Do you mark your hand tools?

[Bill Haumann]

Many of my older tools have prior owner's names clearly marked in the metal or wood. Was an owner's stamp that did this commonplace in the past? What would be the best way to mark ownership of tools today, and the best spot on a given tool?

I have a set of individual letter punches, but they are at least twice the size of stamps I've seen, and never seem to line up quite right (maybe I just need practice).

- Bill

[David Weaver]

I would mark them on a recessed hidden spot. I don't know where you take your tools, but I guess it would've been a lot more important to mark them when you were going to a site with different tradesmen on it and wanting to make sure your tools came home with you.

At this point, if the tool is new, a visible mark just devalues it, and you only really need it for recovery, anyway, thus the recessed hidden spot.

I don't mark mine. I don't figure if they get stolen that I'll see them again, anyway. I'd like to mark the metallic, and especially the wooden planes that I've made, but I haven't gotten around to figuring out a tasteful and not-so-expensive way of doing it yet.

[glenn bradley]

I use to when I was a lad. Dad used to put his DL# on them in case the cops ever recovered anything stolen. I don't mark mine currently as over the years I have adopted a NEVER loan tools policy and I live alone. If anything turns up missing, I left it somewhere or have suffered a surgical strike burglary.

[James Taglienti]

careful when marking cast iron- i've seen it cracked before where someone marked it. most guys marked the tote and knob, or a reinforced area like the cheek of a plane just by the sole. If i was going to mark my planes, i'd probably engrave them shallowly.

i see a lot of chisels marked on the socket, and saws marked on the handle.

i don't mark any of mine, partly because i rarely bring them to a jobsite, and if I do, there isn't much interest from the other craftsmen there ( who wants a wood plane when you've got a belt sander? that chisel looks like it belonged to jesus!) Also, I work alone in my shop.

[Jeremy Dorn]

Like the other posters before me, I don't mark any of my vintage cast iron planes, or my modern ones simply because its a hassle, and I don't loan them out or take them off site from my shop.

My only exception to this is the wooden bodied planes that I've made myself. I usually put my name, and the year they were made onto the toe of the plane in a sort of makers mark with number/letter punches so that one day my kids, or some later generation craftsman will still see my name proudly on them. This is sorta an homage to the army of moulding planes I've got in my shop, many of them show several diff names on them which I can only assume are the various craftsman who've owned and used them down through the years.

JD

[Mark Woodmark]

I marked my hands instead. that way I only had to mark two things and not a lot of things. Also, if I sell the tool someday, the marking will not lessen the value

[David Keller NC]

Many of my older tools have prior owner's names clearly marked in the metal or wood. Was an owner's stamp that did this commonplace in the past? What would be the best way to mark ownership of tools today, and the best spot on a given tool?

I have a set of individual letter punches, but they are at least twice the size of stamps I've seen, and never seem to line up quite right (maybe I just need practice).

- Bill

Bill - For the most part, the marks that you see on older wooden planes, chisel handles, etc... weren't made with individual letter stamps - the craftsman had a special stamp engraved with his name (usually last name and first initial) made for him. These stamps sometimes come up for auction at antique tool sales.

If you want one for yourself, there are several firms that will do it for you - Chris Schwarz wrote a couple of blog entries about these about a year ago.

[Jake Rothermel]

I'm in a similiar boat as James above (hey James, what're we doing in this boat?!); the tools that I would miss were they stolen are almost never taken to a jobsite where they may be stolen. "Hey kid, I have one of those paperweights at home, too! What're you trying to actually DO with it? Can't you afford a good sander?? Here, borrow mine." ...that's an actual quote, sadly enough.

At home, I don't see much need to mark tools. My shop is mine and my fiance's and I'm lucky enough to be marrying a girl who knows where any and everything goes when it's done being used. Any and all jobsite tools of mine are marked with a sharpie or a dremel but almost in all cases they're marked on some part of their plastic casings (very few of my hand tools make it out of my shop...).

IF I were to mark any of my bench tools, I guess I'd use a dremel in an inconspicuous place I knew wouldn't affect it in use?

[george wilson]

I get my name stamps made by Buckeye Engraving. You can choose any type font you please,and you actually talk to the guy who does the work,unlike some other places. I gave up on Hansen Co.,when the stubborn telephone answerer refused to let me speak to someone who knew what he was doing. Finally,she asked me "What's a serif." That was it for them.

