The Man that Designed the Famous Stamp on Hong Kong’s $100 Note

Ng Kam-Chun is one of few remaining seal master carvers in Hong Kong. With a hammer and chisel, he’s made a name for himself as an artisan making iconic Chinese stamps. Ng also more famously designed the stamp in the Hong Kong 100 dollar note. We visited his shop in “Chop Alley” to find out more.
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0:00 The 100 dollar banknote
0:31 History of Chinese seals
1:08 The story behind the banknote
2:55 How Ng carves his seals
If you liked this video, we have more stories about artisans in Hong Kong, including:
Carving Mahjong By Hand in Hong Kong
• Carving Mahjong By Han...
The People Saving Hong Kong’s Neon Lights
• The People Saving Hong...
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Producer: Tiffany Ip
Videographer & Editor: Nicholas Ko
Mastering: Victor Peña
Music: Audio Network
#sealcarver #chineseseal #handcraft #artisan

[@Benjiforthemoon]

“We don’t want it to look too mechanical” I want to reach this level of perfection when you have to add MISTAKES to an already handmade process lol

[@Bob-em6kn]

He mastered his craft to perfection only to realise it would look like a product of a machine.

[@alli2964]

Yes but the human needs to design it first.

[@jackaryyy]

Sometimes when it comes to this kind of thing, the minor inaccuracies that a human makes are beneficial

[@kheyseed]

You know you're good when your work is too perfect.

[@LoLFilmStudios]

Because the rough sharping of the stamp stone itself is done by machines. Like your sentiment but it comes from an misunderstanding of the reality.

[@xxportalxx.]

@@LoLFilmStudios not necessarily, that stone is obviously very soft, I wouldn't be shocked if there's children and shriveled old men in huts somewhere in the world shaping those by hand

[@JC-tha-Hamsterking]

That Pikachu one though XD

[@kanesmith8271]

Yes I love it

[@WoobyHob]

Timestamp pls? I couldnt find it Edit : 5:56

[@rattled1557]

@@WoobyHob ah, timestamp, i see what u did there

[@mikelbrenn111]

Ancient Pikachu seal from 10,000 years ago

[@forget3817]

Standard Chartered definitely didn’t pay him what that design is worth. They owe him big!

[@eugene188]

Often it is these big companies that act like choosing beggars and try to skimp anyway they can on contractors. But also the dude didn't ask what its for, but knowing what it said, he should have come up with a contract for getting paid much more.

[@df4196]

That probably didn’t stop the execs from expensing a fat design fee 😂

[@RedHmong]

they own him nothing, they pay for it at the end of the day. That's like saying you own the artist a lot of money since you resold his/her work for more later down the road.

[@ahmadwhocos]

They don’t owe him a penny, he sold his art, they own it it’s there copyrights

[@casiopistachio1107]

@@ahmadwhocos exactly! The reason why people take exception is the shocking levels these multi billion pound companies stoop to in order to save an incredibly small amount of money, and the hypocrisy in the way they do their business. Standard chartered want to know everything about you, where every penny goes and then will give you a tailored deal based on this information before you can get a loan. What they did in this instance is cloaked the fact they where a huge company to rip off a unique master craftsman into selling his crowning work for a fraction of the price he would have sold if he would have been informed. Thats what people don't like.

[@razmazerz]

"Boys, the government just comissioned us to print a new $100 bill. Does anyone have any idea of design?" . "How about we take it to that street vendor?" . "Sounds right to me"

[@jackaryyy]

Most countries used to operate this way. The United States used to have a self-employment rate over 40% in the early 1900s This doesn't mean that people were entirely self-employed, but that they ran shops with their talent much like in this video with the stamp maker

[@Luxstar13]

well honestly he's a professional. it doesn't seem weird the goverment choose him to design one.

[@zackjoubert5207]

@@Luxstar13 eh I guess he's a professional but have you ever been to China or Asia in general? These dudes are a dime a dozen. I have an equally well crafted stamp on my mantle. It took 2 minutes for him to do the bottom.... as well as all four sides....

