Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening Everyone!

It is time that I make a final choice on the name of my shop and I would like your input.

I am looking at two different names.......

The Cross and Anvil 

or 

Three Nail Forge

Both are available as .com's so there is no issue there.

Please provide your input

Thank You,

Chris

What significance do these names play? 

Well I am keeping with a religious theme.

As we were taking in the chat room, my first inclination is "The Cross and Anvil" but I was thinking it was a bit on the nose.  "Three Nail Forge" is the three nails that Christ was hung by.  The logo / touch mark for that would be something like three nails in the shape of a cross.  As far as "The Cross and Anvil" is concerned here is a rough draft of the logo. This would not be the touch mark it is too busy.  That would be something more like this.    

Choose your shop name so the shop can be sold at some point down the road. The name Christopher Lawrence Forge has a limited appeal to the new shop owner, where as more generic name would be more acceptable. Think about how the customer feels about writing a long name on a check. Short names are better on checks and easier to remember.

As I recall the shop name issue has been discussed before, Finding a Name for your Shop or forge, and Forge names.

You may want to consider how the metal will move when taking the imprint of the touch mark. For instance a indent is much easier to mark as only the letter is pushed into the metal. A raised letter mark means you much push a LOT of metal down and have a space for the metal to rise up and make the letter. With todays professionally made touch marks and stamps, more detail can be used, but the movement of the metal still exists. 

 

Here's a different suggestion: Gridiron Forge. 

Okay, bear with me: it's still a religious name. Saint Lawrence was martyred for his Christian faith (in 258 AD) by being roasted on a gridiron. He is reported to have said to one of his torturers "Turn me over -- I'm done on that side." Plus, it's a play on your own name.

Certainly fulfills ThomasPowers's criteria for being short, generic, and re-sellable.

I like "Christoferro forge" 

 

Don't recall that as my criteria; but it is good criteria if you want to run it as a business.  As a home "hobby" shop you have greater latitude.

I have dealt with long business names. Total pain! Try to keep it short like Forge 3:16 or Holy Iron. (Feel free to use those. I got my name and have no idea what denomination you prefer). Write down key words on a paper and share it with folks. Take your time with it.  Good luck.

I believe the resale aspect is for the business name not the shop itself and this is mainly for the value of name already being established in the market. If you just want a name for your shop and don't intend to go into business or rely on name recognition then resale isn't an issue. 

I like Three Nails the  most, though Cross and Anvil is good and has the benefit of not requiring thought to get the idea. coming up with a logo for Cross and Anvil is a bit harder but not much.

Frosty The Lucky.

 

The Anvil of the Cross is a book. Old one. 

Crossandanvil.com is a methodist church

How 'bout Empty Tomb Forge?

54 minutes ago, Frosty said:

[C]oming up with a logo for Cross and Anvil is a bit harder but not much.

Pretty simple, actually. These two spring to mind:

Is this for fun or work? An LLC vs private? 

Possibly Non-Profit,   But that is a ways down the road.  We will see. 

a lot of us are Non Profit and not by design.!

3 minutes ago, notownkid said:

a lot of us are Non Profit and not by design.!

LOL - So true

Cool. So you have time. 

My wife and I were joking about this.  Right now I am working out of my truck.  Literally most of my "shop" I'd being stored in the covered bed of my 1500.  So as a joke I could go with "4xForge" lol 

Modern marketing has rendered the word "Forge" utterly meaningless.  It's on everything from lemonade to umbrellas.  I realize that's an unpopular perspective.  Google it yourself and see how many results have anything to do with blacksmithing. 

Religion is a polarizing thing that can and will affect who decides to conduct business with you.  It may behoove you to have a secular business name.  Lots of businesses find discreet ways to put a religious message in their work.  Trijicon is a company that comes to mind here.

Everyone likes nature.  Naming your business for a local geological feature or native species is a great way for locals to identify your business.

Despite the stupidity of modern trends, customers find it tremendously helpful when a business is named for what they actually do.  Blacksmith is way too general for most shops, anvil is meaningless unless you make anvils .  Iron work is better, but architectural ironwork gets it down to something lay-people can apply to their needs.

What do you actually make for sale?

Doubling up on what is probably an unpopular opinion here, I second what Rockstar said about secularizing the name.  First, religious names come off to me (and others) as though you are using your religion for profit--something which most would consider an abhorrent behavior.  I understand that can be hard to see when you are standing inside the box. Second, I have been screwed by more people with a fish on their car and the line "I'm christian...you can trust me to be honest" than about any other singular thing.  You might be feeling that it's an expression of who you are but it screams beware the potential shyster to me.  Third, even if we get over the first two, it tells me that you are not interested in my business because your preferred/targeted customer base is others who worship with a cross.  

Again, I know that's an unpopular opinion here and I don't want to argue any religious viewpoints--and maybe you aren't interested in my (used metaphorically) business in the first place.  Just pointing out that there is statistically a much larger segment of the population who tends to agree with me than you might think or be aware of because you are on the other bank of the river.

Kozzy has good points. Unless you plan to focus exclusively on Christian-themed objects and market exclusively to Christians, an overtly religious brand name could turn off and turn away potential customers, both non-Christians and Christians who don't like mixing religion and commerce.

This is why a name with a hidden meaning might be preferable, as rockstar.esq suggest.

Hello all,

First let me say that you all make some excellent points and for the most part I heartally agree.

To clear the confusion, will be mostly as a home name (hobby).   Something that I can hold onto and use, especially when I give out gifts. 

If I do get good enough to really set up a online store then this will work as a non-profit with the revenue going to a group like Open Doors or another like group.

This of course will be posted on the page. 

I did not want to get into this portion of conversation because I may not get to that point; however, I feel that it was needfull to understand my thoughts.

This was never intended to be a money making venture as it has been said many times, "if you want to make a million dollars in blacksmithing, start at 10 million and work backwards"

Hope this helps 

Good clarification, CL; thank you.

Many times advice and opinions are provided on the information given. When additional information is provided, the advice and opinions are altered to match the new information. 

Nothing against CL or the original post, but i can not help but wonder if the thread would have taken a different path knowing this will be *mostly as a home name (hobby).   Something that I can hold onto and use, especially when I give out gifts.*

I think it would have taken a very different path, Glenn, but I'm kind of glad it didn't. It was a good discussion, and it might be useful for some future IFI member considering how to name their commercial smithy.