Sign Your Work?

[Tinker2]

What’s your ideas on this?

Do you mark it in big bold lettering on top for the world to see at first
glance?

Do you mark it somewhere not so bold, not so obvious but can still be
read without disassembling it?

Do you mark it inside so it can only be seen unassembled?

What do you mark it? “Made by” “Made for” The date made?

Why do you mark it?


How about on things that you own but did not make.

Do you want someone else’s name on a gun you own?

If marked on your gun, how would you want it to read?

What do you think it should be?

One of our members, that I respect a lot, said this and it got me thinking.

“Usually any gun this nice somebody is proud to have made and puts
their name on it.”

“If nobody signs a piece of work their not very proud of it.”

Why do some of us sign our work? Why do some of us not?
If I don’t sign my work am I ashamed of it?




As always your thoughts are greatly appreciated.

William Alexander

 

[Capt. Jas.]

I choose to sign in a location and manner as the type, and time of gun I am making.
Any dates go on the bottom of the barrel as a general rule. Any numberings will usually go there as well unless the gun can justify a "cabinet numbering" or some such on an outside location like an escutcheon or back of BP.

 

[jerrywh]

Because you asked. All my guns are signed in 24K gold script on top of the barrel and initialed on the locks. http://jwh-flintlocks.net/english-pistol-signiture.jpg

 

[hoochiepapa]

I think I will sign all my work, as soon as I get my graver. Putting the order together now.
I don't think it matteres how good or bad the work is, that I will sign everything just for my kid's sake.

 

[necchi]

:haha: I usually end up cutting myself or bruising a knuckle or something and bleed on'm somewhere, kinda finaly figured out it's not done right if I don't hurt myself (read klutz).
DNA should be good enough.

I have been known to steel stamp an inicial or two on a bottom flat or behind a butt plate, but thats about it. I do want it known I did it so someone else don't take braggin rights.

I find a small descrete makers mark tastefull, but large scrolled signiture stamps are too much for me.
Others milage may very.

 

[Zonie]

I usually stamp my initials (JLK) on the breech of the barrel and on the lockplate.

 

[zampilot]

I'm with you necchi, I figure that the blood I let loose messin' with a graver i'll jus direct into the cut metal an leave it, it'll create a visible mark. Remember: you know your chisels/gravers are sharp when you don't feel them go into your hand.
When I figur out what my mark will be that is........ :idunno:

 

[TARL01]

I plan on signing one I am doing for my nephew "made by, made for" so when he gives it to his grandson in 60 years the youngster will ask and then know who built it. Maybe it's just me, but I think that would be cool.
Woody

 

[hoochiepapa]

:thumbsup:

 

[Mike Brooks]

I sign everything that goes out the door on the top flat. I will also engrave "LONDON" on the top flat of anything English along with english view and proof stamps on the oblique flat. I do on occasion engrave "NEW LIBERTY" on the top flat of colonial rifles and smooth bores since I moved to New Liberty. All of my guns are also engraved with a number on the top flat.
Barrels are a great place for decoration too. :thumbsup:

 

[BrownBear]

I'll speak up as a consumer rather than a builder.

I'm fond of my 58 cal GRRW Hawken, and I'm delighted that it wears the name Ron Paull, since I'm acquainted with him. But I like it best that his name is on the bottom flat at the breech end of the barrel.

I've got other guns that aren't "signed," and I sure wish I knew who made them. But I'll continue to be happiest if the name is on the bottom flat like Ron's. By the same token I'm proud of my Cochrain locks, but happy that his name is on the inside of the plate rather than the outside.

 

[Glenfilthie]

I would only sign something that was fit to give away to someone special.

Right now I am learning to carve cabbage and spinach leaves on wood in hopes of getting skillful enough to go after a gun stock...but my efforts thus far are only fit for the fire pit when the black powder geeks are running ball - and I will pitch it in fast before any of 'em have a chance to see it and laugh! :redface:

 

[hoochiepapa]

An artist is most critical of his own work. I'll bet that most folks would like what you're doing. :thumbsup:

 

[Xtramad]

I only sign my name and the year on the inside of the lock plate.

 

[F.G. Ford]

Mr. Huddleston, you do nice work!
Old Ford

 

[roundball]

You asked an honest question and I'll reply with an honest answere from a consumer / customer point of view.

1) I think it totally appropriate for a builder to put their name on a custom built muzzleloader;

2) I think its totally in-appropriate for that name to be plastered in plain sight on a barrel.

My personal view is simply that builders don't even make the barrels, locks, triggers, etc...the bulk of a builders work is finishing / fitting a precarve stock, or even more involved and challenging, making a stock from a plank.
For example, Rice is arguably the best or certainly one of the best barrel manufacturers but thy don't stamp their name in plain sight, don't think they stamp them at all.

Well known barrel manufacturer Ed Rayl made a tiny stamp on the bottom flat to indicate he'd worked on a GM barrel I had rebored...very proper and professional. Dennis McCandless stamped his logo initials on the bottom of the custom patent breechplug I had him make, very proper and professional.

By all means, there's nothing wrong with the idea of a builder adding their name to a build but IMO, it could at least be placed in a far less conspicuous location out of sight so its not presented as if its the featured aspect of the muzzleloader...even world reknown artists sign their paintings but do so in a tasteful way and you 'have to look' to find it.

Anyway, honest question and my honest answer from a customer's point of view is that plastering a bold personal signature in prominent view on top of somebody elses barrel or lock is way over-the-top, and I'll just leave it at that.

 

[Robby]

Roundball, Probably like a lot of other makers, I sign them on the top of the barrel because that is where the vast majority of guns were signed back in the day. Tastefully done I don't see anything wrong in following that tradition. Not all makers back then forged their own barrels, locks, and castings. I don't know if the stock Rice receives is stamped by the mill that produces it, probably. When it becomes a barrel Rice stamps his name, when it becomes a rifle, that hopefully is its final destination, after hours and hours of work, I engrave my name, its done. Also I don't want anyone confusing my work with Jerry's :haha: .
Robby

 

[roundball]

I didn't ask the question or start the thread...you need to reply to the OP with your opinion, not to me.

 

[Twice boom]

Roundball, Probably like a lot of other makers, I sign them on the top of the barrel because that is where the vast majority of guns were signed back in the day. Tastefully done I don't see anything wrong in following that tradition. Not all makers back then forged their own barrels, locks, and castings. I don't know if the stock Rice receives is stamped by the mill that produces it, probably. When it becomes a barrel Rice stamps his name, when it becomes a rifle, that hopefully is its final destination, after hours and hours of work, I engrave my name, its done. Also I don't want anyone confusing my work with Jerry's :haha: .
Robby

.Is a Parker, Not a Parker or an LC Smith not an LC smith even though they imported their Damascus Barrels from across the pond..

Brazer was a lock maker .Can anyone guess how many of his locks were used by other makers. I can't but I will bet there were many.

My point is ,buying gun parts from specialists, whether they were barrel makers or made locks is a very long practice that probably dates as far back as the sword makers of Greece or China and Japan for that matter.

I don't have a problem one with someone good at his trade or hobby placing his /her name anywhere they choose to on the gun..

I sure like to run across a Jach Huagh rifle that I can afford. By the time my two grand sons grow up ,that rifle will have appreciated by two fold..

Twice

 

[Eric Krewson]

I stamp my name, date and location on one of the bottom flats of my gun barrels just to give them a historical perspective for the curious 200 years from now. Wouldn't want one to be mistaken for a crudely built original.

I sign every longbow that leaves my shop. If my gun building skills ever match my bow building skills I will sign my guns visibly for all to see.