Kamis Mark

[Sardonic 6]

Is there an index or guide for which marks belong to specific kamis anywhere?

Thanks

 

[HJA]

Yes, you can find the makers and their marks listed here: https://kailashblades.com/us/

Also Kailash prefers to call them Blacksmiths as the "K" word you'll see used elsewhere has derogatory undertones related to the Hindu caste system: https://kailashblades.com/the-k-word/

 

[Sardonic 6]

Yes, I'm aware of the link you posted. Thank you. I noticed not all "blacksmiths" listed their personal sign. I thought it would interesting to see them listed.

I wasn't aware the two words were not synonymous. Wouldn't dream of disparaging such fine craftsmen. I stand corrected.

 

[Kailash Blades]

Yes, I'm aware of the link you posted. Thank you. I noticed not all "blacksmiths" listed their personal sign. I thought it would interesting to see them listed.

I wasn't aware the two words were not synonymous. Wouldn't dream of disparaging such fine craftsmen. I stand corrected.

It would be great to get a database of all the different marks being used by smiths across the country! The issue though is that there's many smiths that use the same mark with some being quite common. It's not uncommon for smiths to begin at a new workplace and switch to a new mark as a more senior smith may already be using theirs. For this reason the marks are mostly useful when combined with the house mark (if applicable) and sometimes even a manufacturing date. Many houses restrict the use of makers marks to try and create uniformity in their final product. Some houses can also find this helpful if there is a large skill gap amongst your workforce, as specific smiths can develop a positive reputation due to their mark with other smiths becoming less desirable. While this is a good situation for the skilled smith it also creates some tricky workflow and managerial issues.
The Kami vs Smith situation is a tricky one- I wouldn't take it too hard. When I first became involved with nepali manufacturing I also only had positive associations with the word. After learning about the undertones of the word in Nepal I thought it could be a great opportunity for it to be reclaimed and used as a positive term just as it's seen in the west. Over time though I've come to see that the smiths have very little interaction with the larger knife community and these more modern aspects of the word do little to outweigh the older aspects that they have more frequently at work and in society.
Take care,
Andrew and the team at Kailash