Finding a Name for your Shop or forge

[Bob S]

"cart before the horse forge"

[jwilson645]

Mine is Southern Metalworx. Along the same lines as Frosty, I started out welding and fabricating before I started learning blacksmithing so it's a general name. It isn't really a "business", more of a hobby as I don't normally make any money off it.

[neg]

Powers Thunderforge?

[GottMitUns]

FORBIDDEN!!!!!

Make it easy to spell of you will regret it.

 

Russell Doerr

Gott Mit Uns Downhole Tool Corp.

[LawnJockey]

If I do name my forging antics it will be Blasarius Forge.  It is sort of a play on my legal background, my being a pyro and my being a bit of a trouble maker.

[ThomasPowers]

Note that Powers/Powers is a very common Irish name; do due diligence to find out if Powers forge already exists somewhere.

Not that kraftwerk is not misspelled it's just in a different language....

[Glenn]

In some areas, if you sell then you ARE a business and they want their cut (taxes).

The name should be short enough to write on a check, note, or letter 25 times in a row. Scotty Powers Forge, Fabrication, and Foundry Enterprise is longer than the check width and WILL discourage sells as they will let you fill in the name.

Always build your hobby / business so that when it grows, you can sell it at some point, when and if that may ever happen.   It is not as marketable as Scotty Powers Forge, Fabrication, and Foundry Enterprise but as Powers Forge to the new owner is much more likely to buy the business and the name.

A logo is extremely important as it conveys identity. Choose one that is easily recognized from a distance, and simple enough that there is no extra clutter. For instance when you see an anvil you think blacksmith.

Build from the start so it can be sold later. Do it in such a way that the new owner can just move in and does not have to rebrand everything and basically start over creating a new identity.

Edited September 23, 2015 by Glenn

[rockstar.esq]

I thought I'd weigh in and point out that in addition to misspelling everything, most businesses are avoiding any reference to what they actually do.  Drive around and look at business signs.  You don't see "Bank", "Grocery", "Clothing", etc.  The assumption is that you know Applebee's is a restaurant rather than a cider mill or an apiary.  It's really silly to think that huge advertising campaigns exist to tell the public what a business does when their sign could've done the same thing.

A forge is only one tool in a blacksmiths shop.  It evokes meaning to blacksmiths but it's been appropriated by everyone from cookie bakers to techno musicians.

Ornamental iron may describe what you're doing WAY better than any quirky reference to a forge, hammer, or tongs.

Heck, "Honest Iron Work" might cut right to the chase for the customers in your area.

Oh and for pity's sake don't name yourself with some Federal sounding three letter acronym!

Some of the most successful companies I can think of named themselves after a prominent geographic feature in the area. They're putting their customers interests and concerns first.

 

 

 

[LawnJockey]

There are a whole lot of other issues such as filing a DBA, business entity form, etc. In some jurisdictions you don't need a DBA if the business name is your own name.  And then there will be all the issues about openning a bank account under the business name thanks to Frank-N-Dodd.  This is US specific of course and each state has its own rules.  Of course you could name it "Cash Forge" and then tell your customers to just make the checks out to cash.  That would work for me.

Edited September 23, 2015 by LawnJockey

[Frosty]

I'm liking this thread a lot, lots of good thinking going on. A couple more points from me. About pictures, if you check with the local college about extension courses photography is or was pretty darned popular. Explain to the instructor what you need to photograph and they'll almost put that focus to your instruction. After the basics of course. I don't know how photography classes are conducted now that digital cameras are the norm. Still the basics of composition, framing and lighting remain the same. I can see the same old beginner mistakes almost every time someone posts pictures of their work. Steel isn't easy to photograph but it looks beautiful when properly done.

Point two. What you photograph, especially for business or public exposure is REALLY IMPORTANT. Pictures posted on the internet are there FOREVER. Anyone doing a web search to locate you for a commission is going to find you here seeing as this is where you post the most often and folk are going to get their first impression of YOU the person. They are looking for a skilled craftsman and the first thing they see is your AVATAR. You know the one with your tongue sticking out of your mouth?

