Steel Canvas: Charlie “Chaz” Allen And His Pinstriping Ways

Anytime someone pulls in a car for Charlie “Chaz” Allen to work on, they know they’re not only getting their money’s worth, but also infusing their ride with a touch of personality that separates them from the crowd. The thirty-something man from West Auckland, New Zealand is by trade a pinstriper, but by heart, he is an artist, pure and simple.

The folks at Hot Rod Revue recently posted this exposé to YouTube, giving us an inside glimpse of what it’s like to work on a steel canvas day in and day out. “It’s hard work,” he states. “It’s just painting with a brush. It’s not rocket science, it’s that [repetition] and practice that comes with it.”

As it turns out, Allen’s initiation into pinstriping happened by pure coincidence. “It was spur of the moment, I guess,” he says. “I actually bought a set of pinstriping brushes, gave it a go and whew, it was just crazy. Probably a year into starting at Moselle Panel and Paint, I’d asked my boss–he was coming back from SEMA–if he could bring me a little bit of paint, and I thought pinstriping would be kind of sweet.”

The following year, Allen’s confidence in his skill was at the point where he felt ready to go professional. And it wasn’t just hot rods that Allen was painting on; mannequins, bowling pins, saws, and other trinkets became works of art as well, and this practice carries on all the way through to today.

Currently, Allen is focusing on improving his lettering techniques. “[I want to] get really fluent with it,” he says. “You know, pick as many people’s brains as I can, and be as confident at lettering as I am at pinstriping.”

We wish Allen all the best in his efforts. He certainly has the capacity to become a master one day, and that day isn’t too far off given the man’s devotion and persistence to his craft. In the meantime, we’ll be happy just re-watching this video a few times to admire his handiwork, as well as perusing his website.