Customer Requests No Maker's Mark

I haven'yt had a reaquest for no name but I don't think I would have a problem leaving it off. I have by accident made two that I forgot to place my name one. So when asked I found a scaned picture I had of the folder signed it and sent it off. What I find interesting is some of you saying "no mame no sale" But you don't even use your real name when participating in the forums. Why worry about placing it on a knife you made? Frank Niro and yes that is my real name and most pleased to use it in several forums and just NIRO on the folders I make unless I forget or just maybe if someone asks me to leave it off.
 
As a User of Custom knives I have in the past asked for Logo's to be sterile on MANY occasions. Or put under the scales with steel type, date etc... Many Logos have Christian themes. I am not Christian. I find a sterile knife nicer looking most of the time... Also there are so many BUTT UGLY makers marks out there... Stencils look really bad to me...They seem\look cheap to me. A nice engraved logo or a nice stamped blade really look appealing. To each his own. I hate stencils.
 
I'm not a maker (though I'd like to be) so my opinion may be less valuable but . . . I have thought many beautiful knife have been made less so by a makers mark. If you don't want to provide the knife without your mark, and there have been many good reasons given here not to, just decline. Your customer will think about how important this really is to him and make his decision.

As an aside, I think that "insult" is overused in society in general. I can't believe your potential customer, for example, meant this question to be one.
 
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Truelove, you aren't responsible for thread necromancy, RockCowles is the one who did it. That combined with his very low number of post (it was his first) and mostly the generally argumentative and negative towards custom knives tone of the post leaves me wondering the intent behind this. Maybe it's just me.
 
Aside from the necro, I didn't see anything wrong with the recent post. For what it's worth, I'd want to know why the customer didn't want my mark, but I wouldn't have any problems leaving it off.
 
Aside from the questionable post that revived this thread.... it is a good subject that I missed the first time around. It would be nice to hear some more input.

For me, it boils down to the individual situation and my personal response to it. True, they are MY knives and MY hard work went into them. Therefore, I reserve the sole right to make the decision. I like reading the different postions here. Well, except for that one douche.

Rick
 
I like the Japanese way of doing it, mark under the handle and the owners name on the knife. I won't be doing any that way, lol... while I am proud of my work the stamp isn't what makes it for me. I have a odd opinion on this after years of selling sterling silver jewelry, a mark isn't everything.

I will be getting my mark in this week hopefully and will proudly be displaying it on all my knives. I hope eventually it will be seen as a hallmark of quality. I'll be putting my name on them and it does mean a lot to me.
 
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If it's worth making, it's worth marking. Anything that is good enough quality to leave my shop will be marked in one way or another, if not my full name mark, than at least the symbolic trade-mark that i've used on works for years now (i've got a stencil that will etch it at just over an 8th of an inch tall)
 
Just curious Justin...
If a soldier approached you and said he wanted one of your knives. He liked your style, respected your reputation and couldn't think of another blade he would want to wear in the field. The only request was that there were no markings as they are strictly forbidden on any piece of equipment in his particular line of work. How would you respond?


Rick
 
Patrice Lemée;9588618 said:
Truelove, you aren't responsible for thread necromancy, RockCowles is the one who did it. That combined with his very low number of post (it was his first) and mostly the generally argumentative and negative towards custom knives tone of the post leaves me wondering the intent behind this. Maybe it's just me.
Click to expand...

It's interesting how context changes everything.

He's not your usual troll, He is Don's ( edited to add Cowles) son; active on KnifeDogs and does some nice design work
http://www.cowlesknives.com/DC_Mainframe.htm

His comments seem negative, but are essentially true.
Branding affects value.
I have seen many high dollar big named items for sale "sterile" and ask myself
"How do I know it's not just some no named cinese knock off?"
 
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Ha! Now that's funny. Interwebz Context FAIL! Now if I go back a read the post, it has a totally different tone. My apologies, Rock (aka, douche):o

Rick
 
An introduction would have been nice then for one of his first (maybe even his first) post on here. Not everybody knows Don's son. (Not sure I am even sure which Don we are talking about) :confused:

That said, I still think that saying things like:

"Many custom knives don't stand out as being better than mid-tech factory knives or even factory knives in general."
"The customer has to have been convinced there is value in the maker's name."
"When a good percentage of collector custom knives wind up being safe queens, ie; expensive paperweights that aren't even used to cut air, the only value they have is in what the owner perceives them to be worth and whether he can find a potential buyer who agrees."

...in the shoptalk section of this forum is maybe not the best idea. Maybe I am too sensitive. Anywho... Carry on.
 
Why should anyone need to know whose son he is or anything else about him? Do I have to introduce myself anytime I make a comment that folks don't agree with? Again, I didn't see anything wrong with his post from the get go.
 
I did go back and read it.... and to think of another custom maker saying it DID make a difference. They are the same words... even the ones Pat quoted... I can't explain. It makes me aware that things get misread and I should consider perspective in the future.
 
Patrice Lemée;9589142 said:
Maybe I am too sensitive.
Click to expand...

In a word, yes.

While the three statements of Rock's that you quoted may seem full of barbs to sensitive ears, they're actually quite true. Speaking only for myself, allow me to address them in turn...
1) I've only been to a couple big shows and handled/owned a few customs via pass-arounds and KITHs etc., but I can tell you that indeed, many handmade/custom knives are no better, sometimes much worse in fact than good or top-level factory offerings. I've seen some custom knives with very large price tags and grinds that would flat-out embarass a K-bar or Camillus assembly-line employee. (I mean they'd be embarassed to let it slip by them)
2) Of course there's value in the maker's name. It takes an investment to build that value ("convince" the customer), whether it's a portfolio of proven work (hopefully) or splashy ads in a magazine (not so good).
3) Safe queens by their very nature have no inherent value of their own, at least not any higher than a similar knife with no frills, other than that decided upon by collectors themselves.

Having said all that, I'm simply not busy or wealthy enough to turn to down work simply because a customer's request for a clean blade hurts my feelings. YMMV.

EDIT: incidentally, I agree with AcridSaint. I don't give a hoot who said it, those statements are demonstrably true and I certainly don't think they were intended to offend anyone. Lighten up, fellas.
 
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AcridSaint said:
Why should anyone need to know whose son he is or anything else about him? Do I have to introduce myself anytime I make a comment that folks don't agree with?...
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Of course not we know YOU! :rolleyes: ;)
A short introduction is not a bad thing when starting to post on a forum no matter what you are going to say.
I apologize to the OP for misreading his post.
Not trying to stir up stuff. Guess I am just the odd one out. It would not be the first time. ;)

Let's move on please if it is ok with the OP.
 
Daniel Fairly Knives said:
I like the Japanese way of doing it, mark under the handle and the owners name on the knife.
Click to expand...

True, but a katana disassembles in seconds, and anyone considering purchasing the sword would inspect the maker's signature.

Apropos to this discussion, the Japanese smiths didn't sign all their swords -- only the ones that were exceptional. They didn't want an imperfect sword being circulated with their name on it.
 
Honestly, I'm trying to learn how to make knives and have a long way to go before I worry about selling one. But, one thing I've noticed is that a lot of you professional makers have some really ugly marks. Seriously. Some of these things are just cheesy and some of them are huge and some of them are huge and cheesy... I could really see a customer liking the looks and feel of a knife, but being turned off by a billboard on the side.
 
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