Etching customer name on blade

WaltE99

WaltE99

Fickle Bastard Blades
Joined
Oct 5, 2015
Messages
179
I have had a customer request me to put his name on the blades of 2 knives I made for him. My maker's mark is on the left side of the blade so it's visible to a right hander. My initial reaction is to simply say No. Does anybody have any ideas?

Thanks,
Walt

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You can contact Blue Lighting stencils. He makes one off stencils
 
I would do it as long as they have been paid for up front.
Only to show ownership not if he is going to claim he made them.
Kinda like initials on a sheath.
TJ Smith
 
WaltE99 said:
I have had a customer request me to put his name on the blades of 2 knives I made for him. My maker's mark is on the left side of the blade so it's visible to a right hander. My initial reaction is to simply say No. Does anybody have any ideas?

Thanks,
Walt

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Click to expand...

The side you referenced is referred to as the "Mark Side" of the blade. That is the typical side for the maker to stamp or etch. The opposite side is the "Pile Side", and I don't think its uncommon to place personalization there i.e. Randall Made Knives.

Just sharing something I picked up here on Bladeforums if it helps.
 
I have had requests for the owners last name on some knives I've made and I formulated a plan. A local trophy shop in my town engraves many metals in over 50 fonts and several font sizes. Since I did not want to be responsible for the their work I made the customer take my finished blank after heat treat and polishing to the shop with a pieces of tape outlining where he wanted the engraving and he selected the old English font and size and returned the knife to me for bolsters, scales, and finishing. He was delighted. I have only done this twice in over 400 knives sold but the customers were very happy. As a side note I do not take any money for a knife until it's finished so I potentially could be stuck for a blade with a customers engraving on it but I think the risk is really small. Also, I put my etch on the reverse side because it is my work. Larry



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I engrave the owner's name on knives regularly. I use my pantograph engraver and a diamond stylus.
 
Thanks guys! I'm going to agree to do it even though I don't know what a pantograph engraver is, much less own one. I'll have to get stencils so the cost may be more than he wants to spend.

Thanks again,
Walt

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I just purchased a full sheet of the alphabet in my font for this exact situation. I don't think I would try it on the flats, but etching the spine will help me to align the characters.
 
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A pantograph is a parallelogram engraver that allows adjusting the copy size. It uses type that comes in many fonts. You set the type and trace it with the copy quill while pressing the cutting stylus down on the object being marked. A diamond stylus will cut hardened steel.

While the new price is insane, they are readily available used for a couple hundred dollars. Type sets run $50-75 a font.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Hermes-...987069?hash=item1a1924ba3d:g:KNkAAOSwaB5XrMhy
 
Pantograph engravers are rocket science to anyone unfamiliar with them.
 
I'm kinda going through the same thing right now. I talked to a local engraving shop and they can also do a laser etch. It ends up black on the blade and in my opinion looks better than engraving. It was reasonably enough priced I'm thinking of having them do some of my maker's marks as well.

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I have two knives with my last name on them, one etched and one engraved.
I paid for the stencil etch as requested by the maker and the engraving was simple as that maker engraves regularly into the blade

Here is the etched one. Actually it's a matching set my son and I have , and both have our last name

3319f77545a4a6946b856262c535f20c.jpg
 
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HSC /// said:
I have two knives with my last name on them, one etched and one engraved.
I paid for the stencil etch as requested by the maker and the engraving was simple as that maker engraves regularly into the blade

Here is the etched one. Actually it's a matching set my son and I have , and both have our last name

3319f77545a4a6946b856262c535f20c.jpg
Click to expand...

Harbeer, Is that a David Sharp rendition of a Bob Loveless Chute knife? It is very nice. Larry
 
I just had a customer request it on 2 knives he just ordered. I contacted a laser shop here in town and had them quote the names and it was $25 per knife so I went ahead and sent them a copy of my makers mark and it didn't cost any additional to have them do that while they were at it just to make the name and makers mark match. Each knife was a $25 minimum charge. Turned out very nice.

Just call around and you'll likely find a shop that can do it for you. I just told the customs it was an up charge and he was more than cool with paying the extra. I just added a straight $50 to the order because the laser shop is 5 min from my house.
 
I have the local trophy shop do it with their diamond engraver. I pass the cost on to the customer, with full disclosure up front that I'll arrange for the trophy shop to do the work and charge the customer the actual cost on top of what I quote for the knife. If they want something engraved on the blade, I put it on the mark side and put my maker's mark on the pile side.
 
LARRYZ10 said:
Harbeer, Is that a David Sharp rendition of a Bob Loveless Chute knife? It is very nice. Larry
Click to expand...

yes, good eye
this was made 3 yrs ago when my son and I visited David at his shop.
Back then I was collecting high end custom folders and didn't really know anything about a Loveless knife or design.
I'm not really a fan of the chute knife (although I appreciate the skill required to execute it) but this was the model that caught my son's eye and what he wanted.
 
Another option, one I use, is to recommend that the customer to take it to a trophy/engraving shop and handle that aspect of it themselves. That way they know the cost and they can work directly with the engraver on the proper lettering/spelling/font size.

I also make them aware that I am in no way responsible for any scratches, scuffs or any other damage the engraver does to the knife.

This has always been well received by my customers in the past and then I'm not left in the middle of any type of weird uncomfortable warranty situation.
 
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