Your thoughts on maker's marks

I've loved that Bump one since seeing his WIP feather Damascus thread recently. I agree Doyle yours is very clean and works great to identify the maker without being out of place. A lot of guys stamp in wrong place or their mark takes away. I like that schutte one because the archer is slick.

I think the Fisk is excellent because at the price people pay for these they are definitely investment and there needs to be some way, IMO of identifying at least the era when the maker did it. I.e. JS marked then later MS marked.

Red
 
Cody Hofsommer said:
I am honored that my mark was brought up, and it's noted to get smaller ones made up. That is a good idea, and easily done. I have been torn about not having my NAME on my knives, but I do like my mark. So I have done other things to tie my mark to my name, like getting embroidered cases and recently a mark with my name and logo for my sheaths. If I ever get my JS, I'll have to think how to make it all look right.

This is a good thread and interesting to hear what everyone else is thinking.
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Your stamp is unique and shows class. Dont change it! You should be very proud of it. I do have to agree that making it smaller would add to the character. Think about it... People will someday say that they "own an original Cody Hofsommer logo knife" :D.

Beautiful work Cody!
 
Coke said:
A knife without the makers' emblem is like a painting without the artists' insignia. Amongst other implications , it's suggestive of that the maker of such works may not have sufficient pride in his creation as to wish it to be distinguished amongst all such others.

But there is far more to an emblem, insignia or logo than meets the ordinary eye. Each such inscription establishes certain characteristics upon the matter which they are placed and has much farther reaching consequences and effects than most may realize or even believe could be possible. The Pyramid, the Star of David, the single eye and all other such catalytic vibrations were not created and used by shear chance or luck.

Carothers, your main intent on using an emblem on your knife to achieve some form of immortality after you are gone is quite common. It would take volumes of books of information to explain this, so I'll keep it short and to the point. The shape of your emblem can help to achieve it, it has been cast with elements that can allow it to happen under the right external stimuli and conditions, even though you may have had no idea that to be the case when you created it. If you wish to increase your chances of achieving it without ever changing an emblem shaped like that, the visible inclusion of any metal that has the color of Gold in any pieces bearing that emblem will have profound effects on your objective. Luckily BRASS emits a sufficient wavelength in the color spectrum to do it. Any piece made that has no such accompanying vibration, in other words does not show any Golden color upon its face, shall impede your purpose with an emblem like that. Watch how people's faces will lighten when they first lay eyes on any knife with that emblem that has Brass or Gold on it. Copper lends half to the effect, whilst all silver, grey or black knives shall render NOTHING to it. If in future if you wish to alter it a little, try to make certain of maintaining the number 9 in its overall makeup as you have now.

Another thing that is not always inscribed on knives and I wish it were is the blade materiel used.
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I disagree with your opinion concerning silver or gray. You should take a close look at the iridescent, shimmering rainbow haze of light that hovers above the surface of a fine titanium alloy, and personally I find pure copper more attractive than brass. Gold colored accents can easily look tacky depending on how they're used.
 
Corytr said:
Such as and not deliberating the impunity of your future diatribe, you perhaps should have considered the implications of your belligerence. I fully understand the desire to gasbag your delusional 500 IQ, but for the love of God, you should have stopped there. I fully intend to convey and opine my opinion of "WTF are you spewing out of your sewer hole?". Using another context on the matter, I will simply submit my request to politely STFU. On behalf of myself and many, many others, thank you for comprehending and accepting this request.
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But but but "vibrations!" And "consciousness!" :D
 
For me it depends heavily on the type of knife being produced.

I admire Tom Krein's logo convention of including the year made and the steel used on the reverse side of the blade. This works very well with his folder and fixed blade designs.

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I also admire Lucas Burnley's halfmoon logo. Plain, tasteful, simple, similarly works nicely with his aesthetic.

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There are knives I simply won't buy because of the maker's mark. (Obviously, I'm not going to name them here.) They aren't offensive, I just don't want those particular marks on a knife I own. It has been frustrating at times, because I genuinely like some these makers knives; and without their logos/marks is probably have purchased several by now. (I've considered asking them to make specific knives for me, leaving them sterile; but I have not yet taken that leap.
I prefer, as others have stated, that maker's marks be well located. Spine, flat, or ricasso for me. Seeing them in the grind, imo, is a deterrent...especially if it isn't a small mark.
 
I've seen quite a few..... :)

Maker's marks are actually MUCH more than a simple identifier for posterity. It is an opportunity. (Lost on many).

At a glance it's your business card and gives a quick insight into your artistry and forethought.

Value to the knife and maker:

Poor: At worst, if it's done poorly in execution or design it detracts from value and makes a good artisan look poor. (See post above who won't buy from subjective mark designs. It's the buyers who decide in the end, not the makers.)

Neutral: Done clearly and cleanly it's a neutral means of keeping your name present. This is where the majority of maker's reside.

Positive: Done cleanly, with forethought it is a chance to ADD value into a knife. Each of those 'clever' marks you have identified have something 'special' about them. That didn't just happen. There was intentional.

Steven65 said:
For me the one thing I hate on a knife is a poorly executed name mark. If you are going to use an etch then be sure that the mark is crisp and clean. Badly etched name marks are awful. The same applies to stamps.

