For twenty years, "get it engraved" meant the Things Engraved kiosk at the mall. Then, in January 2020, the chain closed all 73 Canadian stores at once. Six years later, people still search for it every month. Here's where that engraving actually gets done now.
The short answer: Things Engraved no longer has physical stores in Canada; the brand sells online only. Your options today are a local engraving shop (best for items you already own) or an online maker like us, where the engraving and the product come from the same workshop. Which one is right depends on what you're engraving.
What happened to Things Engraved
The chain shut all 73 of its Canadian mall locations in January 2020. The brand still exists as an online store at thingsengraved.ca, but the walk-up counter where you could hand over a flask or a picture frame is gone.
That closure left a real gap. Engraving is a "where do I even get this done?" service, and the mall kiosk was most people's only answer. We know because we started the same way — a kiosk in an Edmonton mall, one laser, engraving in front of whoever stopped to watch.
Your options now, city by city
We keep an honest local guide for each major city — including the shops that will engrave items you bring in, which we don't do:
- Where to get things engraved in Calgary
- Where to get things engraved in Edmonton
- Where to get things engraved in Toronto
- Where to get things engraved in Vancouver
Local shop or online maker?
| Local engraving shop | Online maker (us) | |
|---|---|---|
| Engraves items you bring in | Yes, their main business | No. We engrave only the steel we make |
| Best for | Watches, plaques, jewelry, heirlooms | Tumblers, bottles, mugs, gift-ready |
| Turnaround | Varies by shop | Ships in 1–3 days |
| Cost structure | Per-item service fee | Engraving included in the product price |
| Where it happens | Their counter | Our Calgary workshop |
Our opinion, stated plainly: if the item already exists (your grandfather's watch, a trophy), use a local shop from the city guides above. If the engraved thing is the gift itself, buying it from the maker beats buying a blank and paying a service fee on top.
What we engrave in Calgary
Stainless steel tumblers, bottles, and mugs, made to order. The laser cuts your name, date, or logo through the powder coat into bare steel — permanent, engraved free on every order. One for a gift or a few hundred for a team, same workshop either way.
See what a name in steel looks like.
Common questions
Is Things Engraved still in business?
Online only. The company closed all 73 Canadian retail stores in January 2020 and now sells through thingsengraved.ca. There is no counter to walk up to anymore.
Can I send you an item to engrave?
No — we only engrave products from our own line. For bring-your-own-item work, the local shops in our city guides above are the right call.
How long does engraving take?
At our shop, engraved orders ship in 1–3 business days. Local walk-in shops set their own timelines — ask when you drop the item off.
Written by Chen Deng — LAMOSE, Calgary. Engraving steel since 2017, back when we were the kiosk at the mall.
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