one that's more personal.

Long story short (read the linked post), I was told that a personalized version can't exist.  The machinery to make them means essentially that if you're not making them by the thousand, you're out of luck.  I've continued to hunt, if not for this than for something similar.  I found one supplier (via this blog) who sent me along to her manufacturer, who told me that they only work with "companies with a catalog."  So I went back to the first supplier and asked if they'd consider putting this piece in their catalog just so I could buy one :).  I haven't heard back and don't expect to.

But guess what?  I ACTUALLY FOUND SOMEBODY TO DO IT!  I'm very excited.  I hit upon their web page which showed a blank Mobius bracelet, with a note "engraving available, contact for details."  So I did, and basically explained the situation: "I've been informed by numerous jewelers that engraving one of these is impossible, so I'm assuming that by offering engraving what you mean is a short quote that only goes on one side and does not take the twist into account."

I got back a note the same day saying "Nope, we do both sides, right through the twist.  What do you need?"

Woohoo!  I actually get a whopping 270 characters to play with, which is way too long for my mandatory quote ("If I could write the beauty of your eyes....") but too short for the whole first half ("Who will believe my verse in time to come....") by a good 10 characters or so.  So instead I've sprinkled it with several choice quotes, including "I will swear I love thee infinitely" which Alan and Bill were nice enough to validate for me as being something appropriate for a gift.  How do you not love an infinity quote on a Mobius strip?  Or is that just me being a geeky geek?

My timing couldn't be better (he said ironically) as the jeweler left for vacation yesterday and won't be back until next week.  So it's still a good month or so until I get to see my finished product.  I have avoided linking their site, because well, you know, I haven't actually seen the finished product yet and I did have a number of people tell me it's impossible.  So there's at least a slight worry on my part that I'm going to be disappointed.

When it arrives I'll be sure to take pictures so everybody can see it.  At the time I'll definitely rant and rave and provide links, hopefully in good context :).  It should end up as an anniversary present, though my anniversary is at the end of September and I'm not sure I'll be able to keep the secret that long.

9 comments:

Angela said...

Who will do the mobius bracelet for you? Do they have a website?

Duane Morin said...

Hi Angela,

I've deliberately not linked them yet for the simple reason that I haven't seen the product. I'd rather not link to them if the work turns out to be disappointing. I'm taking the hit on this one :). Their site has no pictures of a finished, engraved bracelet. So there's not too much to see anyway. I'll post pictures of mine when it's available.

Anonymous said...

Umm, I really hate to be the one to break the news to you, especially if you've already ordered your gift, but he definitely doesn't mean it. Hotspur is the classic, old-school medieval "Chivalric" knight--chivalric in the sense that he only observes the appearance of romanticized chivalry. In the scene that has the quote, he is fighting with his wife. She confronts him about him keeping secrets and failing to-ahem- service her, and he tells her that he doesn't even love her: "Away, you trifler! Love! I love thee not,
I care not for thee, Kate: this is no world
To play with mammets and to tilt with lips:
We must have bloody noses and crack'd crowns,
And pass them current too. God's me, my horse!
What say'st thou, Kate? what would'st thou
have with me?" She then asks him if he is joking with her or not, and he changes the subject. He tells her that he will swear he loves her once he's on his horse going off to war, because that's what a chivalric knight would do, and because it will make her shut up, not because he actually loves her. In a later scene he also makes a comment, while lying in his wife's lap, about having sex with his wife's new sister-in-law. He also discusses murder and rape with his wife. Not exactly a hopeless romantic. He sees women as commodities and fears that they weaken men's resolve, especially in time of war. Also, being of the old school breed of knights, he flat out says near the end of the play that he can't bring himself to lie, which means that he means everything he says to his wife. Sorry to burst your bubble. :-(

Alan K.Farrar said...

Sorry britlitnerd- you are dead wrong.
Change your crib book?
Never been in love? Never teased the person you love? Adult love vs silly teenagness reflected in the need for reassurance?
Ever read Taming of the Shrew - doesn't the 'Kate' strike a resonance?
This is a 'mature' relationship which, when played on the stage, says 'deep love and commitment' and acts as an ironic comment on the daftness of many of the things he says - including, 'We must have bloody noses and crack'd crowns ...'. Doesn't sound like serious talk to me - he ain't bloodying noses or cracking crowns - he's going to kill.
Women as commodities? Feminism at its craziest - and a misunderstanding of the relationships within marriage in Elizabethan times ... see Ms Greer.

catkins said...

Here's another infinite quote from Romeo and Juliet: "My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep; the more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite."

Duane Morin said...

Thanks Catkins. Too long, I was pressed for space :). Plus that one's kinda corny, if you ask me.
And it's spoken by Juliet. I get an extra "meta level" with a line spoken from husband to wife.

Louise said...

Did you decide to go ahead and order the mobius bracelet? I am curious to see the finished product.

Anonymous said...

Did you get the bracelet. I am trying to get a custom mobius bracelet and having the same difficulties. A link would be greatly appreciated.

Grant Salzano said...

Those of you who are reaching this page from google (like I did) I found the conclusion to his story (including the website!)

http://blog.shakespearegeek.com/2008/09/long-long-overdue-story-of-mobius.html