Personally I think that insofar as name marks are concerned less is more. And a clear name is always better than some obscure logo.
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^^^ Nailed it! I privately cringe when I see a noted mark with a half etched name. (I privately talked to John Young about this one year because his marks were getting sloppy. He listened with intent and made a change. They have been crisp since.)

Every material has different etching needs, I'd suggest experimenting on new finishes or steels. Obviously when some get it perfect and others have blotchy patterns in the text, the method they are using is inferior. Do it better, it's in plain view.

Simple is good. Subtlety is fantastic. Clever may have them cheering or it may bite you. You have to be careful.

The logo or mark is RARELY a static never changing thing. A good artist will review and change small things over time. There are pages devoted to Loveless logo changes in his career. Please look over your marks to see where you are in this continuum.

I read with interest brownshoe's points about why he didn't think a mark was needed in many cases. His remarks were deleted in another thread, and I WISH he'd say it again, although I don't blame him if he stood away.

Coke brings a viewpoint as varied as a mark in itself. Even if I don't completely agree, I find his words interesting to understand. Why so harsh?

Obviously I am not only familiar with the subject, I just went through the logo/mark process myself.

Good thread.
 
Mecha said:
I disagree with your opinion concerning silver or gray. You should take a close look at the iridescent, shimmering rainbow haze of light that hovers above the surface of a fine titanium alloy, and personally I find pure copper more attractive than brass. Gold colored accents can easily look tacky depending on how they're used.
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That's fair enough Mecca, no one said you need agree with my or anyone elses opinion, I can appreciate that.
 
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So moving this thread back on topic....

There have been several great examples of Logo's I like already mentioned but one I've always liked is Adam DesRosiers logo w/the flower and Alaska on it. Here's a pic... not the best but what I could find of one of mine.



I'm also fond of Jason Knight's logo... at times it's very hard to notice and is very subtle. Never taking away from his fantastic blades.

 
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just a reminder, this is not Whine and Cheese

loving all your pictures, and Coop, that was a great post!
 
i like simplicity,
I find cryptic, hard-to-read or decipher logos awkward
I don't know that a geographical location as part of the logo is that relevant in today's time of information availability.
 
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as a collector and maker i like to know who made it and where is was made. call me peculiar but i enjoy the fact that someday when i am gone someone will hold one of my knives and read my name and location and know who i was. bob loveless was well known enough to use a last name only logo, but he felt name/location was important, as did many japanese smiths.
 
Coke said:
That's fair enough Mecca Mecha, no one said you need agree with my or anyone elses opinion, I can appreciate that.
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What does "no one said you need to agree or disagree" even mean? It's a meaningless and pointless statement. Your assertion that gold or brass colored maker's marks emit a magical or divine vibration/wavelength that will increase the chances of a craftsman's immortality through their work, and that a normal mark that is gray or silver will not, seems ridiculous and obtuse to me.

The new age crystal power forum is that way ------------->
 
This subject comes up fairly frequently and I always find the discussions amusing because, for some odd reason this subject seems to strike a nerve with some folks.

I've heard the whole "it has to be your name" argument made ad nauseam and I just can't agree with it. A name is just a name its up to the maker to market himself and put some substance with it. Otherwise the name Smith on a knife is no more recognizable than a yin yang symbol other than you can assume the makers last name is probably smith. Everyone knows the sunfish is Don, not because there is some magic to it but because he posts here on the forum, goes to shows, has a website and is active in the community. If he didn't do any of those things but marked his knives with "Hanson" that could be Joe or Dale Hanson, Hanson Smith, Hanson the band, etc.

I think STeven and Coop nailed it. I feel it has less to do with what you choose as your mark then it does with execution. Not saying anything will do, trust me I have seen some absolutely horrible marks; states that look like amoebas, hand scratched names, gigantic or too small and so on. They can and have taken away from what could have been a nice knife that now looks like it has a giant wart on it. If the mark is well thought out, marked clearly, sized appropriately and placed appropriately and doesn't draw your eye from the overall package then I think it is just a matter of marketing yourself and letting people know who you are.

Lastly having read this discussion many times in the past I think it is safe to say there will likely never be a consensus on what is right. Same as if you asked what your favorite handle material is, blade length, handle shape, etc. But I think we can all agree regardless of what you choose it can be done well or it can be done poorly and both will have an impact on the final product.

-Clint
 
Less is more.

Less info, name is plenty unless it's a common last name.
Less size, if your knife looks like a plumber's truck I'm not even looking at it.

Nick Wheeler's mark on the spine with the gold letters is the epitome of class.
 
Timely thread. I need a new mark, and I've rightly been told as much by more then a few. I've recently been designing a few versions for a new etched mark to replace my first and only maker's mark, a 12 year old stamp with the busted face. So we'll see what transpires. Some of the opinions offered here have given me some valuable pointers.



-Peter
 
I like a simple symbol or the makers initials done in a symbol

Ben does a good job

 
I enjoy a clean, crisp Makers Mark that consists of the Makers name.....over the years I've acquired a number of knives with a 'mark' and cannot remember who's it is.....have to do some research to know what I've got.


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