Regan, Try photographing it with raking light (a single light source from the side set at a low angle across the object. This brings out the surface topography, much in the same way that a sunset pops out features in the landscape. You can do this with a flashlight, just keep the light level lower, don't blast light on a shiny reflective surface. Also you may want to wet the surface to saturate it so that will help the camera to pick up the details. Seeing the maker's mark can be helpful. Also, it may not be American made, many knives and cleavers were also imported from England from manufacturers in Sheffield, for example. Cheers! Dave David Harvey Senior Conservator and Museum Consultant Los Angeles CA USA www.cityofangelsconservation.weebly.com On Thu, Sep 25, 2014 at 9:11 AM, Regan Brooks <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Good morning Listers, > > I'm trying to identify for a patron the maker's mark on a meat cleaver. It > was found in a creek bed beside an old barn in Rock Hill, SC. The blade > itself is in very poor condition and the handle is of course, gone. > However, there is a partial maker's stamp near the tang. I tried getting a > picture of it, to no avail. Does anyone know of a good directory for early > american cutlery maker's stamps? I've asked The Google, but all I can find > is modern companies. > > Thanks in advance! > > Regan Brooks > Registrar > Gaston County Museum of Art & History > Dallas, NC > > [log in to unmask] > > ========================================================= > Important Subscriber Information: > > The Museum-L FAQ file is located at > http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed > information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail > message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should > read "help" (without the quotes). > > If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to > [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read > "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes). > ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).