# How did this guy write the Lord's Prayer on the head of a pin?!?! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 28, 2005, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-this-guy-write-the-lords-prayer-on-the-head-of-a-pin/318947 "2005-08-28T05:12:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-this-guy-write-the-lords-prayer-on-the-head-of-a-pin/318947/21 "2005-08-29T14:26:43Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Huh? I thought that song was about the guy on “Who’s the Boss?” I thought it was about the bartender on Cheers. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-this-guy-write-the-lords-prayer-on-the-head-of-a-pin/318947/22 "2005-08-29T20:57:34Z")
[Here’s an article](http://gorton-machine.org:8080/links/lars_lords_prayer/index.html) describing how this feat was achieved in 1935, using high-precision pantographic engraving equipment. (Click on the pages for readable versions.) ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-this-guy-write-the-lords-prayer-on-the-head-of-a-pin/318947/23 "2005-08-30T00:40:55Z")
> [@Larry Mudd](#): > > [Here’s an article](http://gorton-machine.org:8080/links/lars_lords_prayer/index.html) describing how this feat was achieved in 1935, using high-precision pantographic engraving equipment. > > (Click on the pages for readable versions.) Thanks for finding that, **Larry**. I was sure I’d read that same pamphlet back in the 60’s, and had been combing the internet for it. I think my grandfather, a tool-and-die maker, originally showed it to me when I was a youngster. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-this-guy-write-the-lords-prayer-on-the-head-of-a-pin/318947/24 "2005-08-30T02:37:59Z")
**Qadgop** So you haven’t been treating any forgers with mysterios eye problems? ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-this-guy-write-the-lords-prayer-on-the-head-of-a-pin/318947/25 "2005-08-30T14:16:00Z")
> [@Larry Mudd](#): > > [Here’s an article](http://gorton-machine.org:8080/links/lars_lords_prayer/index.html) . . . That’s a great article. Note that it describes the Lord’s Prayer engraved on an area the size of the _point_ of a pin, not the head. This was an area 0.005" in diameter. The article said that at that scale the entire Bible could be engraved in an area 1/2" X 3/8". ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-this-guy-write-the-lords-prayer-on-the-head-of-a-pin/318947/26 "2005-08-30T14:26:41Z")
**Larry Mudd** That is _very_ impressive especially when you consider that was done 70 years ago. That article does mention that the Lord’s Prayer had been previously engraved on the _head_ of a pin, but that pales in comparison to doing that on the _point_ of a pin. The article fails to mention the name of the “head of a pin” engraver. It was probably another machine shop as opposed to being the work of a 19th century prisoner. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-this-guy-write-the-lords-prayer-on-the-head-of-a-pin/318947.md?page=1)