Silly ? but - Maker's Mark blade side?

E

Emphasiski

Joined
Jun 27, 2010
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402
This may sound like a silly question, but I was about to apply my makers mark when I wondered if I was doing it on the right side or not.

Is the left side reserved for mastersmiths, or JS? Etc etc etc?

I'd hate not knowing, and getting my right ear pierced...or piss people off by marking the wrong side of the knife.
 
To the best of my knowledge, no. Generally the mark goes on what is considered the "presentation" side of the knife, which for whatever reason is the left side of the knife. At least that's my understanding and any knives I've marked were on that side. The opposite side (again from what I understand) is where something like a customer's name would go or if you wanted to put a heat treaters name, etc.
 
Fletch Helical said:
To the best of my knowledge, no. Generally the mark goes on what is considered the "presentation" side of the knife, which for whatever reason is the left side of the knife. At least that's my understanding and any knives I've marked were on that side. The opposite side (again from what I understand) is where something like a customer's name would go or if you wanted to put a heat treaters name, etc.
Click to expand...

That's "left side" as you're holding the handle and pointing the tip away from you?
 
Yeah, traditionally the mark goes on the display side which has long been considered the left side of the blade (edge down, pointing away from you, the left side). Edited: James is correct below...the display side can also be called obverse side.

--Nathan
 
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I would consider the left side of the blade the presentation side because I'm right handed and if I held the knife out in front of me to look at, holding the knife by the handle, I'd be looking at the left side.........but what about left handed folks? Maybe from their perspective the right side of the blade would feel more the presentation side. I own a lot of mark blades both custom and production and I've never really seen this come up in discussion. Interesting...
 
Standard answer is you mark the knife so that a right handed person can see the name while holding the knife and looking it over.

That's the general guideline...but there's no RULE.

The integral I finished for Coop recently didn't have a regular ricasso, so we decided the spine was the best place for the mark. Then you have to decide which way to orient it (toward the blade tip or toward the handle?)

Ultimately it's up to you and what you want it to look like. :)
 
This world of knife making is wrought with nuance and innumerable fine details. This question can go further too. Once you establish which side of the blade to mark, one can additionally ask where on that? Traditionally it seemed the mark went on the ricasso perpendicular to the blade, so to speak. Many folk mark on the face of the blade under the spine parallel to the blade. If on the ricasso the question can be asked whether to orient the mark so it can be read by the knife holder (facing the holder) or upside down to the holder so it can be read by others who stand before the holder. Then there are the folks who put their mark on the edge of the spine. Now that's cool!

Question about marking your blades
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=643649

Logo placement question
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=670998

Makers Mark
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=603577
 
As folks have said, it's generally the left side. That said, there's certainly no rule and some folks are known for marking things on the right side (J. Neilson comes to mind). It's really up to the whim of the maker.

-d
 
I believe all the above answers are correct, as far as "tradition" goes. A right-handed person holding the knife will see the "obverse" or "presentation" side of the blade towards them, and that's usually where the maker's mark is. (Tip pointing to the left, edge down.) The mark is usually parallel to the guard.

From what I've seen online and in books/magazines, most ABS members put their personal mark on the "obverse" side, and their JS or MS stamp on the "reverse" side.

Now then, do you orient the mark so the guy holding it can read it, or the guy he's showing it to can read it? It seems the latter is more common. Why, I don't know.

As for me, I don't like ricassos in general, although they do look cool on big honkin' bowies and camp knives. I think they're wasted space on most knives that actually get used a lot. I prefer the cutting edge to come as close to the handle or guard as possible on hunters and utility knives, etc. Ever try to peel an apple, strip wire or whittle something with a knife that has a too-big guard or 1-inch ricasso that prevents you getting close to your workpiece? I find it easier to get my thumb in the game and/or have the sharp edge right up close for leverage and fine control.

So,I like horizontal maker's marks on the blade itself, obverse side, oriented close to the guard and spine.
 
The 1992 auction catalog of the "Berryman and Schreiner" collection of bowie knives from the 1800's shows most at the recasso parallel the guard on the left side edge down, although they are also marked below the spine on the same side and other variations.

These include, english, american, mexican, spanish.
Mark
 
Funny, I've always marked my blades on the right side, only because when it's in the sheath that side on the blade faces out. But, I can see the logic in marking it on the left side (as you hold the blade in your right hand) as that side is what a person would normally see first.

Dave
 
FWIW I once dated a young woman who wore her rings and bracelets so they looked right to her, not to anyone else looking at her hand. Whether or not she was a self-centered PITA, or just liked to enjoy her jewelry from her own point of view is up for debate. :D
 
I put my maker's mark/symbol on the left side and my name, and now sometimes the steel type also, on the right.
 
This whole thing goes way, way back to Japanese sword and knifemaking, where the maker's signature was always placed so it faced outward from the wearer's body. Therefore, a sword or knife intended to be carried on the right side would be marked on what we'd now call the reverse; one intended to be carried on the left would be marked on the obverse.

As it stands right now, the custom in this country is to mark the ricasso or top of the blade near the spine on the obverse. However, it's only a custom. As has been stated previously, there are no rules. As proof of that, I give you this:

picture.php
 
To further complicate things I have chosen to have 2 stamps and am deciding on what side to put each mark. So far most have the name on left and the symbol on the right, but I am playing with the order- and may reverse it on my personal knives so that the symbol is on the left.

IMG_7135.jpg

IMG_7134.jpg
 
Yeah, I come to mind huh, Deker. :rolleyes:

I started marking my knives before I knew there was a right or wrong (so to speak) side. I knife looked "right" to me sitting on a table or such with the point to the right, so I marked mine accordingly. Once, I knew that was not the norm.... it was too late. I've never done things the "normal" way anyhow.

I've seen maker put their mark in some of the oddest places. As long as it's there and in DEEP, there should be no worries.
 
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