S&W is a famous firearms manufacturing company, which was established by Horace Smith and Daniel Wesson in 1856 in the USA. The first success came to the company after the release of the Model 1 Revolver in 1855.
The Smith&Wesson visual identity is a celebration of the company’s heritage and value of traditions. The brand has an elegant and calm logo, which shows it as a reliable and stable one.
The earlier logo design was adopted some 4 years after the company came to be. It consists of two main elements: the emblem on the left and the company’s nameplate on the right.
The former has largely remained in service even to this day. It depicts a small round emblem with a dark core and white rims. Inside, the letters ‘W’ and ‘S’, also white, occupy largely the same area, where the ‘S’ is slightly larger, and both letters are connected by a vine-like ampersand symbol.
The company’s full name on the right used the black letters of a then-popular Gothic style with various uneven and artsy decisions. The name is written in two lines, where the ‘Smith & Wesson’ is placed on top, and ‘Revolvers’ beneath it. The latter is shifted rather to the right and written in slightly smaller letters.
The Smith&Wesson logo is composed of a wordmark with an emblem above it. The nameplate is written in a smooth classic serif typeface, with soft letter lines and distinct serifs. The ampersand sign is slightly italicized, which adds finesse to the logo.
The font of the Smith&Wesson wordmark is similar to ITC Clearface, which was designed by Morris Fuller Benton. It is a traditional serif font with sleek rounded lines.
The Smith&Wesson emblem is a stylized brand’s monogram, enclosed in a circular frame. It features the same blue color, as the wordmark, which creates a harmonized and balanced feeling.
The intertwined capitals of the monogram are complemented by two four-pointed stars, placed on both sides. The elongated ampersand going through both letters adds finesse and sophistication, making the emblem look like a heraldic symbol.
The blue color of the Smith&Wesson logo is a reflection of reliability and authority, it evokes a sense of protection and expertise, which are very important for any firearms manufacturer.
The font utilized by the company is largely a typical typographic serif with moderately bold letters, at least for their wordmark. As for the emblem, the letters there are a lot more complex and artistic.
They’ve really only been two color schemes used by these logotypes for a long time. One is a fully black-and-white variety, and the other heavily uses a dark blue shade. The black is used more commonly.