[@Luxstar13]

@@zackjoubert5207 i've been there. Yeah a lot of people can do it but the question is who can fully master it?. not everyone can since chinese letters and words will change the difficulty of the stamp as well as the design be. Could take days to make one sometimes because chinese letters are hard to carve sometimes. not to mention the material made of something rare or expensive like jade really need someone who really good at it.

[@maggiejetson7904]

The master wants to call the shot so he becomes his own boss on the street instead of working for a big company.

[@PSL09]

when it looks so perfect he has to mess with the stamp to make it look more authentic

[@doriosity5811]

It's also so it can't be replicated

[@QuadAntic]

@@doriosity5811 thats so smart

[@Cheungishere]

I got my seal from him! Awesome to see his story

[@Li-fu5tr]

How much did it cost? What kind of seal did you get? I am really interested in getting a seal from him :D

[@otheradam]

What is his address in HK? I need to make another seal next time I visit!

[@Pearkyx]

Man Wa Lane aka Chop Alley

[@MrMusickey]

How much and can you choose the material?

[@theskronklbeep]

how can i acquire?

[@Justthemow]

You should put a link to the stamp guys online store give him some business as he was very gracious with his time

[@xxportalxx.]

Hahaha who knows maybe he doesn't have one, keeping up with that vintage feel and all

[@officialusmanqureshi]

people like him dont use online stores, if yku want one, go visit him

[@Justthemow]

@@officialusmanqureshi I’m allergic to China

[@maxb.7096]

@@Justthemow wat?

[@unliving_ball_of_gas]

A QR code

[@jctai100]

Sometimes I forget about the creativity and artistry in our own language. Thanks Goldthread!

[@men_del12]

Yeah...we often forget our own cultural things since we look more to others if you mean by that.

[@QuadAntic]

This is amazing and I really enjoyed it. Especially the bit where he knocks the edges of the stamp with his knife to make it look more rustic!

[@ms.chuisin7727]

Not just to make it look rustic. Many of these seals can be used on official documents. It can also prevent forgery.

[@frankleepower2333]

"Be bold, cautious, and have a thick skin." So wise ... .

[@thomasw.6705]

Actually it's not really thick skin as in having thick skin to do the job, they translated too loosely. What he said 臉皮厚 "thick face skin" is an idiom usually means shameless and often used in a disapproving way. I think what he meant is don't be ashamed (of error, or bad feedback, could be anything), be "shameless" and keep doing what you do. :))

[@xxportalxx.]

@@thomasw.6705 feel like you just walked around in a circle, having 'thick skin' means being able to take criticism well.

[@uchihasasuke7436]

@@thomasw.6705 That's literally what thick skin means

[@MrNicePotato]

@@thomasw.6705 It means about the same in English too...

[@thomasw.6705]

ZZXzZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZz

[@Yeepride987]

me and my brothers each own one of these. These are some of the best personalized souvenirs you can ever get from china.

[@moreadventure3627]

Stamps?

[@ahmadhasif979]

Is this in china or hongkong

[@ahmadhasif979]

@@dartvader2353 Hong Kong speak Cantonese not mandarin like china right?

[@rachelcookie321]

@@ahmadhasif979 Hong Kong is a part of China now.

[@HeinHtet-bj8ok]

@@ahmadhasif979 Guangdong (Canton) province of China speaks Cantonese. Hong Kong could be considered a city in Guangdong province if not for it's Special Autonomous Region status, I think Various places in China speak languages/dialects other than Mandarin

[@eugene188]

I tried making these when I was a kid. This is so cool, and that official script?? sooooo coool. It took him 2 days to design it, but decades of experience to make it happen that quick.

[@japchae5645]

@pullup188 this is known as the 9-fold seal script which does date back to the Song dynasty, it was an artistic form which did make its way to one of the coins minted but were not put into circulation

[@NightmareBlade10]

@@japchae5645 That's really neat!

[@jooodittt]

An amazing little look into such a beautiful art form and a delightful person! ✨

[@pustekuchen7659]

this is so cool! and I love the philosphy behind his craftsmanship, he seems like such a strong character

[@Nexxorcist]

That was awesome. Thank you for this!

