How do ownership engraving and marks effect the worth of an old tool

Thanks,
Bob B

As long as the tool is useable and it peak my interest I will pick it up.
To me any personal marks on a tool just tales me that the person cared enough about the tool to say hey this is my tool, return it when you are done with it.

Overwhelmingly, such marks will reduce value.

It will never increase value (unless, possibly, it was marked by a famous former owner).

I won't buy marked tools even at a discount...

I think every one who answers will have their own opinion.

For me if it is very old and more of a collectors item I kind of like owners marks it gives a sense of provenance to it. I have an older Armstrong ratchet marked Bell Systems and I like knowing some of the history of it.

But for stuff I have primarily as a user then I don't want previous owners marks and it devalues the tools value to me quite a bit. For me it would be kind of like marrying a woman who has a tattoo with some other guys name. Just wouldn't feel right.

I generally buy wrenches  in very good to excellent condition. Engraved initials are generally not additive.  Sometimes, though, if the tool is in the range of uncommon to very rare, initials have to be overlooked.  If some guy bought a great wrench 100  to 150 years ago with hard-earned cash, and wanted to ensure no one would steal it, sure, he would initial it.

My reason for collecting wrenches, in the first place, is to demonstrate the freedom of thought used by the man who designed the wrench.  Freedom of thought is becoming less and less valued in America, and I think it is important to maintain a visible record of what it means.  Wrenches solve one class of problems well - turning a threaded bolt or nut. But common men, working with their hands and minds developed thousands of different ways of doing that.   

I don't mind neat light engraving or stamping. The ones I hate are those marked with a welder in huge letters by someone who wasn't much of a welder.

I don't mind light engraving on a tool. I don't like tools with grind marks on them or holes drilled in them. I might buy Plomb lawsuit tools that have had the name ground off by the factory.

EvilDr235

Quote from: Neals on June 26, 2011, 11:42:57 PM
I don't mind neat light engraving or stamping. The ones I hate are those marked with a welder in huge letters by someone who wasn't much of a welder.

I agree.

I buy alot of tools to add to my user tools.I hate when someone puts them on with a vibrating engraver.It looks real bad and I don't think it does a thing to prevent someone from stealing it.But,it was the thing to do back in the day.