{"id":989,"date":"2020-06-08T19:08:51","date_gmt":"2020-06-08T19:08:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.legacystudioproductions.net\/knifemakertraining\/?p=989"},"modified":"2021-01-15T23:39:50","modified_gmt":"2021-01-16T06:39:50","slug":"marking-your-blades-knives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legacystudioproductions.net\/knifemakertraining\/2020\/06\/08\/marking-your-blades-knives\/","title":{"rendered":"Marking Your Blades\/Knives"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many times I have received emails, or seen posts on forums from makers, asking suggestions
\nabout marking their blades. Many of these emails\/posts include an image of a logo, which the
\nindividual obviously put a great deal of time and effort into creating.<\/p>\n

On the forums these questions receive a wide variety of answers, and in this article I will attempt to give you my advice, based on 25+ years of making and selling knives.<\/p>\n

OK, first of all, there are two basic ways to mark you knives. The choice is yours,
\nbut traditionally forged blades are stamped, and stock removal blades are etched.<\/p>\n

Creating a mark with a stamp is very straight forward and with a bit of practice,
\nis easily accomplished. This method involves nothing more than a \u201cstamp\u201d with the
\nimage\/letters you wish created in a mirror image on the end of the stamp.
\nThe marking can be done in a number of different ways that I will discuss later in the article.<\/p>\n

Quality stamps are made of materials that are suited to the purpose, and if you
\nintend to go this route, I would suggest ordering your stamp based on quality\u2026.not price!
\nI have used the cheap stamps, and in one case the stamp only lasted for about 5 impressions
\nbefore the letters began to mushroom out. My personal choice for quality stamps
\nis Henry Evers Corp. in Rhode Island. You can find them on the internet by searching for \u201cEverStamp\u201d.<\/p>\n

The second method of marking your work is with electro-chemical etching.
\nThis system consists of an electronic device, a chemical electrolyte, and a stencil
\nthat contains a design\/name that the individual chooses. While I have this option
\nin my shop, I rarely use it, simply because I have never been able to achieve what
\nI consider satisfactory results. I also find this method difficult for marking Damascus blades,
\nwhich are a majority of what I produce. This method requires that the individual
\ncreate artwork and then have stencils produced, or purchase the equipment to create their own stencils.<\/p>\n

Since I consider myself less than qualified to instruct on the chemical-etch method,
\nI will concentrate on how one can accomplish marking their blades with the stamping method.<\/p>\n

Choosing your Mark<\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

This is an area that requires a great deal of consideration and thought on the
\nindividual\u2019s part. For anyone but the most well know makers, I believe it is imperative
\nthat your mark contain information that will allow nearly anyone to
\nlook at one of your knives, and without any doubt, know who made it,
\nand more importantly, be able to find you! That means using your name,
\nand not some obscure logo or initials. Many times over the years I have
\nhad individuals come to me, with a knife that had some strange logo,
\ninitials, or a single first name on the blade, and ask me if I know who
\nmade the knife, because they would like to order another one.
\nThe fact of the matter is\u2026.If the individual(s) cannot find you, then they
\ncertainly cannot order another knife from you! Your mark should contain
\nat the very least, your last name, and if it\u2019s a common last name,
\nI recommend both a first and last name. If you can get a city and state in there too,
\nthen that\u2019s all the better.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m blessed in that I am the only \u201cCaffrey\u201d in the knife world who holds a Mastersmith rating.
\nI mark my blades on one side of the ricasso with \u201cCaffrey\u201d, and the other side of the ricasso
\nwith my \u201cMS\u201d (Mastersmith). If there were another \u201cCaffrey\u201d making knives, mine would be
\ndistinguishable by the \u201cMS\u201d stamp. Even if there were another \u201cCaffrey\u201d who was a Mastersmith, I would simply add my first initial to my name.<\/p>\n

The point being that your mark must be easily understandable, and with minimal effort, anyone should be able to locate you from the mark on your knives.<\/p>\n

Creating a stamped mark<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Now that we\u2019ve covered choosing a mark, lets talk about how
\nto apply a stamped mark to your knives.<\/p>\n

Applying a mark via the stamping method can either be done while the blade is cold,
\nin its annealed state, or when the blade is hot. I have tried both, and choose to
\ncreate my mark with a stamp when the blade is hot. This gives me a deeper,
\nmore defined mark, which does not grind out when I am finishing a blade.<\/p>\n

Once I have rough ground a blade, and it is prepped for hardening, I prepare
\nby ensuring that my stamp and stamping fixture is handy (you can also use an
\nold pair of slip joint pliers, with the stamp in the jaws and the handles wired
\ntightly to hold the stamp). Personally, I built a fixture that holds both my \u201cCaffrey\u201d stamp,
\nand my \u201cMS\u201d stamp. I place this fixture on the anvil that sits next to my
\nquench tank, and get everything else ready. I always do three normalizing heats
\non a blade just prior to quenching, and on the third normalizing heat,
\nI stamp\/mark my blade(s). I often use a salt tank for these normalizing heats,
\nbut whatever type of heat source you utilize, the procedure is basically the same.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Once the heat required is achieved, the blade is quickly placed in the fixture,
\nand one blow, with a hand held hammer is applied to the stamp, creating
\nthe impression in the ricasso. Be aware that if you let the hammer “bounce” it will
\nlikely make a double impression! The fixture that I use ensures that the stamp
\nis level and at 90 degrees to the face of the ricasso, so that the impression is
\neven, and NOT tilted one way or the other.<\/p>\n

If your using pliers or vise-grips to hold the stamp, you will have
\nto ensure that the stamp is place square and flat on the ricasso to
\nensure a good\/clean mark. As with anything in Knifemaking, it will
\nrequire a little practice on your part, and at first you might wreck a
\nblade of two, however, this is my preferred method.<\/p>\n

I have also tried marking my blades with the stamp method, using a
\nhomemade press, while the blade is in the annealed state.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

My feeling is
\nthat this method puts undo wear and tear on the stamp (which I paid $100+ for),
\nand I have also destroyed a couple of blades when I pressed just a bit too hard,
\nand literally cracked the ricasso from one edge of the mark to the plunge cuts!After the stamp\/mark is applied,<\/p>\n

I complete the heat treatment of the blade,
\nand finish it out as usual. I now have a knife that is readily identifiable
\nas my own, and with the information I applied with the stamp(s), anyone can
\nlocate me with minimal effort.<\/p>\n

In conclusion, it really dosen\u2019t matter what method you use to mark your blade.
\nThe rules to follow are:
\n\u2022It MUST look good\/professional
\n\u2022It MUST be easy to recognize
\n\u2022It MUST identify the knife as uniquely yours
\n\u2022It MUST allow anyone to find you with minimal effortOnce you decide to mark anything you make, you\u2019ve made a decision
\nto proclaim it\u2019s excellence. Take the time, thought, and care to make sure
\nthe mark you place on your work reflects those points I\u2019ve indicated!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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