Do I need to add a first initial to my mark?

Kevin Jones said:
I believe we (myself included) tend to believe that we who participate here on the BF custom knife forums are the custom knife community when in fact we are only a micro percentage of such.

So the fact that Joe, Roger, myself and probably even most of the participants here can readily identify Nick's and many other maker's work at a glance doesn't mean that average or casual knife collector can.

IMO, Don Hanson is one of the top knifemakers in the world from both a design and execution standpoint or any standpoint for that matter :D and I collect his work, however I believe him only using the "sunfish" for his mark possibly has or will put him at a disadvantage to some extent.
As well know as Don is, I doubt that if you polled knife collectors at large that 4 out of 10 would recognize the sunfish as Don's mark. By the way, there's a maker in Europe who also uses almost the exact "sunfish" mark.

My opinion on this matter is actually the result of a Bruce Voyle's seminar that I attended recently in which he spoke directly on this subject. He opened up the topic by referencing a few maker's marks from past well known makers and asked who in attendance could name the maker. Well even though some very astute collectors and makers were in attendance no one could name the first one. This drove home the importance of makers clearly identifying their knives.

Daniel Winkler has changed the familiar interlocking "D/W" that has adorned his knives for years to a "D Winkler" mark.

Personally, I'm not concerned how Nick marks his knives, however since he's obviously concerned to the point he started a thread I felt the need to think about it and give him an un-biased answer based on how it could affect him, his collectors and would-be collectors long term.

In addition, to STeven's point, I don't think that reducing his font to allow a "N" to precede "Wheeler" would de-face his knives in the least.

Sorry to run on, just felt since I'm in the vast minority here that I share where I'm coming from. :)
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Good post and good points.


I think Jonathan Brand's comment would be a good solution:
I think that if you add to your stamp it should be your whole name.

I don't like how one initial looks. I sort of think you should do it. It might make you proud to see your whole name on a knife you like. And that way it is clear that YOU made it and no one will ever mistake it down the road. I would keep the "wheeler" as is, and put "nick" in the same font but smaller, above your last name.
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Ken Erickson, a bladeforum member and fine slip joint maker, recently added his first name to his mark, in a similar fashion.
 
I am glad that I have a fairly uncommon last name;)
 
I think a mark can detract or add significantly to a knife and is worth getting right, which means looking great and ending all confusion about the makers ID.

Nick, I must say that I really like your mark as is; the depth, font, size, position, and one-line simplicity concertedly exude class to my eyes. Yet, I find myself agreeing with Jon that adding your full first name has merit. More Wheelers doing comparable work to yours may introduce more murkiness in the future.

Nick has only 2 more letters than N. and the better symmetry is far more pleasing. I would tend to center it above Wheeler in the same configuration you have now. If it becomes too busy, reducing letter size might work. Or relocation to the thickest portion of the spine anterior to the guard might be an option. Ray Richard so marks his work (Raymond Richard) with very small but deep, precise letters that looks very nice. This removes all clutter from the blade itself, which might be regrettable for really handsome marks but a godsend for the homely, convoluted ones.

I'm curious about how others perceive spine marks. Is there a consensus as to the best site for marks or is that more a function of the mark itself?

ken
 
Kevin Jones said:
So the fact that Joe, Roger, myself and probably even most of the participants here can readily identify Nick's and many other maker's work at a glance doesn't mean that average or casual knife collector can.
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The average or casual knife collector can still use e-mail if he finds himself all perplexed. And the odds of another Wheeler with JS or MS on the blade seems quite remote.

Roger
 
Wow, thanks for all the input folks :)

Threads like the one about the identity of the Newton knife are exactly the type of thing I was thinking about.

Matt, kind of ironic, but I've only used that mark on two knives! lol :) I've only ever used 3 period.

Originally my mark read "Nick Wheeler Winlock, WA" !!! That was a bit much ;)

My most current and preferred mark is the simple, bold block letter WHEELER, like STeven posted.

I did think of an alternative.... something like etching a very small diamond in the spine... something discrete.


I fully realize that the forums are a small part of the knife world. Every time I'm fortunate enough to have a knife photo published in a magazine, I get at least one pen and paper letter asking about my knives. After just the "maker showcase" feature in Blade, I got six emails from people that were obviously internet savvy enough to email... but said they don't look at any knife forums.


