A liitle advice please.

Bennie Lovejoy

Bennie Lovejoy

Well-Known Member
I have an upcoming order for three knives that will have the names of the owners on them. My question is where to put my makers mark and the owners names? Normally I would put my makers mark on what I consider the left side of the blade (looking down on the spine). If I put there names on this side (like Erin Burk did in his WIP "for the Lamb boys") I feel that it will look "crowded". Is it common then to put the owners names here and my mark on the other side or should I mark the blades as I normally do and put the owners names on the other side? Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance Bennie.
 
I have done several with personalized etchings. I always put my mark on the backside (this side against your body when in a right handed sheath) and the owners mark on the presentation side. There have been times when the customer wanted the name of the knife on both sided of the blade but out on the blade flat instead of the ricasso.
 
Hmm, Mike if I understand right the side that is showing in my avatar is the backside? I was under the impression that when you presented a knife to someone it would be that side? Or I should say it is for me. That is the side that my mark is on. So should I put there name on that side and my mark on the other? Sorry if I sound confused I just really want it to turn out nice. Thanks for the answer BTW.
 
Bennie,

On my Lamb boys thread, I put their names on the presentation (left) side where I would normally put my name. I put my mark on the back (right) side.

Some folks do things differently - but when making a knife for somebody, I like to give their John Hancock the place of honor. My name can hang out back behind the tool shed. ;)

... and I would call the side of the blade shown in your avatar the "presentation" side. I think this is the consensus among most makers.
 
Erin,
Thanks for the information as well. Your's was the only reference I could find that had the details I was looking for. Now for another question. Was there a reason for thier names being put on the ricasso? Did you just feel it looks better there?
 
I guess I would leave it up to the customer. There's no "right" or "wrong" way, just whatever makes the client happy :)
 
Bennie Lovejoy said:
Erin,
Thanks for the information as well. Your's was the only reference I could find that had the details I was looking for. Now for another question. Was there a reason for thier names being put on the ricasso? Did you just feel it looks better there?
Click to expand...

As opposed to the blade?... In most cases, if a knife has a ricasso, that's where I put names (mine or theirs). I feel like the ricasso area is tailor-made for this, both practically and aesthetically. Practically, because the ricasso is not subject to the wear-and-tear that the blade bevels are (in most cutting situations); and aesthetically, because the ricasso is like a little "frame" for the names/logo. Further, the front of the guard (in many cases) provides a nice visual "under-line" for the text. Just my opinion... YMMV.

Erin
 
I always thought that the presentation side is the right side if you are holding a knife and looking down the spine from handle to tip. In other words, the side that would be showing outward when the knife is in a right handed sheath.

But it makes sense that if you are holding a knife in your right hand and showing it to someone they would be seeing the left side. Looking at several knives I have in display cases and presentation boxes, most, but not all, are showing the left side.
 
With all due respect, Mr. Carter (and I do respect your work very much), most knifemaking books do call the "left" side (the side towards your body when sheathed on the right hip or held in the right hand) the presentation/obverse side. I don't know why exactly.

For that matter, I don't know if it's proper to have a maker's mark aligned so the bottom of it lines up with the guard/bolster etc, so the person holding it can read it (which seems to be most common by far) or oriented the other way, so if you hold the knife normally and show it to someone else, they can read it. Mr. Burke has a very good point, orienting it so the guard etc. is the "underline" does make it easy to read and looks good... but so could the plunge line. A matter of taste, I suppose.

The term "presentation side" makes me think of holding the knife and showing it to someone else so they can see the marks, etc.... that's why I get confused. Probably just me thinking too much :eek:

I'm only guessing, but I still think it's up to the individual maker or client to decide. The knives I make most often are 5" blades or less, and I try to get the usable bevel/edge as close to the guard/handle as I can. So marking on the ricasso isn't an option, because there's very little ricasso to begin with.

When I get my etcher and stencils squared away, I'll be putting my mark on the presentation/obverse side, near the spine, on the bevel itself, close to the plunge. An etch of the steel type and/or other pertinent info will go on the reverse side, also near the spine/plunge. For no other reason than it looks good there, and makers I admire seem to do it that way.
 
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Hey, when I stop learning I am in trouble. I can see it both ways. If a right handed person was showing a knife to someone standing next to them they would be showing the left side. However, if they were shoing the knife to someone standing in front of them they would likely be showing the right side.

Most of what I know about knifemaking comes from Gil Hibben. He always puts his mark on the left side. If he does an inlay in the handle it also tends to be on the left side. So it makes sense that the left side would be considered the presentation side.
 
I can see everyones point on this, so I'm gonna ask the guy how he wants it done. That way its all on him and "the customers allways right" right? Thanks for the info guys. It seems I learn something new everyday in this place. Thats why I like it so much.
 
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