[@angelad.8944]

So cool, thanks for sharing this. You guys never disappoint!

[@marumisu9560]

The design of the seals are so beautiful and on top of that the stamps themselves are carved so intricately using beautiful materials. Such a fantastic art form.

[@Old_Man1949]

Excellent video! Well done.

[@msh104utube]

I love this channel!

[@winfilms3681]

This was great!

[@meatgraffiti]

Thank you for this video! Definitely going to stop by his store (:

[@michael.h.bradley1865]

brilliant !!

[@nap250]

Great story

[@tokenveteran7525]

Superb and brilliant 👏

[@ivan.457]

I want one of my own now. Just to put along with my signature you know? To be unique, original, special. This man does amazing work.

[@Svendrys]

CNC machines and 3d printers exist. This guy: "Be bold, cautious, and have thick skin"

[@emancebo13]

Beautiful video, beautiful art

[@sherriv4860]

Beautiful!!!!

[@Fugginsick]

Great video

[@Jabbawokeez4]

This is so cool

[@djpalpro]

Awesome 🤩👌

[@snackgila]

Thank you.

[@cleopatrascent1934]

Very nice video 😊

[@adamlibby5076]

Very cool seeing this video in my recommendations, my father would bring us stuff back from China and He’s brought back many of these! I haven’t thought of them in over 18 years!

[@VioletPrism]

Wow amazing

[@olivier2553]

Nice story. Many years (15, 20?) ago, a shopping mal near Bangkok had a Chinese special, some craft person were demonstrating and selling their art. I acquired such a seal and also a very great image made of a large sheet of paper (30x90cm) hand cut with scissors.

[@mahbrum]

Wow. An amazing artisan.

[@superchargerone]

Check your translation.at 1:15 he clearly said that he was asked to carve the seal according to the design they presented. At no time did he claim to have designed the seal. So the copyright to the design remained with the designer in which case is the bank.

[@dznuts123]

can attest to that

[@officialusmanqureshi]

4:44 they probably came with something, but the design is his

[@dznuts123]

​@@officialusmanqureshi did you understand the language before you said that?

[@miguelaulet9425]

He's a seal carver but the job requires him to design every seal. Besides as you can see in the bill they didn't even use the seal he made, they used his design with a different angle, which clearly means they were looking for a design.

[@rskrzz6233]

what a beautiful profession, he is master at his craft

[@user-fs7df1xg9v]

awesome

[@SimonLi]

That’s so dope! He should get commission for every $100 note that’s printed 😤

[@ychongong4680]

Totally agreed with you for his artistic contribution

[@daviddennis6598]

That’s impossible tho. They would either have to make $100 worth more than $100. Or the second you receive a $100 it would be worth less than 100.

[@anonymousstout4759]

money isn't commercial stuff, the paper itself has no real value it just representing value. You can't sell money and get more from it (not the collectable banknotes)

[@daviddennis6598]

@@anonymousstout4759 it’s so hard to describe the intrinsic value of money to some people. I tried to tell my dad about Bitcoin, and the conversation led to me saying “imagine an actual coin....” lmao

[@anonymousstout4759]

@@daviddennis6598 lmao. Yeah people often overlooked that currency nowadays aren't backed by anything except trust of the people and government

[@rachelnatalieg]

one day if i visit hongkong, i'll definitely customised my own stamp!!! thanks goldthread

[@figbat6363]

How awesome

[@XimenaZhaoArchive]

I just started learning chop-carving. I made my own signature seal and I’m designing “mood seals” for my paintings. I love this so much! ❤️

[@crylynz2368]

Just a reminder, be careful with the tools, I’ve hurt myself before!

[@nolankern7283]

Nice Olympus mju in the background

[@danielcarter7657]

Great artist

[@SpaghetteMan]

i would totally visit him now when the covid lockdown ends, this is super cool!

[@BeachBoi1000]

It will be a long time…. I am planning to do that too.

[@RayMak]

He's a legend

[@Saivydas]

When do you ever sleep?

[@ipercrayy4797]

@@Saivydas Musicians don't sleep, they just practice

[@killaiman6834]

Love it

[@itanimulli.]