Keith, I think our posts overlapped... because Gary Wheeler received his Js this past June. :)

Now maybe if I had a cool online video of me forging a big banana like Jason Knight does, I wouldn't worry about this at all ;) :p ;)



http://www.charleston.net/videos/2008/aug/07/526/


Just josh'n.... VERY COOL story Jason! :) :thumbup:
 
there is aaron wheeler and there is zygmunt wheeler, and there are all the wheelers in between. and then there is THE wheeler, and that would be you! :)

hans
 
RogerP said:
The average or casual knife collector can still use e-mail if he finds himself all perplexed. And the odds of another Wheeler with JS or MS on the blade seems quite remote.

Roger
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Good point. Better yet, perhaps makers should just put their e-mail addresses on their knives. :eek: :D :)
Just kidding of course. :o

But seriously, it seems many times when folks are trying to identify these marks it's from makers that are dead or have faded away.

I think we are starting to beat this topic to death.
 
Many collectors don't just buy what they like. They buy what other people like. A name can go a long way.

I think a full name stamp looks professional and wont hurt the look.
 
If another Wheeler comes along that can produce work at a level such as this:

orig.jpg


orig.jpg


... I will be all smiles, and the first to jump up and shake his hand. 'Cause I sure would welcome that kind of cause for confusion.

Roger
 
Well, you could always add some flowery symbols on each side of your name; just to avoid any confusion. :p:D


Leave it alone, Nick. Your work speaks for itself. :thumbup:
 
Actually now that I see a few of your knives, they are kinda ugly. I would just leave off the name all together.






kidding!
 
jonathan brand said:
I think a full name stamp looks professional and wont hurt the look.
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Looking at the examples posted above, I would have to disagree. The simple WHEELER in block caps is as clean, crisp and uncluttered as the knives themselves. Wedging a NICK in beside sure wouldn't improve the look, IMHO.

The way I look at it is - don't mess with success, don't fix what 'aint broke. This mark works. Period. You'd change it if there was a real good reason to, but the potential confusion of some hypothetical e-mail-challenged newbie collector somewhere down the road seems to fall well short, to me. Given that Nick's output is never going to what you'd call massive, and given the long line of highly experienced collectors waiting for said output, I'd say that casual newbie collector has pretty much a snowball's chance of grabbing one at all - much less getting one while somehow remaining completely baffled by its provenance.

Could it happen? Sure, anything's possible. I just don't think the realistic probabilities are such as to merit any loss of sleep, or any change in the mark.

That be how I see it.

Roger
 
RogerP said:
Looking at the examples posted above, I would have to disagree. The simple WHEELER in block caps is as clean, crisp and uncluttered as the knives themselves. Wedging a NICK in beside sure wouldn't improve the look, IMHO.


Roger
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Roger I actually totally agree with you. My foot is in my mouth. Nick leaves just enough room there for the "wheeler" and there it looks clean as it is. I see no where to fit the rest.

Guess I spoke to soon. However, in general I would normally think the whole name would be a positive.
 
I hear ya Jon - it's why I thought posting some examples would be useful.

Roger
 
Any mark that needs research is deficient. Time erodes everything. I'm confident every maker has the ability to execute an enduring mark that identifies himself clearly. Given the deluge of new makers with equivocal marks, the ID train wreck is as certain/soon as the next blue moon.

ken
 
Ken Williams said:
Any mark that needs research is deficient. Time erodes everything. I'm confident every maker has the ability to execute an enduring mark that identifies himself clearly. Given the deluge of new makers with equivocal marks, the ID train wreck is as certain/soon as the next blue moon.

ken
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Ken, by that definition, any mark that uses the surname only is a deficient ID train wreck waiting to happen. I just don't buy that.

If you're right, the likes of FISK, DEAN, HANCOCK, CAFFREY, FARR, RUTH, RHEA, KNIGHT ... and on and on... are in immediate need of corrective action to address their deficient marks. After all who knows when the deluge of future makers will produce a namesake? Or how long before the erosion of time renders the provenance of their work obscure.

Honestly, this strikes me as a solution looking for a problem.

Roger
 
Every maker will evolve and make changes eventually. If this question bugs Nick for a while then I'm sure he'll try something different eventually and he will make it look just as good.
 
RogerP said:
Ken, by that definition, any mark that uses the surname only is a deficient ID train wreck waiting to happen. I just don't buy that.

If you're right, the likes of FISK, DEAN, HANCOCK, CAFFREY, FARR, RUTH, RHEA, KNIGHT ... and on and on... are in immediate need of corrective action to address their deficient marks. After all who knows when the deluge of future makers will produce a namesake? Or how long before the erosion of time renders the provenance of their work obscure.

Honestly, this strikes me as a solution looking for a problem.

Roger
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I would agree that well known maker's with irrevocable established names/marks such as you mention above should not need to reconsider there current marks. But only ones where there's other known maker's with the same name, or makers that are concerned such as Nick.
 
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