Logo Advice

T

therron258

Joined
Apr 8, 2009
Messages
183
I have been tossing around ideas for a new logo....my old one had an anvil and I was concerned about sending the wrong message (that I forge everything) because I have not touched an anvil in 5 years.

So on the new logo I wanted something simple and representative. I think I captured it as I am from KY and my last name is shaw.

My concern now is that is the logo too simple? Aesthetically pleasing? Would it look right on a "tactical" knife? Or a carbon steel blade with a dark etch and micarta or g10 scales?

Should I even be concerned with this? I threw around the idea of just doing "SHAW" but it felt too plain. The old etch-o-matic is still kicking so I plan to keep using that.

Wanted to post here and get your thoughts on the new design before I pulled the trigger and got it made. I value the opinions here and have learned so much, so naturally it was the first place I wanted to ask.

ShawLogo.png
 
I like it. For me the more straight forward and simple it is the more it stands out. My only thought is what about just the outline of Kentucky instead of filled in?
 
I looked at it both ways, it seemed like a lot of the twists and turns were lost, or the line was too thin... I am looking at doing this about 1/2" wide by 3/8" tall
 
Name & town is what the Late Bob Loveless told me. These days I have thought of just going with my Rhino head and www.rhinoknives.com ..

I think the top part of your state logo may fuzz or bleed a bit?
 
I think most people only recognize the state outlines of very few states like Texas or California. The masses may not recognize Kentucky and think it's a blotch. Maybe use "KY" instead somehow like the pic I attached?
SHAW.jpg
 
I would never have known that was Kentucky. The locals will, but I think geography is many years behind us all and it could end up looking like a shrub of some sorts.
 
I don't have enough experience with etching to know if the SHAW over KY will work.
What about SHAW on top of KY in the font you used in the first post?
 
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You have to "spell it out" for some people, so why not spell it out? Use your name bold and legible with your town and state below it.
 
I agree with simple. The Kentucky shape you're using kind of looks like one of the dark moles you're supposed to get checked out because it could be cancerous.

1355788383.jpg


Loveless can't be wrong, name and state:

shaw.png
 
That is confusing

Confusing is bad

If someone did not know that was the shape of Kentucky then it kinda looks like a dump was put on top of your name.

SHAW with Kentucky in a smaller font would leave a much better lasting impression.
 
NC Biker said:
I agree with simple. The Kentucky shape you're using kind of looks like one of the dark moles you're supposed to get checked out because it could be cancerous.

1355788383.jpg


Loveless can't be wrong, name and state:

shaw.png
Click to expand...


I laughed out loud on that one. Instead of squamous cell cancer, I thought smoke monster from the show Lost.

NCBiker's suggestion looks good to me. Bold even.
 
Not many will know the shape of our state. Furthermore, we Kentuckians, don't get much respect from the other 49 states or the Canadians. I played soccer all over the eastern US and know from experience. Most people just think everyone here is a hillbilly. I'm about as far from a hillbilly as one gets but that didn't really seem to make much of a difference. Point being, while I am a very proud Kentuckian with roots that go back as far as any white man's can here, I don't know if prominently featuring our state would be beneficial to sales in the long run. I actually could see it hurting in some circles that still think we don't wear shoes and could in no way understand metallurgy. I do like the idea of having city and state at the bottom in the "Loveless" style. Now if you want to sell knives locally, figure out how to make a blue UK mark and hope the university doesn't sue you. :D
 
If you're wishing to sell knives professionally, then I"m with Laurence, give the folks a name (your's) and contact info - preferable a website address. Those can be short (if you're lucky), and most folks are accustomed to looking on web for info.

I think being from KY (that's "Kentucky", NOT "KY - the slick stuff") {g}, that would be a plus to building those really tough custom knives? Hey, I'm from Alabama and the big thing wrong with Kentucky is it gets too cold waaaay up north like that. I've heard ya'll even get some of that white stuff in winter!!! Down South it's nice 'n warm.

Ken H>
 
I think your logo looks great but I would also agree that the state shape should be outlined instead of filled in
 
Therron, You said that you thought that "Shaw" was too plain but that is your name and it is short enough to make a nice sized logo. I don't know exactly how many font styles are contained in Microsoft Word but it is a bunch. I pondered the same thing when I ordered my first stencils for etching my simple logo . My name is "Lehman" and the logo looked pretty plain but I did not want a large logo with the word "California" on it so I picked a font that I liked that was more interesting (in my opinion) and I used a larger font size for the first letter to give it a tiny bit of style. I came up with a font called "Black chancery" and capitalized the first letter in a larger font size than the rest and made a simple logo that I thought looked professional. You could perhaps create something really nice from the fonts and sizes available. Just a thought. Here is my logo. Larry
IHIZhAMl.jpg
 
ludibes, That's what I am talking about. Your logo for Denis Budak is really cool. The name Shaw is not unusual and maybe another knife maker has the same last name. A logo could be designed with the first name or initial and the last name Shaw and be small enough to use on most any size or style of knife and still be interesting and professional looking. I just think the state outline is nice but takes too much room on the blade and might be confusing or busy. If you have a small enough logo you have room for words like "hand made" or "hand crafted" which many knife buyers and collectors will relate to. Just my opinion. Larry
 
Wow!

Thank you all so much for the replies. I was away all weekend so I just got to read through them. I got exactly what I came for!

After further thought, I agree that the original is not so great. It needs some changing for sure. My first name is Therron, and 7letters vs. 4 for the last name would not lead to a very symmetrical logo.

Ludibes, I really like the Denis Budak logo. How could I contact you for further discussion?
 
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