Page 1 of 2

Why the name “Mark”?

Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2024 11:50 am
by Matanuska
Anybody know? Just curious.

Re: Why the name “Mark”?

Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2024 8:55 pm
by jpdalton
Matanuska wrote: Thu Jan 25, 2024 11:50 am Anybody know? Just curious.
‘Cuz everything cool from that era was a Mark [V]!
.
IMG_3197.jpeg
IMG_3197.jpeg (231.35 KiB) Viewed 1797 times

Re: Why the name “Mark”?

Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2024 9:10 am
by RFGuy
Matanuska wrote: Thu Jan 25, 2024 11:50 am Anybody know? Just curious.
I haven't seen anyone talk about this and my explanation will be far from definitive, but this is what I surmised when I looked into this a while back. My understanding is Hans Goldschmidt (credited as being the inventor of 10E/ER) was German. Reason that I am pointing this out is looking up word derivations, I can find many, many definitions for the word, not name, "mark". Perhaps someone far more skilled in the German language can give more detail here, but I found the simplest translation of "mark" to be "unit". This also makes sense to me because the German currency is the Deutsche Mark, which makes sense because it is one unit of currency each. So, taking this into an engineering or product naming sense, then a Mark I, Mark II, Mark III, Mark IV, Mark V, etc. is simply calling them out plainly, e.g. Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3, Unit 4, Unit 5, etc. How this permeated culture and spread beyond, I couldn't say. Besides being in the niche Shopsmith community, it is all over the MCU as Tony Stark names every iteration of a new Ironman suit with a Mark prefix. ;)

Re: Why the name “Mark”?

Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2024 9:22 am
by JPG
Now Why start with Mark V?

I would blame it on Ford(Lincoln).

Or whatever influenced Ford's inspiration.

I agree a buzz word of the era.

Re: Why the name “Mark”?

Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2024 9:32 am
by edma194
The Austin Healey 3000 had Mark I, II, III, and IV models. Definitely common marketing fluff from ye olde days. Don't forget the logo mark for the Dragnet Mark VII production company being hammered into a plate of steel.

Re: Why the name “Mark”?

Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2024 10:10 am
by Ed in Tampa
The original name was intended to be bark as in wood bark but the guy that phoned in orders for the stencils had a lisp hence “mark” was born. 😂

Re: Why the name “Mark”?

Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2024 2:33 pm
by chapmanruss
RFGuy's explanation of the name Mark being used is very plausible. Hans Goldschmidt was the inventor of the Model 10E and started the company Magna Engineering Corporation to make the Model 10E followed by the 10ER with his partners the Chambers brothers.

And John said,
‘Cuz everything cool from that era was a Mark [V]!
Any of you ever hear of the TV Production company Mark VII Limited who made shows like Adam 12?

The 5 in Mark 5 was because it was and still is as the Mark V models today, 5 tools in 1. The Mark VII made in the 1960's was 7 tools in 1 as is the Mark 7 today. Even though it was 5 tools in 1 too, the Mark 2 couldn't be called 5 so they used 2 for some reason. Maybe on a quality scale of 0 to 5 that's where it fell. :rolleyes:

Just my thoughts on the subject.

Re: Why the name “Mark”?

Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2024 2:35 pm
by JPG
Where's that put the Mark 1? Oh one function?

Re: Why the name “Mark”?

Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2024 9:46 pm
by chapmanruss
JPG

You asked,
Where's that put the Mark 1? Oh one function?
No, only one Mark I still existing. As the story goes two were sold but one went back to Shopsmith. Maybe Shopsmith knew just how popular it would be. :D

_
Shopsmith Mark I w- long tubes.JPG
Shopsmith Mark I w- long tubes.JPG (41.76 KiB) Viewed 1606 times

Re: Why the name “Mark”?

Posted: Sat Jan 27, 2024 9:50 am
by JPG
Looks like a hybrid to me.