Best Maker's Marks

[timebard]

It might be a meaningless detail to some, but a good maker's mark can make a plain knife instantly recognizable or complement a more striking design. (And then there's some that do the opposite...)

My favorites:

Kippington feather

Kono Fujiyama stamp

HVB logo

Suntravel "double dogs"

Xerxes

What are your top picks?

 

[BillHanna]

As far as minimalism, @Blank Blades. wins easily. I’m only half joking.

 

[Molokai Livin']

This one is funny from Dan Prendergast (not mine, I took that from his site)

 

[jedy617]

 

[More_Gyutos]

Kono Fujiyama stamp
View attachment 323739

Just for clarity, per Konosuke, that stamp is actually for Myojin and it appears on most Fujiyama FMs.

 

[Hockey3081]

Kamon. Haburn. Pig Iron Forge. Yanick. Metal Monkey.

I’ve seen some makers do their actual signature and it annoys the piss out of me for some reason.

 

[fortheloveofmoar]

I’ve seen some makers do their actual signature and it annoys the piss out of me for some reason.

it just feel gaudy? Like overkill when it's the whole name. Something short like Devin doesn't bother me but when it starts getting really long it seems excessive? maybe lazy? iono. trying to nail down what you are saying but I think I get it.

 

[Stevem627]

This is my favorite.

 

[Neutri]

Those are a few of my favourites maker's marks. Unsurprisingly, considering my profile pic, my favourite of all time is @OwlWoodworks's. Unluckily for me, my bar board was too oily to get the branding
(in order, Owlwoodworks, Yanick, Bryan Raquin, Kippington, Shihan, Birgersson, Eddworks)

From ones that haven't been mentionned I like Maillet's and the9's marks too

 

[dehory]

Western: OG tally mark The.Nine, Milan, Kippington, Dalman, Raquin

Japanese: Heiji, Mazaki, Takada, Takeda

 

[Just a DK]

I like laseurs the best.

 

[AT5760]

+1 for TL

 

[nhb22]

Erik Gullikson is my favorite. I thought it was an elephant and he told me it’s supposed to be three sails and a sun.

 

[gmorris]

Msicard, especially with a Hamon underneath...

 

[aporigine]

Erik Gullikson is my favorite. I thought it was an elephant and he told me it’s supposed to be three sails and a sun.

View attachment 323789

It does sorta look like a bull elephant with romance on his mind.

 

[Corradobrit1]

One of my favs. Subtle, yet immediately recognisable.

 

[timebard]

One of my favs. Subtle, yet immediately recognisable.
View attachment 323801

Ack, I knew I forgot one!

 

[nhb22]

It does sorta look like a bull elephant with romance on his mind.

Right? His forge textures also remind me of elephant skin lol he even adds “shoulders” in his profiles which give me that ancient animals vibe. These two are from his drop today. The nakiri feels like a rino and the cleaver feels like an elephant lol

 

[ZeeVee]

My favorites:

 

[Byphy]

My kind of thread

Western: Laseurs & shihan
Western hamons: JB
Japan: Heiji (@parbaked) & Shotaro Nomura

*Edit: Yanick & Milan

 

[dehory]

Oh, Lönsted’s maple leaf too.

 

[Delat]

Radiona Breg’s logo is loaded with meaning. It’s a representation of a volcano in reference to Hephaestus “Greek god of artisans, blacksmiths, carpenters, craftsmen, fire, metallurgy, metalworking, sculpture and volcanoes.”

https://radionabreg.com/about-my-knives/

 

[Vertigo]

View attachment 323768

Is that a Rodrigue?

Maybe not, I think he put his signature next to the bear paw.

 

[jedy617]

Is that a Rodrigue?

Maybe not, I think he put his signature next to the bear paw.

isasmedjan

 

[Vertigo]

isasmedjan

Bless you

 

[fortheloveofmoar]

Surprised it’s not mentioned yet but Takada no homono

 

[bsfsu]

@Cooking Steel has a cool stamp

 

[timebard]

Radiona Breg’s logo is loaded with meaning. It’s a representation of a volcano in reference to Hephaestus “Greek god of artisans, blacksmiths, carpenters, craftsmen, fire, metallurgy, metalworking, sculpture and volcanoes.”

https://radionabreg.com/about-my-knives/

Huh, TIL... I always thought it was some kind of strangely shaped anvil or something. Very cool.

 

[DT74]

Something about Shigefusa kanji always seemed cool

 

[myguidingmoonlight]

Speaking of aesthetics of makers marks / kanji. I always enjoy if the mark is as close to the spine as possible. It looks nicer that way.

Some makers bother the hell out of me putting their marks / kanji in the middle of the blade, or super close to the shinogi.

Or even worse, crooked marks or stamps. Something strikes me wrong about not caring enough where your actual signature will be and just slapping it haphazardly on the blade

Here's some of my favorites.

Birgersson

Mazaki

Konosuke

Ashi, always one of my favorite stamps. So aesthetic.