Makers Mark Stamp

AkWildman

Well-Known Member
I have wanted a makers or touch Mark stamp for a while,I've always electro etched my Mark and I wanted to be able to hot stamp as well as cold stamp.So I decided to see if I could just make one.I grabbed some O1 and etched a reverse of my Mark,then I went to work with files a jewlers saw and a dremel cut off wheel.Hardened it tempered it and gave it a go.Leaves a nice mark hot or cold.IMAG1483.jpgIMAG1484.jpgIMAG1485.jpgIMAG1486.jpgIMAG1486.jpgIMAG1487.jpg
 
Got a pic of the stamp on a blade?? I have always liked the idea of a stamp but they have their pros and cons!! Working in reverse is not always an easy thing to do. Way to go Wildman!!!
 
Havnt had a chance to mark a blade yet,every thing in my shop at the moment is in the finish work stage and already electro etched.
 
First, kudos for making your own stamp! I'm not trying to be a "Debbie Downer", and I don't know how important this is to you, but if you're going to mark blades, I really believe it's in your best interests to mark them in a manner that will allow people to find you. I'm sure you've read other things I've written about it, but it bears repeating..... IF you're in any way serious about selling knives, I feel the mark needs to be something that folks can use to easily find you. I can't count the number of people who've walked through my shop door, with a knife bearing initials, or some type of logo, asking me to help them find the maker, so they could order/buy another knife. Most of the time I simply have to tell them that I can't help..... unless there's enough information in a mark to being searching, a potential buyer simply has nothing to go on.
Here's a link to a page on my site with my thoughts on marking blades: http://www.caffreyknives.net/marking_art.html

That being said, I think it's fantastic that you created that..... I would have made a total cats butt outta something like that. :)
 
You make a good point Ed,that being said I've used this mark for about 7 years,until then I didn't mark my blades at all.It's something I should probably take your advice on but at the same time I see some blades with very distracting logos or makers names .I've thought about adding a signature and that would mean getting a very good etching machine and professionaly made stencils rather than the budget outfit I currently own.
 
Good morning Ed. I have read several threads about makers marks. You have always been clear on what you think about it. I have to say I totally agree with you. Ok,,, say you are a good Norwegian with a last name 3 miles long. lol,,, Then what? Run it down the spine. :)
 
Good morning Ed. I have read several threads about makers marks. You have always been clear on what you think about it. I have to say I totally agree with you. Ok,,, say you are a good Norwegian with a last name 3 miles long. lol,,, Then what? Run it down the spine. :)
Hahaha that is the truth.
There is one member on here that puts his name down the spine of his blades and it is a way to set you apart from others.

I am woth Ed, if I had attempted to make the stamp it would have a disaster for the first couple of pieces.
Good job on the creative work. There is the possibility of making a few more stamps and welding them together or use a larger piece of tool steel?
 
Good morning Ed. I have read several threads about makers marks. You have always been clear on what you think about it. I have to say I totally agree with you. Ok,,, say you are a good Norwegian with a last name 3 miles long. lol,,, Then what? Run it down the spine.
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Sorry I didn't respond sooner..... been teaching a class all week, and we've had some long days. Anyways..... a long last name does create some challenges, but I think it's still very important to relate the knife/mark with the individual's name..... it requires a bit more thought, you can shorten the marks in some way, which is the easy part, the challenge comes in that you want to create an association of the mark, and the specific name it refers to. In some ways it's similar to the challenges that an individual faces when they choose to use a logo, but not as difficult. EVERY chance you get, to show the actual name, along side the mark. For example, in your signature block on forums such as this one.... and even on your email signatures blocks. The idea being that you want to make the shortened version of the name (the mark), and the actual name synonymous with each other..... when someone sees the shortened name/mark, they think of the name.

Now don't confuse that with associating a logo with a name, which is MUCH more difficult, and takes MUCH longer. I'll use myself as an example.... if you look at my signature block on any forum or email, it always contains "Caffrey", "The Montana Bladesmith" and my URL. That creates the association with knives that are marked "CAFFREY". I admit that I am fortunate in that there are is no other "CAFFREY" in the custom knife world, but if their were, my knives would be identifiable by the "MS" on the reverse side.