We used to do this on our teacher's chalks with ballpen and ballpen caps

[@tommymai3062]

Soo cool

[@billlam7756]

That was awesome. Gonna make my own seal of approval lol

[@danielschuster7213]

Genshin impact ??? Omg i can't be wrong

[@jbb2660]

Bravo 👏

[@drivestowork]

Got a calligraphy set almost 40 years ago after I got home from being an exchange student. It came w/a rubber stamp/seal. It's just a toy, but what do gaijin/gweilo/laowai know... It still looks cool to us. 🙃🤭

[@BigBoyLies]

damn. now i want one.

[@figbat6363]

I would love to have a stamp from this man

[@kylin3197]

writing mirrored Chinese like nbd 😆 I'd love to get a few, and that pikachu stamp!

[@SL-lz9jr]

Now I know how to properly stamp with me seal. Mine never looked so nice on paper

[@lancheloth]

Now I want one...

[@Obscurai]

Nice, I finally know how to use mine correctly.

[@burung81]

feeling want to make a big one from Jade, just like the imperial seal.. :)

[@waterfoker8558]

So proud to be Cantonese and understand the idioms and the deep cultural meaning

[@bstaznkid4lyfe392]

5:57 I want that pikachu stamp...

[@totalghoul00]

I have one of these, though it is from south korea I believe. I love mine.

[@giovannyarce]

That Pikachu face seal in the wall is the most ancient thing in his collection!!! (5:55)

[@tailim1210]

贊!👍

[@moreadventure3627]

Freaking cool

[@user-ez3iv6ji5c]

I have one of these made of Chinese alabaster or something in my “cabinet of curiosities”.

[@whatslifespurpose]

I love his quote "Be bold, be cautious and have a thick skin"

[@Weeping-Angel]

Wow. I want this guy to make a seal stamp for me

[@WiseOnion]

The stamp which might be in his possession could be worth a lot in the future

[@user-cw2py6wh8l]

How come the translation is off?

[@bykh1]

Soooo can i order it online?

[@ychongong4680]

Anyone know where can I locate him?

[@johnhayward7730]

He is so right , be bold , be cautious and have a thick skin , perfect .

[@ardordeleon]

5:57 that Pikachu seal is more my style

[@steinature]

Hi, beautiful stample uncle

[@dyaaong6030]

Cool

[@EmperorCQX]

Where and how can I contact this seal master? Anyone knows his contacts?

[@danielwolf6477]

5:45 tbh it looked before so much better, afterwards he just broke it... lool

[@MrLanzac]

I want one

[@medalex]

he draw nice houses,,,

[@ronron1388]

He should hv been paid huge comms. To the uncle his just awesome.

[@huymbui]

It's so sad to see that the HK bank/government did not recognize the artist.

[@thuyviluong7498]

Where is his shop located? Thank you

[@glumpink4106]

In hongkong

[@vdml]

In Taiwan, we still use seals, every adult has more than one mainly use in bank account, and voting process

[@anoobiscooking1193]

They really should pay him proper n give him due credit for such masterclass...

[@bl4ckb3ll]

I'd like to make the Heirloom Seal of Realm to this man.

[@Kawaii159qwerthvd]

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@BeachBoi1000]

Hope HK Sg air travel could resume so I can find him.

[@Goldthread]

Fingers crossed for that too 🤞

[@lesliewubbel9157]

hes a master

[@GLOQ27]

And he did it with his eyes closed!

[@dracokaiser]

Where can I find him In hongkong???!!! Does he know how to carve in Manchu and Mongolian script???!!!

[@tristanlee6538]

Stated in description box. The location is stated there

[@ntstudio28]

Wow

[@PrinceRightyI]

Well, just asking- how much should I pay to have my own seal? I really want one of that 😬

[@japchae5645]

same

[@mamorukun173]

30~200$

[@Realatmx]

Waw they use lots of don't different materials to make it

[@JonathanoQo]

ancient QR codes :P

[@YoursTrulyMew]

I Want one

[@yulil9195]

5:57 the pikachu stamp