Zeroclick Posted May 2, 2017 Share Posted May 2, 2017 Hi, So I have finally thought of a name for my forge that I like and would really like some feedback on what people think. So the name is Hand and Anvil Forge, the idea behind this is that all work will be done by hand at the anvil and it will also work as a touchmark with a hand print on my work. Thanks for any feedback. Zeroclick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 2, 2017 Share Posted May 2, 2017 I like it, short sweet and nicely descriptive. My first thought was "By Hand And Anvil" but adding By isn't much if any better and ads to the length. Short and sweet is good. It's also a great setup for motos and snappy sayings not to mention catchy illustrations. For instance, A drawing of a fist with thumb up on an anvil and the caption, "Hand and Anvil. Always a thumbs up for your forged needs." Okay, that sucked but it's an idea and we can have a good time coming up with stuff. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeroclick Posted May 2, 2017 Author Share Posted May 2, 2017 Thanks Frosty. I'm glad you like it, I like the motto could make a funny t-shirt for demos and fairs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 2, 2017 Share Posted May 2, 2017 White Hand of Saruman? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kozzy Posted May 2, 2017 Share Posted May 2, 2017 Convenient because you can give really annoying customers the hand (or in America, a certain finger on a hand) and still fall within the scope of your business name Seriously, though---seems like a good choice for the many reasons mentioned previously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C-1ToolSteel Posted May 2, 2017 Share Posted May 2, 2017 I like it too. You may consider making it just "Hand and Anvil" without the "Forge", as "Anvil" already gets the point across. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockstar.esq Posted May 2, 2017 Share Posted May 2, 2017 Saying it aloud has the cadence of a stutter which might be difficult to understand if it were said quickly in a sales situation. Any kind of accent on the speakers part would make it sound like "Hammond Anvil Forge". If I heard that, I'd wonder if the famous B3 organ makers took up Anvil making without me noticing. "Malton Ironworks - made by hand" tells people where you are, what you do, and doesn't confuse non-blacksmith customers. Plus, "Forge" as an internet search term puts you VERY FAR AWAY from anything to do with blacksmithing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Ling Posted May 2, 2017 Share Posted May 2, 2017 and as discussed in another thread somewhere, forge nowadays has LOTS of other meanings than what we think of, and the most common one not being a blacksmiths forge. Littleblacksmith oh, rock star just replied.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C-1ToolSteel Posted May 2, 2017 Share Posted May 2, 2017 The an, an, an, sound does sound kinda funny when you say it fast. Didn't notice that, earlier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeroclick Posted May 2, 2017 Author Share Posted May 2, 2017 9 minutes ago, C-1ToolSteel said: I like it too. You may consider making it just "Hand and Anvil" without the "Forge", as "Anvil" already gets the point across. That is a really good point I suppose to keep things short I would go for just hand and anvil, makes it easier for social media. 8 minutes ago, rockstar.esq said: "Malton Ironworks - made by hand" tells people where you are, what you do, and doesn't confuse non-blacksmith customers. I did think about something with a really local link but then thought if I need to move for any reason then the name would lose meaning. I also did a quick sketch of a touchmark I might use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C-1ToolSteel Posted May 2, 2017 Share Posted May 2, 2017 How about making it an anvil inside of a hand print? That might look a little better. Looks good the way it is too, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeroclick Posted May 2, 2017 Author Share Posted May 2, 2017 I did do a sketch but it felt that the scale just didn't look right. I will try a better sketch and let you guys judge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRiley904 Posted May 2, 2017 Share Posted May 2, 2017 I like it. I've been putting thought into this as well. I want to move in to selling my forgings to support the hobby and i feel a name is important when making that transition. In my thought process; my first name is George witch rhymes with forge and my middle name witch i prefer to go by is Riley. So the simple short and sweet name i came up with is Forge Riley's . i think it's somewhat clever and the friends that i have shared that with seem to like it so I'll give it a go and see if it works for me. I hope I'm not hijacking your topic, i was hoping to show my thought process in naming my forge if it's any help. You have a solid name for your forge, i can see myself buying hand and anvil products. Riley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Ling Posted May 2, 2017 Share Posted May 2, 2017 15 minutes ago, Zeroclick said: I did do a sketch but it felt that the scale just didn't look right. I will try a better sketch and let you guys judge. shouldn't be too much scale, your not forging it! Littleblacksmith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeroclick Posted May 2, 2017 Author Share Posted May 2, 2017 8 minutes ago, GRiley904 said: I like it. I've been putting thought into this as well. I want to move in to selling my forgings to support the hobby and i feel a name is important when making that transition. In my thought process; my first name is George witch rhymes with forge and my middle name witch i prefer to go by is Riley. So the simple short and sweet name i came up with is Forge Riley's . i think it's somewhat clever and the friends that i have shared that with seem to like it so I'll give it a go and see if it works for me. I hope I'm not hijacking your topic, i was hoping to show my thought process in naming my forge if it's any help. You have a solid name for your forge, i can see myself buying hand and anvil products. Riley Hi George, I really like that name it makes me chuckle which means people will remember it. 7 minutes ago, littleblacksmith said: shouldn't be too much scale, your not forging it! Littleblacksmith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. B Posted May 2, 2017 Share Posted May 2, 2017 Good name and it's transportable too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockstar.esq Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 17 hours ago, Zeroclick said: I did think about something with a really local link but then thought if I need to move for any reason then the name would lose meaning. I think that it's profoundly unlikely that Malton will suddenly not exist. There are lots of companies with location's in their names that moved. "Philadelphia Cream Cheese" was more of a reference to quality goods made in Philadelphia than a specific local recipe. Blacksmiths seem particularly