It's a really poor public expression, folk are going to feel you have no respect. Sure, it's a joke of some kind but a joke is a really poor first impression unless you're a stand up comic.

Of course that's just my opinion.

Frosty The Lucky.

[jwilson645]

Glenn and rockstar both make excellent points about naming and the business itself. I know they gave me some things to think about for sure.

[Arbs of the North]

Every name I liked has been taken. Finally I got personal, used my work nickname and location, Arb's Iron Range Forge. I'm not totally settled on it, but cannot find it taken.

I'm a new hobby forge and have very little small hammer time. But my work background has set me up for this type of hobby.

I think a fella needs to set his Forge Name up in his craw there a bit and let it stew hey?  I like Thunders Forge. Did you search that name?

 

[Frosty]

Good thinking Arbs and that was actually my second point before I sidetracked myself. Don't get in a hurry to decide on a shop name. Try making a list of ones you like and just start using them, in a while one will sort of adopt you and will the THE one that most often comes to the tongue.

There is really no hurry, your rep isn't going to come because of a snappy shop name.

Frosty The Lucky.

[K. Bryan Morgan]

For me it was an easy choice.  My mom's inheritance gave me the opportunity to buy the things I needed to set up a small shop.  I'm strictly amateur.  I do it for fun.  Once in a while I sell a cowboy cook set or a camping tripod.  Things like that.  For a little bit I was going hard at those.  I couldn't keep up.  Anyway.  Naomi's Forge.  I got a free program and made my logo.  Its my avatar.  I did the whole thing from scratch using a tutorial I found online as the basis.  Oh and the program I used is GIMP.  If I were to do it over I would just have my wife do it for me on Photoshop.  She's very good with that.  But at that time it was important to me to do it myself.

[4dead]

Since I have to drive thru a creek in the mountains of North Carolina to get to my shop. Forde The Creek Forge.

[John Galt]

My farm business name is Rivendell Farm . . so my forge will be called Rivendell Forge . . .

[JAllcorn]

In our area there's lots of Bois d' Arc trees, Bois d' Arc Creek, even a Bois d'Arc Restaurant (now closed), streets named after it, a little Texas hamlet, etc., etc., also called the Osage Orange... a very tough wood used for fence posts and by the Native Americans for bows.

Anyway, we named our shop "Bois d'Arc Forge Blacksmith Shop".  In the beginning we never intended to do anything more than have fun, make smoke, try to add to the downtown area and irritate the lawyers (we're located 150 feet from the County courthouse).  It is commonly referred to by locals as "the forge" and we even painted our bathroom in the shop "Bois d' Arc green".

Looking back, we might have picked a different name... maybe just "the Forge", ???

Bottom line, you are stuck w/ the name so choose carefully.

[Frosty]

Uh, you know J putting both forge and blacksmith shop in the same name is a little redundant again isn't it. On the other hand there really isn't a reason you can't change your shop name if it hasn't become a "BRAND" name. I think going with what the community dubs it is a good thing within reason of course.

It's how I prefer to get my nick names. Frosty was never really in question though I stomped on "Jack" as soon as I found out what Jack Frost is. I was dubbed sort of with Frosty The Lucky as a result of surviving being attacked by the great white . . . birch. Then a scadian friend redubbed me "Frostig Den Heldig"

I do like letting a name or idea brew for a while before setting it in stone. You know, roll it around your mind to see how it sounds, what folk think, etc.

Frosty The Lucky.

[GottMitUns]

I started a company named Centurion Oil Tools and ran it for 6 months before taking on a partner and incorporating.  At that point we renamed the company to Sentry Oil Tools. No Big deal I thought, If you can spell Centurion you can spell Sentry. Wrong!!  The first time it was miss spelled was at the tax office when they issued a EIN to Centry Oil Tools. I got that corrected in about 15 minutes,,,I thought.  3 years later I got a call from the state wanting to know why we had not done our state sales tax forms in 3 years. It took me a hour to explain that Centry Oil Tools only existed for 15 minutes and was replaced by Sentry Oil Tools.

