Quote:
Originally Posted by Edster
Marc,
This is off topic, but since you are a blacksmith you no doubt have experience in applying stamps to metal. Your experience could help in identifying dates & origins of imported and locally made blades. The question: would a maker's mark or other stamp be applied with the strike of a hammer to a relative soft sword blade just after forging or after the blade had been quenched and drawn? We see marks attributed to a retailer after a European blade was imported, or maybe as fake marks to impute quality, etc. Also, some marks are a identified as rack or inventory stamps applied in an amory, etc.
Would a sword blade be softer at forte area that may not have been quenched and accept a stamp better? This may be why makers marks are often seen under langets.
Best regards,
Ed
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Ed, marks can be cold or hot stamped. Cold stamping can occur on a heat treated blade. Cold stamps will generally have thinner lines while hot stamps tend to be deeper and wider. I had a long conversation about this with an Italian smith who was also of the opinion cold stamps were often applied after the fact by resellers. A good example of this are cold stamped Ferara blades.