What Our Logo Means and Why It's So Remarkably Weird
The Meaning Behind Our Logo
Craftswright & Makery Explained
Part 1: The Name
Part 2: The Big Orange Hand
Part 3: The Motto
Over the last few years this small business’ name has changed a few times. From Von Tannin, to Von Tannin Craftswright, to the current (and permanent) Craftswright & Makery.
What gives with the name changes and what does it all mean? I hope to answer that here for those that are curious and give a little inside peak at the thought process behind the brand.
What Does Craftswright & Makery Mean?
Ready for a little bit of honesty with a dash of total transparency? The name is comprised of made up words (surprise!). You won’t find them in a dictionary as they are, but they’re made up words with a meaning.
First let’s break down the compound word: “Craftswright.:”
Crafts -
I knew when I was pivoting away from Von Tannin (strictly a leather business) that I wanted to keep the definition of the business open. Meaning, I didn’t want to put the business in a corner and limit its products and content to strictly one medium. I knew I’d want to work in wood, leather, metal, clay, whatever, so long as I was crafting something by hand.
- Wright
Not like the oh-s0-famous brothers.
Put simply, a wright is a maker or builder. The word is usually tacked on to a noun to show what that person builds. Like a shipwright (someone who builds boats/ships) or wheelwright (someone who builds wheels, typically for carriages).
Crafts + Wright = Craftswright
Someone who builds or makes things involving their hands and skill.
Bonus meaning:
I typically don’t get political when it comes to business, and I don’t plan to here, but one extra bonus in the “wright” is that it’s gender-neutral and eliminates gender from the name and/or title.
We’re not craftsmen or craftswomen, we’re ALL Craftswrights.
Makery -
Makery is my simplified, made up word or adverb for the “Maker Movement”.
It is the act of making.
So from a distance the name “Craftswright & Makery” could read 2 different ways:
Three different words for the act of crafting/building/making.
Craftswright (myself) and Makery - almost as the title to a TV show. “Here’s the Craftswright and he’s going to build some things and show you how.”
Plus it kind of sounds like an old-timey business or law firm name, which I dig.
Why is your logo a big red hand?
Because it looks awesome as a big sticker, obviously.
The first two things I want to be very clear about with our logo are:
1. It’s not red, it’s a very very reddish orange.
2. It has no occult or alchemic meaning to us whatsoever.
The main theme
The easiest explanation comes from an Aristotle quote: “The hand is the tool of tools.”
No matter what medium we’re working in, physical or digital, almost all of our creativity and effort passes through our hands.
The tools we use to add or subtract material. Carve, weld, sew or sculpt, all of the activities are controlled by the hand. Even CNCs and Power Hammers take human operation and interaction.
This ties in very nicely with the ideology behind Craftswright & Maker; a focus on artisanry and handcrafted things.
Bonus Meanings
At the center of the hand, in the lines of the palm, is a monogram of “C”, “W”, an ampersand, and “M” for Craftswright & Makery. This sigil is a secondary logo for the company but also lends itself to add some deeper meaning to the symbol of the hand.
I’m a giant Wheel of Time nerd. Like big time. I’ve read the entire series at least 8+ times and listened to the audio book version probably as many times, if not more. I highly recommend it if you’re a fan of fantasy novels. My favorite character in that series is Matt Cauthon, the leader of The Band of the Red Hand, an army of heroes critical to the success of good over evil in the series. The Band is loosely based off the the real Red Branch Knights, a group of Irish heroes from the Ulster province.
Also in the Wheel of Time, there’s a group of imperial guards known as the Deathwatch Guards. Their armor consists of plate armor enameled and lacquered in reds and greens so dark they almost appear black. I wanted to incorporate that as well, but not go so dark. Hence the color scheme or very reddish orange and dark forest green.
Orange is my favorite color.
An open hand is a commonly known greeting and also shows the quality of being very generous.
I’ve always been a fan of medieval themes, especially heraldry, so the fact that the logo could be seen on a battle flag, or coat of arms, is a big bonus.
Lastly, in an odd way, it’s another homage to the Lord of the Rings series; a second favorite of mine behind the WoT. Granted in this case it’s paying homage to the White Hand of Saruman, who was a villain, but the imagery (especially in the movie) was something I always found very striking and eye-catching.
It’s NOT a reference to Hellboy, but I kid you not, I AM watching Hellboy as I write this.
Shouldn’t you have a hand plane or saw blade as your logo?
"The logo identifies the brand, it doesn’t explain it." - The Futur
I felt this hand does a good job os subtly both identifying the business and explaining it.
It’s striking and easily recognizable, and if you dig a little deeper, it explains what the business does in great detail. I’ve never been a big fan of the super obvious logos, sorry other makers out there 😬.
What does your tagline mean?
Every business has to have a good motto/tagline right? So why did we choose: “There’s good work in the making.”?
At this point things get a little more philosophical. I’m heavily inspired by the Arts & Crafts movement, which has a core set of principals based around craftsmanship and handmade things of both function and beauty.
I wanted to take this theme a bit further. I wanted to make it clear that your work doesn’t have to be perfect to be good, IF you’re actively trying to improve while you work.
The finished product doesn’t even need to be great. So long as you’re working with your hands, crafting, making, etc., it’s a good thing. This is another one of those possible double meaning sentences.
It’s also a call to action for the future. Because if you keep crafting, working, and making, eventually the end result will get better and improve. Your best work is currently “in the making” every day that you’re in the shop.
Making = Good work
Good work = Making.
Hopefully that clears the air for those that were wondering and maybe sheds a little inspiration on those that weren’t.
Either way, you now know where my mind was when I was crafting the logo, symbol, name, and motto for my small business.
Cheers,
Cody
Owner of Crafstwright & Makery