obsessed with the word "forge" when it comes to naming their business. If you're worried that some part of your name will lack relevance for branding purposes, I encourage you to seriously look at what happens when you google businesses with "Forge" in the name. It's a great way to get buried beneath idiot marketing for lemonade, umbrellas and website developers. The public is largely ignorant of the historical meaning of "forge". If asked to name a "forged" object, I suspect a substantial majority of the public would respond along the lines of counterfeiting or identity theft. When they go looking for decorative ironwork, or hand-made metal objects, they can't find blacksmiths because blacksmiths adamantly refuse to name their businesses something that communicates what they actually do. Of course, you're asking a group of blacksmiths, so the majority is going to think "forge" is a great name for a business. The majority here aren't making their living as blacksmiths which is what you'd like to do. "Branding" is a large part of modern marketing. Companies like "The Gap" have spent unbelievable sums of money teaching the public that two, three-letter words means "clothing store". There are an incredible number of businesses with "forge" in their name that have nothing to do with metal. How many millions are you willing to spend to get your business to show up on the first page of a Google search? Now, just for fun, consider how many competitors would show up on Google for "Malton Ironworks"? That difference in 2017, for a business that requires online marketing (i.e. all of them) is one of life and death. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeroclick Posted May 3, 2017 Author Share Posted May 3, 2017 Hi Rockstar, I do agree with the points you make, I have decided to remove the word forge from the name based on the points made and when I did some more test searches on google. Also I did search malton ironworks which brought up two other local blacksmiths and also a number of the local steel companies that operate in the area. Where as hand & anvil brought up two larger forging companies that operate nation wide. What I was going to do was work with the google SEO to make sure that my brand name would be associated with the Malton area, whilst keeping the brand as something recognised anywhere in the country. As Malton itself is one of those places where you have to tell people which cities are closest so they can place it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoggy Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 Can I just point out that there are a number of "Malton's" in the UK and just how many may be in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand etc....I've no idea. I suppose you could add the county for clarity even that could cause more confusion! (Malton NY) Hand and Anvil or as we say here in Yorkshire 'and an' anvil rolls nicely of the tongue in the local dialects. Nothing says you can't use two touch (makers) marks in conunction which has long been a practiced convention in other trades.....ie a hand and an anvil! (could be two seperate punches or one combined punch) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrambler82 Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 Novice's opinion... then whole "Hand. & Anvil Forge" should be used, along with the "Hand". Your placard should have the "Hand & Anvil" part should be arched and the "Forge" placed under the arch with a hand in between the two lines or the "Hand and the Anvil" can be under the "Forge". Just my 2 cents ! Great name, I am on the list for liking it ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeroclick Posted May 3, 2017 Author Share Posted May 3, 2017 1 hour ago, Smoggy said: Hand and Anvil or as we say here in Yorkshire 'and an' anvil rolls nicely of the tongue in the local dialects. Nothing says you can't use two touch (makers) marks in conunction which has long been a practiced convention in other trades.....ie a hand and an anvil! (could be two seperate punches or one combined punch) Thanks Smoggy, to be fair everything sounds pretty awesome in the Yorkshire dialect. I hadn't thought about using two seperate touchmarks but I like that idea. 1 hour ago, Scrambler82 said: Your placard should have the "Hand & Anvil" part should be arched and the "Forge" placed under the arch with a hand in between the two lines. I do like that design for a sign on my workshop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeroclick Posted May 4, 2017 Author Share Posted May 4, 2017 So based on the feedback here I have gone with Hand & Anvil, I have ordered a touchmark based on the sketch I sent through but with a 2D anvil. I can't wait to get it it will be 25 mm by 10.8 mm. Thanks, Zeroclick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerald Boggs Posted May 4, 2017 Share Posted May 4, 2017 If I had it to do over, I would just use my name: Gerald Boggs, blacksmith. Wayfarer Forge just makes folks have to remember two names instead of one. I'm getting ready to order more jewelry boxes with a name impression, it was "Wayfarer Forge" Now it's going to be "Gerald Boggs" top line and "Blacksmith" second line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockstar.esq Posted May 5, 2017 Share Posted May 5, 2017 On 5/3/2017 at 10:17 AM, Zeroclick said: As Malton itself is one of those places where you have to tell people which cities are closest so they can place it. Zeroclick, Is there a geological feature near you that might define the area? I know some successful companies that named themselves after a beloved lake, mountain, or plateau. It seems to work better if the feature's name isn't a tribute to a polarizing person, war, or religion. I wiki'd Malton and it looks like a beautiful place to live. I saw that the River Derwent flows through Malton. Again, according to wiki, Derwent means "Belonging to the forest of the oak trees". That calls a very pretty image to my mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRiley904 Posted May 5, 2017 Share Posted May 5, 2017 Rockstar all i can say to that is bravo. I really like that idea and i think it would work well for him. I'm starting to wish i had something like that around me. I don't want to have to rename my forge so transportable is kind of important to me. That being said a couple names come to mind for my locality. Black creek forge being one but that stays with the "forge" issue. I suppose it could be transportable though, and i could solve the forge problem by changing it too either metalworks or ironworks. I still like the name i came up with because i believe it avoid the issue by being my name or a cute and fitting nickname. Perhaps I'm not digging deep enough. My ancestry is primarily Scottish and Irish, i could look up a name in Gaelic maybe but I'm not sure about naming in another language. I wouldn't want to torpedo myself before i even get started. Needless to say you've certainly got my gears turning. Riley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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