Maker Etiquette

[Craftt]

what is the proper procedure for marking leather with a maker stamp? i was given one for christmas.

Craft-T

[Sylvia]

You are over thinking it. Just mark it if you are proud of it.

[lwm803]

I am new to all this, don't even own a maker's mark, and have never sold anything that I have made from leather but I do have an opinion. When looking at pictures on this and other sites I often see some fine looking work "spoiled", in my eye, by a prominent makers mark right square out in the open. To my way of thinking, any maker's mark should be on a portion of the product that does not normally show. I do not mind it being there as long as I have to look for it, but I will not buy a "billboard". Other opinions will likely vary.

[Chavez]

I've only started putting my mark on stuff recently as I'm now getting happier with the quality of my work.

I follow 2 simple rules:

1) I won't put my mark on a bad piece of work.

2) I usually put it somewhere on the back side of my products. The inner flap of a belt; back side (or even inside) a wallet.

This is not great for marketing & building up your brand I guess, but that's my personal preference. I wouldn't want my mark to be "in your face" on each product.

You can, of course, follow the current marketing trend for mass-produced goods & put your mark 10 times on each product in different sizes and fonts

[Sylvia]

I agree with Chavez. I don't think it needs to be incorporated into the design, though I see that a lot. I prefer to make mine less conspicuous.

[Chief31794]

I don't always use my makers mark, I put it on belts right behind the chicago screws on the buckle end so that it is covered by the belt tounge whlle wearing the belt. On guitar, banjo, dobro, and mandolin straps I put it a little above the front attaching hole, not normally seen while attached. I started asking people if they wanted an item to bear a maker's mark, some didn't care, I had none say they didn't want it and several wanted it on the item because, "it showed the item as being custom made". I wouldn't put it on the front or back of a Bible Cover but I do put it on the flap in side at the back lower corner. I don't put it on wallets, because there is no where to put it unobtrusively, cell phone cases, etc I put it on the back. Just my $.02 worth.

Chief

[electrathon]

My opinion is marks should be subtle and unobtuse, similar to signing a painting. Back or inside area is best, generally not visible without looking a little. I see a lot of work on here that is good looking work with a ugly blemish stairing at you when you see the pictures.

Aaron

[Dwight]

Ford puts their logo dead center of the front of the grill, . . . so does GM, Chrysler, and Desoto used to.

As a product maker, I see no reason to do anything less. If a customer asks me not to, . . . that is one thing, . . . but I am proud of my work, . . . and I believe I have earned the right to "mark" my products.

Someone who has a problem with that, . . . wants a bland product, . . . they can tell me or shop elsewhere, . . . either way is not a real problem to me, . . . but to be critical of my personal work because I signed my work with my mark, . . . I would take that as an insult, . . . and would very likely keep the product and send them to someone else.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Beaverslayer]

Yes Dwight, I am with you totally on this one. I try to put my mark where I think it looks good on the piece, sometimes it's right there in your face, so to speak.

As we all know, I have been on a handbag/purse making binge of late. All the "BIG" names in handbag/purses put there "Logo" in some cases all over their product. Look at Louis Vuitton, Coach, Dolce Gabanna and a number of others, and these guys sell them for thousands of dollars, and people buy them because the "Makers Logo" is right there....everywhere...all over the place.

I am first, an "Artist" secondly a "Leather Worker" when I join the two together, I become a "Leather Artist", and all good artists sign their work....Simple as that...

[electrathon]

Ford puts their logo dead center of the front of the grill, . . . so does GM, Chrysler, and Desoto used to.

As a product maker, I see no reason to do anything less. If a customer asks me not to, . . . that is one thing, . . . but I am proud of my work, . . . and I believe I have earned the right to "mark" my products.

Someone who has a problem with that, . . . wants a bland product, . . . they can tell me or shop elsewhere, . . . either way is not a real problem to me, . . . but to be critical of my personal work because I signed my work with my mark, . . . I would take that as an insult, . . . and would very likely keep the product and send them to someone else.

May God bless,

Dwight

Dwight,

I find it odd that you seem to think your work is bland short of your mark. You do good work, quality and artistic ability stand on thier own. The question was not if you should not mark your work (you should), but if it should be subtle or obtuse (at least that is what I understand it is).

I guess the subtle verses obtuse thing is like a fine painting verses grafiti. Thomas Kincaid signs his paintings in the corner, taggers sign their work boldly across the middle.