Maker's Marks, how do [B][I]you[/I][/B] do it?

sulsaMatt

sulsaMatt

Joined
Jan 29, 2007
Messages
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After pouring thru some old threads I came across a saying that was to the effect of "If it's not worth putting your name on, it's not worth selling". I wish I could give credit to this quote, but it's just been rolling thru my mind the last couple of weeks. So, what are some different methods you guys use to make your mark?
 
I engrave most blades on a pantograph with my name and location
STACY E.APELT
NORFOLK,VA

I stamp some knives with my name on one side and my Kanji mark on the other.

Stacy
 
Stamp with my mark (see bottom of post) using a Ever's stamp w/holder, arbor press and a 4 lb. deadblow hammer.
 
I used to use a simple mark, because that's all I had the resources to put on the knife. Now that I'm selling more knives, I had stencils made and built an etcher. See my signature below for my new mark.

--nathan
 
I put on a resist, write my name and city with a scribe and etch with Aqua Rega.
Just what I di,
Lynn
 
Write my name in Sharpie before the final etch, pull it out, clean it, hit it with 0000 steel wool it's good to go
 
At first I used a dremal tool to engrave my name and or mark but thats a p.i.t.a. Eventually I purchased a couple of stamps. The stamps are great but I still sometimes use another method. Spray the blade with enemel paint let that dry about 75% then very carefully scratch in your name/mark. Dab on some ferric chloride etchant let it sit 15 minutes nutralize the etchant and then clean off the enamel with acetone. If you did everything correct you should have a nice deep dark signiture. If you try this method you may want to practice on scraps.
 
I scuff ou the ricasso a bit with 400 grit paper and then sign my last name with a pencil. I then cut my name in with a graver. It helps to have a short name :)

Brian
 
I use a jewelers Diamond Drag Stylus engraver. Tried all the other methods and they all had their problems. Now as long as I pay attention I get a nice clean crisp mark every time and in all materials, mono steel as well as Damascus.
 
I carve my last name in filework. Slow to figure out but I can mark one in about 15 minutes now.
 
These are all really brilliant ideas. Do any of you guys put any stock into, "stamping steel will weaken the blade"?
 
I don't. I've heard the stories of creating heat risers, changing the metal structure, etc. and I feel that unless you mash the stamp into the steel with a 50 ton press, you're not gonna affect it structurally. Just my opinion...
 
Matt Shade said:
I carve my last name in filework. Slow to figure out but I can mark one in about 15 minutes now.
Click to expand...

By the way, I really like your sig....totally awesome. Tried to do BOESE one time...it didn't go well :D
 
sulsaMatt said:
So, what are some different methods you guys use to make your mark?
Click to expand...

Well I have pretty much always stamped my knives w/ my name or initials.

Most my fixed blades for years I stamped - TAD

Then I went to.... T.A. Davison

Then I started making folders and had to make it narrower.
So I went to this....

T.A.
Davison

I wore that stamp out.

Now I use...

T.A.
DAVISON


And I will probably continue to stamp them.
Oh and I just use a hammer and hit the stamp free hand.

Later.

Todd



.
 
Thanks for the opportunity to rant...I have spent most of the day jacking with a light box and stencil material to make a photo-stencil of my mark/name. This was supposed to save me $, but the ink-jet transparency paper my wife picked up at Staples was $40 (about the cost for a professional to make some stencils for me). It took a few tries to get exposure and developing times down, and I'm still not 100% sure. One of the two sheets of stencil has a lot of ripples through it which makes parts of the mark blurry because it lets light between the stencil and the transparency. At the end of all this trouble, the mark comes out just ok, a little blurry, and I don't know if it's the stencil or the etcher time. I'm getting ready to say screw all the advice that you gotta have your name on your knife, go back to doing it the old way with just my simple brand, and if nobody ever buys another one great, I'll keep all of them. This is supposed to be fun...
 
A C Richards said:
I use a jewelers Diamond Drag Stylus engraver. Tried all the other methods and they all had their problems. Now as long as I pay attention I get a nice clean crisp mark every time and in all materials, mono steel as well as Damascus.
Click to expand...

Chuck,

I searched diamond-drag and all I came up with was machine-run marking. Is that what you are doing or is it hand done? If hand done, would you tell me where you got the tool, please?

Mike
 
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I electro edge . For 80 bucks " Marking Methods " in L.A., calif. did the art work from my drawing and put it into the stencils , I got 14 stencils which should last several years .
 
I scanned in my actual signature and I cut it on a CNC mill, as seen in my avatar.
 
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