Poll: Do you sign your work?

[Cameron Wood]

Me, almost never.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Sometimes.

[Tom M King]

Yes, but in the houses I work on, in a place that requires some disassembly and won’t be seen for probably a couple of hundred years, along with a story about current events, and list of guys working on it.

[Tom M King]

I forgot. Date is important too.

[Andrew Hughes]

I don’t need to sign my work I can spot a piece I’ve made anywhere any time.

[Mel Fulks]

I read that the 20 dollar bills were popular with counterfeiters. But they never sign , even their best work. I’ve wondered if a tip
has ever been sent to to the authorities about a counter-fitter, And if the authorities ever find a couple of guy trying to wrangle a big elliptical
counter-top onto a bar. And we all know that the guys working on that are in no mood to be hassled.

[Charlie Jones]

Yes, sometimes..

[Mel Fulks]

Charlie, You topped me , with fewer words . Good work !

[Cameron Wood]

Yes, but in the houses I work on, in a place that requires some disassembly and won’t be seen for probably a couple of hundred years, along with a story about current events, and list of guys working on it.


I sometimes leave artifacts inside of walls. One place that I still work on has a Sawzall that died hanging in a cavity. And of course have found lots of stuff.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

It depends on what I am working on, who the work is for, and whether or not I have been asked to. It is fun to find signatures. Sining a dating the ridge beam is a thing with house carpenter's. Most of the folks I work for can not get into their attics and have had me photograph signatures I have found. Great Grandpa's barn has a neat paragraph about the tornado that took out the predecessor and the crew that came to the rebuilding. I will find the photo of that. When I was doing my apprenticeship there was a bit of a ceremony with the signing of a piece with the date, and some coded notes, then the item gets closed up and the signatures will likely never be seen again (unless someone really tries).

499846 499847
The family historians are looking for the list of barn raising participants and a transcription.

[roger wiegand]

If it's good enough.

[Jim Becker]

I have a branding iron and use it when I remember to and it's appropriate. When I was cutting things on the CNC for sale, I engraved those things directly when appropriate, such on the bottom of a box or the back of a sign/plaque. And sometimes it's just a Sharpie. :) Most of the time...it's nothing for general projects, however.

[Rob Luter]

100% of the time. Signed (legibly) and dated. I want whoever finds it decades from now to know where it came from.

[Kent A Bathurst]

100% of the time. Signed (legibly) and dated. I want whoever finds it decades from now to know where it came from.


Me too. Small plaque with my last name and city, who for last name, date. In a non-obvious place. If you knew there was one, in most cases you'd have to spend time hunting for it. I'm not sure the "who for" crowd has ever stumbled across it. Don't tell them.

[Michael Burnside]

Yes when I build for friends/family, no when I'm commissioned.

[Jim Morgan]

On my segmented turnings, I laser-engrave my logo and a list of the woods used on the bottom. I think that is common practice for this type of work.

[Bryan Hall]

Haven't yet.

[Ron Citerone]

Reminds me of an old Dick Van Dyke show when Rob climbs through the top of a stuck elevator and finds writing on the wall. “I want to wish you lots of luck, cuz if you’re reading this your stuck!” :D

[Warren Lake]

yes ive signed wendell castle, Michael fortune, Thos Moser and many others. I skipped April Wilkerson though as i have a beard.

[Lee Schierer]

Yes, mostly everything I make except for home construction projects gets branded and I insert a penny of the current year in a non-conspicuous location.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Yes, mostly everything I make except for home construction projects gets branded and I insert a penny of the current year in a non-conspicuous location.

Lee, your work will likely out last the crappy, moon metal, modern Pennies.

Regarding artifacts and heading to the dark side, I think I may have already shared the story about a guy from Michigan, a disgruntled worker on the Cadillac assembly line. His signature was to sick his 3 o'clock break Coke bottle into the frame member of a Cadillac then welded it closed. And the disgruntled home contractor, who was being stiffed, sticking a 6 pound pork loin into a stud cavity and plastering over the hole. True stories unfortunately.

[Zachary Hoyt]

I put a brass plate on the dowel stick of banjos I build, with my name, the banjo number, the town and year. I try to remember to put a paper label inside guitars and fiddles but often forget. If I'm just making parts instead of complete instruments I don't mark them, nor furniture or buildings.

[Mike O'Keefe]

Yes. I also have a branding iron I use. Sometimes I drill a small hole with a Forstner bit and glue in a coin with the current year.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Here is a cut and paste telling about an afternoon I spent with Stephen Gilchrist. I did not know who he was at the time.

Mr. Gilchrist was starting a "Batch" of Mandolins his first step at that time was to cut his signature inlay with the jewelers saw to create the peg head overlay. "To keep his hand and eye sharp", and to "Put my name on my work right away so I am committed from the start to do my very best"

[al heitz]

A lot of what I do is a gift so I simply pen my logo and year in some out of the way area as a memory marker for the future - who gave this to you and when/what for. I like to keep a photo of the item for my portfolio but often forget until it's too late.

[al ladd]

Only when asked by the client to do so.

I like to think much of what I make could be traced to me, without an overt identifier, but that probably won't be true for very long. The internet is great at documenting "today", but not so great at preserving that documentation for a year or five...

[Bill Dufour]

Some little chairs I made for my Niece and Nephew are on to the second generation so I am glad I signed those 30 years ago.
Bill D

[Rod Sheridan]

Almost always.

I have a branding iron.

If the piece isn’t suitable for branding I’ll brand a small wood plaque and attach it to the piece….Regards, Rod

[Jack Frederick]

Me? No, but I have one signed piece from 1805 by Abraham Shove. It has held up pretty well for all that time.