[Frank Drew]

I've marked most of my tools with a simple single letter, either stamped, incised, or even just scratched on; it's saved arguments about ownership on several occasions.

[Jim Koepke]

Bill,

Welcome to the creek. Be careful aaround the slope.:D

Your profile doesn't show your location, what part of the world do you call home?

Many of my automotive tools were marked with my California Driver's license number before we moved to Washington.

Most of my woodworking tools are not marked by me. Most of them do not leave my shop. I did use some letter stamps to mark the cap iron screw on a few planes.

My initials are jtk using letter stamps they can be superimposed to come out looking something like:

157942

Be careful if you do use the punches as they can mess up cast iron. I have also thought about painting the area under the frogs on planes and writing some ownership information.

jim

[David Peterson]

I don't mark my tools but I sometimes mark my work. There's a wonderful stamp maker called Chalco Stamp and Die Company in the UK that is mentioned in Bill Carter's website. Ian Houghton at Chalco will fashion any kind stamp that you want, incised or embossed. There's an antique feel to the work they do, much like the name stamps we see on old tools. I've had a name stamp done by them and am following up with a number set. My Stanleys won't get punched but the writing desk I'm finishing will.

[David Weaver]

I get my name stamps made by Buckeye Engraving. You can choose any type font you please,and you actually talk to the guy who does the work,unlike some other places. I gave up on Hansen Co.,when the stubborn telephone answerer refused to let me speak to someone who knew what he was doing. Finally,she asked me "What's a serif." That was it for them.

Thanks, George.

[James Scheffler]

My only exception to this is the wooden bodied planes that I've made myself. I usually put my name, and the year they were made onto the toe of the plane in a sort of makers mark with number/letter punches so that one day my kids, or some later generation craftsman will still see my name proudly on them.
JD

I love the owner's marks that appear on some of my antique tools. (Except for some where they marked them by scratching the japaning off). The more former owners, the better. It's a link back in history.

I just got a set of letter stamps for the one wooden plane that I made. I'm considering marking some of my antique favorites to keep the chain going. None of them are worth much anyway in dollars.

Jim S.

[Mike Henderson]

A cop friend of mine recommends marking tools with your driver's license number. He's a woodworker and told me that when they stop someone suspicious who has tools, they simply ask what the tools are used for - basically how is the tool used.

He said that more than once, he's called someone to tell them he had recovered tools and the person had to go look in their truck tool box to discover the tools were missing. The tools were recovered before they were discovered missing.

He said your driver's license number is better than your social security number because the cops have ready access to driver's licenses.

Mike

[David Weaver]

Saw something that allows use of letters in a holder - thought that might be a cheaper route. Guess not! The holder for five letters, I think, was $350.

None of the different marking companies have prices for standard stamps, understandably because some customer would call and claim that their totally non-standard design should be close enough to standard.

But I'm assuming that a basic stamp with DW PGH PA on it will be around $200. I'm not font sensitive as long as it isn't beehive or some other ludicrous thing that makes the tool look like a joke, and I don't want arial, either, I guess.

Never really thought about the type that was used on the old tools - but I can imagine there are some things that will look OK on paper that won't come out well on a tool.

[Bill Haumann]

Thanks folks.
I'm in NJ, and have lurked for quite a while, and just got around to registering.
As far as the slope goes, I'm well down it having been slowly amassing hand tools for some years now. Finally have shop set up enough (and the time) for some more involved projects.

- Bill

[Frederick Gross]

I remove the tote/knob/handle and make a mark(s) there. That way the "asthetics" of the tool are not marred and a couple of quick turns of a screwdriver can prove ownership if necessary.

[rick carpenter]

I collect and rehab old tools for users, but don't mark them. Not much money put into them in the first place. The work I do with them though, generally mission and disaster recovery work (anything from demo to construction to trim), necessitates a lot of borrowing tools at the worksite. I trust the people I work with. Most hand tools generally aren't duplicated as much onsite anyway, but power tools are so I do mark them to tell them apart at the end of the day.

[Steve knight]

the stamps only work well on engrain or metal so they are limited. it takes a lot of force to get a good mark with a stamp with say 10 letters. my knight toolworks logo took a pretty good wack. it would not be hard to make a holder for the smaller letters made for suck. they cost about 1.00 or so each from mcmaster or msc.