Some might read what I've said and surmise that there would be no difference if they used some logo (without any name in it) and associate it with a given surname..... You can try, but for whatever reason it is simply a MUCH longer and harder road to do so, versus using a name, or a part thereof. It's just easier for the human brain to associate a part of a name, with a full one. For example if your name happened to be "VANDERKOFSTONSON" you might mark you blades with "VANDERK", that's the same amount of letters as my full last name, easily fits on any size blade, and if someone where to type "VANDERK" into a search engine, the auto spell would likely bring up "VANDERKOFSTONSON" somewhere on the first page of results. It's all about making yourself as easy as possible to find to the general public. Of course there will always be the stubborn ones out there, who insist on using some whacked out logo on their knives, but they generally end of wondering why nobody knows who they are, or that they make the knives with the whacked out logo on it..... again, if they can't find you fairly easily, they can't/won't be buying any knives from you. Whatever you decide to use as a "mark" on your blades, if you just take the time/effort to think about what the intended purpose of they mark is (to identify your knives with you specifically, and make it simple for a stranger to find you), and push aside the emotional/what you think is cool part, it's not too difficult to come up with a useful, viable mark for your work.
 
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Thank you for taking the time for such a long response. I will put some thought into it.

Class all week. Long hrs. lol,,, We're you teaching in Old Washington?
 
I worked and worked and worked on a logo that I thought was classy and simple. Then I read another similar thread here on KD and Ed had shared some of this same stuff. I did not want to agree with the reasoning but realized that if I wanted something searchable that I could anchor to a web presence (about the only way a small company can gain traction) I would need to ditch the oh-so-cool-logo. So I came up with the catchy name of "Hauser knife"....and it is growing on me. Lol.

The progression was change from a generic name to my last name for the company name...good.....change from a cool company logo using my initials to using my name...better yet.

I think Ed's points about some buyers being suspicious when they feel someone is hiding behind a company name made sense. That doesn't mean you cannot do it the other way just that you have to think things through carefully. After analyzing what is involved it seemed a bunch more work to create a hip company name/logo that would connect than just using my name. names are very old school...Browne&sharp, Winchester, Smith&Wesson, etc.....but it is that old school style of putting your name behind your goods that shows the bent towards quality and reputation.

The internet is a powerful tool for any small company....keeping things simple helps it work for us. I personally think two letters (initials) looks best on any knife...but if that tiny travelling billboard doesn't do it's work for you it is just another missed opportunity....no matter how cool it looks. You can search initials online but there's a lot of 'em....lol. A name and trade?....much easier to find a site. So for me the battle was between what I wanted and what I thought would give the best return. This knife stuff seems to be a TON of subtle compromises....


Just some early am first cuppa joe thoughts....

Oh, and I think the logo and stamp AK Wildman did are excellent !
 
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I've been using the cursive w ever since I had the etcher so about 7 years,using the etching method I could easily add my name.I need to look into what a stamp would cost to have made with my name or look at a high end etching machine.
 
Ed,
I hate when you show us we are wrong and use logic :35:. So now I'm rethinking marking my knives. I make folder, what do you think about stamping the inside of the frame with a name and year? I'm thinking about either on the back spacer (if it's flat) or the lock bar.
 
I try not to ever tell anyone "that's wrong"..... but more so just try to help them not make the same mistakes that I have. Knifemaking is tough enough, without nailing your own foot to the floor. :)

Folders can present some unique situations/challenges for marking..... Personally, on my folders, if it's a straight steel blade, it gets etched with "CAFFREY-MS" and if it's a damascus blade and/or a "high dollar" folder, I engrave "CAFFREY-MS" on the inside of the back spacer. Again, I always try to make sure that folks know exactly who made it, and do it in such a manner that it takes minimal effort to find me. :)
 
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Getting a stamp made up to mark my blades.
Can someone enlighten me as to why I should 'hot or cold' stamp them? What are the pros and cons? Also do you need a stamp jig?
 
Very valid points in the above information...... what maker's mark you choose is based on many factors only you can validate.

When it comes to stamping hot or cold, I think that determination has much to do with methodology. If you're a stock removal maker, stamping hot means adding another step to your process. If you forge blades, it just naturally falls in line with what you do.

Personally, I stamp everything hot, not only because I like the way the mark appears, but it's also more economical and falls in line with how I work. I've tried/done cold stamping with a "press" (20ton bottle jack press), and found that a stamp is only good for 10-20 marks before the letters/images start "mushrooming". I've also had blades that cracked/split with just a tad too much pressure when cold stamping (yes, they were annealed). Conversely, with hot stamping/using a fixture/holder, a stamp will usually last me 10+ years.

Here's a link to a page on my site that contains my personal thoughts/recommendations on marking blades: http://www.caffreyknives.net/marking_art.html
 
Thankyou for your comments. Striking while the metals hot seems to be the most logical. Easier on the knife and stamp. Will have to try and see.
Appreciate your inputs.
 
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