All About Pocket Knives

As I understand it, tang stamps are finely wrought expensive tools. Some of them had to cut very tiny and exact lines into blade steel (which was not yet hardened, of course, and which is sometimes differentially hardened). Who made them historically and now, and how are they made? When Schrade Walden bought Schrade Cut.Co. in December of 1946 they would have had to change many stamps of at least a few sizes and replace them when worn. Additionally, I suspect that worn ones were guarded from further ownership to protect against counterfeiting. Any discussion on this topic is welcome.

Good question. I always assumed the cutlery companies made them themselves. Figured if they had the tooling and expertise to make a pocket knife, they would be able to make a tang stamp? I know that I have read (maybe in Withcher's book?, or Levine's?) that the earliest ones were handcut. This was in reference to the fact that the same letters (all the "T's", for example) should not be identical on an old tang stamp, due to being hand cut.
Truth is, I never really gave the matter to much thought, prior to Tongueriver's questioning it in the OP.
Dan

I actually don't have the answer but I asked a similar question awhile back and MB gave some useful info - see this thread: http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kni ... mp#p475093

thanks for the link, Lee, I had forgotten those posts. However, it still doesn't answer the original question of who actually made those stamps?
Dan

GEC sends theirs off to a tool and die contractor. I hope to have a Lick Creek stamp,if there is a next time. Not quite as expensive as you might think.

I have mine made at Buckeye Engraving at a cost of about $75-$100. I still have the original that I bought about 12 years ago. Just bought a new one that is a little smaller for smaller blades. I'm sure that any one that could make a factory blade could make their own also. Terry