[Frosty]

Yeah, GVT folk sounding out the written word can lead to misadventure.

Frosty The Lucky.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Naming a venture with a location, area feature, etc can cause issues if you ever move. Say I called myself the Muddy River Blacksmith, if I ever move to another area the river won't be there. I worked for a company in the Las Vegas valley that had the name of a New England mountain in the name.....just seemed out of place. It fit when they lived back there, but didn't work so well out West.

As mentioned before your name may not work if the business is successful enough to be sold. I say MAY because there are several that their brand has superseded any change in ownership, IE; JC Penny, Ford, Dodge, Chevrolet, Buick, Craigslist, Colt, Browning, Winchester, Glock, Ruger, Briggs and Stratton, Cabela's, MOOG, Dolby, and the list goes on and on and on.https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companies_named_after_people   

Hard to name an automotive manufacturer, or accessory that does not have a person's name attached. Egotistical bunch hahahaha! Same with firearms..

I have been mulling this over myself. I also want to add a touch mark, so the name will have to be easily converted to one. I have tons of quail running around the property, so Quail Run Smithing could become the name with their top knot(s) as the touchmark. 

If you are interested in turning this into a business may I suggest two movies to watch that show what branding can do. The first is Exit through the gift shop, and the second is Con Artist - found on Netflix under the DVD, not streaming last I checked. Exit is about Bansky who is a world renowned street artist, and Con Artist is about Mark Kostabi, another artist. Both demonstrate how building a buzz around your brand can produce results. Have you ever wondered how some people may not be the best, but they get the business? These movies show how that can happen through branding.

Keep it simple, and easy to remember. I agree with the spelling, as that can cause issues with searching later on. 

[Tex Judson]

im trying to get my blacksmith / armoring forge up and running but when people ask what my buissnes name is im kinda lost. i was thinking Vulcan iron works or Vulcan forge works after the roman god but vulcan iron works was alredy a compoy that went out of bisness in the 50s what i have called my small setup for years now is Mad dog forge becouse it was built in my childhood dogs old pen but i think it sounds strange i dont know. any suggestions i would like the name to relate to somthing like my state of texas or my family name Shaver. i kinda need a name fast im curently making a full left arm gaurd of this guy in my welding class at college and i want my shop name on it. 

thanks for reading

[Frosty]

Welcome aboard Tex, glad to have you. If you'll put your general location in the header you might be surprised how many of the Iforge gang live within visiting distance. Telling us once in a post won't stick in our minds once we open another one. Heck I had to stop and reread your post to remember just now.

Anyway, naming your shop isn't something you should rush, there is a lot of good info and advice on the subject here from experienced guys some REALLY experienced. Come up with a touchmark first, you can adopt a name you like later. How about a stylized Legionnaire wearing a cowboy hat?  

Do NOT rush naming your shop or you'll regret it. You're young, nothing is as rushed as it feels to you. Been there made the mistakes to prove it. Do you have a business? Are your skills sets good enough to maintain a business? How are your business skills? You can be the best blacksmith or armorer on Earth but if you're a poor businessman we'll read about the auction before we see your work in magazines.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Dave51B]

 TJ, this is what I did......When I first started out, and got to the point you are. I couldn't come up with a name so I just stamped my first and last initials.....DS. As the years went by, and still no official shop name, it came to me this summer. Before the state changed the name of the roads in my area to numbers instead of actual names. the road I live on was called Dead Sea road. Therefor, I just called my setup .....Dead Sea Forge and still use the DS touchmark.....Made sense to me.....            Life is Good       Dave

[notownkid]

Be careful using family names, as said above you  just might get successful and want to sell.  Your entire family will have their name hung on a business that may upon sale become a disaster.  Happened in my home town a few yrs. ago the sons are still suffering under it through no fault of theirs or their dad who had sold out.  The new owner finally changed the name after the agreed 5 yrs but damage done. 

Also as said let your idea simmer, know you need something now but haste makes waste.  Have to have something today stick your initials on it.  I used E5 on some items many yrs. ago and if a veteran you'll know what it means. 

Good luck on the name and the shop.