signing work

[Matthew Harper]

Hey guys, I saw on some of Charles Dearing's work, that he cut out his initials in his finished pieces. I thought this was cool and did so in the eagle heads that I cut out and posted on the forum, but I just free-handed my initials MH and it didn't turn out quite as well as I hoped. Anyways that's not the point, I was wondering if I should do the same in the next piece I'm working on, but print out my initials in cursive on Word or something. Do you think people would still be interested in buying a piece that has somebody else's signature on it?

I know painters do it all the time, but since I'm not really professional I didn't know.   Thanks in advance guys!  -matt

[spirithorse]

Hi, Matt,
I think this is a matter of your personal opinion or taste.
I sign almost all my projects on the BACK.
I just think it is distracting to have it on the finished project.
God Bless! Spirithorse

[Fab4]

Hi Matt:
Agree with Spirithorse
Personally, I would sign the back of the project.
Leave the front for the project itself.
Fab4
 

[Brian Pardue]

I also sign everything on the back but I do a lot of intarsia.

[Kepy]

I would agree with the others.  A lot of people who buy projects do like to have them signed by the maker.  I used to have people ask me to sign my work but always did so on the back. 

[EIEIO]

If you sell through a reseller, check with them about a signature. If you sell direct to customers, you should certainly sign and date the back of your projects. I have a branding iron to put my name and city on it to make it more local. A simpler branding iron with just your initials should be doable in your shop. A thin Sharpie also makes a good permanent signature if your handwriting is good.

[Kragax]

I have a good wood burner so on the back at least Initials and date

[mlwmerk]

My kids bought me an electric branding iron from "Rockler" about 10 years ago and I use it on all my projects in an obscure or unseen, bottom, back place.  The iron didn't include a date so I write the date underneath the brand in a small tipped sharpie.  Just my two cents.


Walt in CT

[PigsFly]

Matthew

I use an electric custom branding iron I got from Terry Desilets at

http://www.branding-irons.biz/

He is great and easy to work with.  All of my work is 5/8 inch and thicker and designed to stand on a shelf or something similar and 5/8 inch is probably the thinnest work a two line message would fit on.  My brand just says

    Done By Doug
Live Long & Prosper

I do not date my work.

[DWSudekum]

I use one of two different methods to sign my work.  I have a branding iron and if the work is too small for that then I use a fine sharpie.

DW

[pddesertrat]

I have a branding iron but some times it is just too big.  I am no good with a wood burner even though my wife bought me a real nice one several years ago.  If I can't brand it, I have made up a sheet of decal paper with my signatures on it.  I cut one out, sick in a inconspicuous place on the back.  I can put the month/year below it with sharpie or I can type it under my signature before I print the decal (this is nice but wastes a lot of decal paper).  I cover the decal with varnish after it dries.

Answering the original question, I haven't tried what Charles does, mainly because my pictures are a lot smaller than the ones Charles does.  I don't want to distract from the picture so I don't scroll by initials.  But it is personal preference as stated and up to you to decide.  Nothing right or wrong no matter what you decide.