Customer Requests No Maker's Mark

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Dennis Paish

Joined
Jan 3, 2007
Messages
302
Greetings,
Would you be offended if a customer purchased a knife but requested no makers mark?

Thoughts?

Dennis
 
Ferrari won't sell you a car without their badge on it. However, you can remove it after you purchase it. DaVinci probably signed every painting he ever did.

It's an absolute insult to any artist to ask them to not sign their work. No, I'm not an artist, I have no artistic ability whatsoever so I wouldn't be insulted.
 
I would be curious about why anyone would want no makers mark. The only two reasons that comes to mind is that they don't like your name/mark....or they plan on saying they made the knife themselves.

So, if your mark is a hammer and cycle, or has some political statement in it, or your name is Joe Krappy, and your mark is "Krappy Knives"....then maybe I could see his asking to use a different mark or just your initials. But no mark at all....seems insulting as well as suspect.
 
I've produced a number of knives for military members with no markings. As a retired military guy, I know the importance of individuals and equipment being "sanitized" of anything that could help identify an individual or his equipment's origins. If the customer your speaking of is military, then there is a very good reason for asking that the knife not have any markings that could identify it....and in some instances certain units will not allow it's members to carry ANY equipment that is "marked".

If it's a civilian that wants the knife, they would have to give me a very good reason before I agreed not to mark the knife.
 
bladsmth said:
I would be curious about why anyone would want no makers mark. The only two reasons that comes to mind is that they don't like your name/mark....or they plan on saying they made the knife themselves.

So, if your mark is a hammer and cycle, or has some political statement in it, or your name is Joe Krappy, and your mark is "Krappy Knives"....then maybe I could see his asking to use a different mark or just your initials. But no mark at all....seems insulting as well as suspect.
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I was asked not to put my mark on two knives for the same customer, the reason given was he thought it was too commercial. I told him I would not leave it off, and he did not press the issue. It's a bad deal, except maybe for Ed Caffrey's example.
 
Dennis,

I wouldn't send a blade out without my mark. If the customer objects to having a mark on the blade surface, you could always offer to mark the tang or guard in an inconspicuous place.

Nathan
 
I agree with everyone else. IMO you should at very least include your initials on every blade you make.
 
At the very least, I would add my mark under the scales, where it was hidden, but my work could be verified.
 
As a rule, I mark my work and would be skeptical of such a request......BUT
as Ed pointed out, there are times when it's appropriate.
 
Kind of along the same thing that Ed said. I once made two knives for a guy that was a real military buff. He wanted them "sterile". He already had one of mine with my mark, and he was very pleased with the other two. He never hesitated to show them off and tell anyone who wanted to know who made them.
 
I've made at least a half dozen "sterile" knives for Soldiers over the last several years.

I can certainly appreciate the reasons a Soldier who is stationed in a primarily Muslim country might want to forsake my mark .................

even though it's perfectly clear that my fish is a representation of a scrappy little Brook Trout from Kelsey Creek :D :D :thumbup: LOL

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:cool:
 
If I may, a customer's perspective......I'm willing to pay you what we agree your knife is worth....if I want the knife clean of any markings, I should be able to get it so. Yes, it's your work, but it's my money.

If you're unwilling to give me what I want...the good news for me is that there are plenty of knife makers out there that will not let such a request jeopardize a sale.
 
Active or even reservist US service personnel requesting no mark = compliance.

As Ed says, theres a number of reasons they might ask for this least of which is the company commander telling them thats the only way they're going to be able to carry a non-mil spec knife. Seals, Rangers, MACV-SOG just to mention a few, all have carried sterile edged weapons on some missions.

Clandestine/unmarked knives go back to WW2 and perhaps beyond. They have great heritage in the military and, usually command high prices among military knife collectors.

A civilian wanting no mark = ?

I don't know why anyone would ask for that save one: in the event of finding a knife at a crime scene, a maker's mark would instantly lead to you and the subsequent questions as to who it was sold to in the first place.

Ed writes:

"If it's a civilian that wants the knife, they would have to give me a very good reason before I agreed not to mark the knife. "


Thats easy: they intend to harm someone with it. Perhaps an aggressor, perhaps not; harm none the less.


Troy writes:

"At the very least, I would add my mark under the scales, where it was hidden, but my work could be verified."

OK, so your secretly or overtly marked "poniard, dagger, boot knife, bowie knife" is found present at a crime scene. Now a really well paid lawyer includes YOU in the wrongful death/civil suit, he's bringing against the estate of the defendant. And of course, there is plenty of ammunition to show just how many of us make knives for the purpose of defense... or offense!



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Perhaps a customer wanting no mark believes that the mark detracts from the beauty of the work. If someone asks about the knife, then I'd bet that the person would say that so-and-so made it for them. I've asked a maker to leave off the "number" stamped on a run of a model before. Why? If there is a number on it, I am less likely to use it because psychologically "there is a number on it, it's going to be or is collectible/valuable, so keep it in a drawer, and don't use it because you might mess it up."
 
The chances that someone would by a custom for criminal uses seems pretty thin to me and a lot easier to trace mark or no mark than a production knife.

Rayban, yes the customer has the right to dictate what he would like. Makers have the right to adjust the price or decline the request. I would bet that most quality makers would insist on their mark, except in examples like the one Ed mentioned.
 
I've made countless tools, jigs and fixtures with no "marks" on them.

If someone wants a knife and prefers the aesthetics without any markings - well they're going to need a custom knife for that. And I'd be happy to make it for them. *shrug*
 
rayban said:
If I may, a customer's perspective......I'm willing to pay you what we agree your knife is worth....if I want the knife clean of any markings, I should be able to get it so. Yes, it's your work, but it's my money.

If you're unwilling to give me what I want...the good news for me is that there are plenty of knife makers out there that will not let such a request jeopardize a sale.
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Hi Rick,
How far would you take that idea? Frankly, if a customer wanted me to leave my mark off, I would tell them nicely to take a hike. The only exceptions being, if the knife was designed by them and was bug ugly :D or the aforementioned serviceman needing a sterile knife.
I've made several knives for soldiers, and none of them have requested this.

If a customer wanted a knife that isn't heat treated, do you think a maker should accommodate them?

Yes, the customer has a right to decide some things about the knife, but makers have rights too.


One thing a maker could do, is stamp under the handle, and fill the impression with lead. Then it should show up easily in an X-ray. At least theoretically. I confess I don't know a lot about X-rays. :)
 
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