Hello all, I would like to first say that my time so far of being a member here with BoB has been wonderful. All of you have been very polite, helpful, and honest. I have also obtainted some great opinions from some of the more frequent visitors and will soon hopefully have some good reviews on the pipes I've made so far and the one to come. I value everyone's opinion here and would like to know what you think. I am having some difficulty in deciding what I want to do or should do as far as branding my future work. I started with the first three pipes inscribing them with my initials, number pipe, the year and B&B for Boulder & Briar. The rest i have been just inscribing B&B with number of pipe. I was recently told by a friend that I should just put my name, and number of pipe. A family member said B&B by Nicholas Burnsworth. I want to get a stamp made in the near future and would like to make something that I can stick with from here on out. What's your opinion?

If it was me, i'd do one or the other - name or initials. Numbering would be alright too.

Don't want too much on it - you wouldn't want to clutter up the pipe and/or cover that beautiful grain.

Not only should you keep it simple, but keep it short. The longer your stamp gets the harder it is to make it stamp correctly, and find a good place to stamp it.

In my opinion, you don't want the stamp to tell people whose pipe they have, you want the pipe to do that. The stamp is just proof. Think of a 911. You know it from a mile away, but not because it says Porsche across the entire side of the car. It's badge or stamp is small. Don't let your stamp detract from the beauty of your pipes.

I agree with the KISS method. Initials, First initial and last name, or just your simple B&B. Not to promote another forum (since they never got back to me about my membership anyhow lol hint hint someone) but there are a few discussions on the pipe makers forum about stamps and where to get and the like. Simplicity is just sexy on a pipe though.

As Mies said "... less is more" . Follow the KISS principle. Take a look at some older Dunhill patent era pipes, just covered the stems with stamping,firm name, grp size, model #, patent #s and on and on. Your'e not planning to make thousands of the same shape etc are you? Simplicity

Although I've considered a method of rustication that uses jumbled letters and numbers pressed into the briar... kind of an all or "very little" kind of deal.

+1 for simple. I like B&B with a number for the body and perhaps a quality level.

Thanks guys. I definitely agree with less being better. I think Burnsworth is to long, Boulder & Briar is kid of long but might look good in some sort of circular orientation, B&B would work, and in the future I want my style and designs to define the rest. I should probably stop wasting time on this though and get back in the shop making pipes

I think it was John Lennon who said something like "We could have been called The Potatoes, it wouldn't have made any difference in the world." when asked about how "good" the name "Beatles" was for a band.

Make it small and easy to apply. Let your pipes define the stamp.