diff --git a/components/multimesh/src/wmtk/components/multimesh/utils/get_attribute.cpp b/components/multimesh/src/wmtk/components/multimesh/utils/get_attribute.cpp
index 90d14a3d92..b18d2748e7 100644
--- a/components/multimesh/src/wmtk/components/multimesh/utils/get_attribute.cpp
+++ b/components/multimesh/src/wmtk/components/multimesh/utils/get_attribute.cpp
@@ -116,32 +116,40 @@ wmtk::attribute::MeshAttributeHandle get_attribute(
     auto add_option = [&](PrimitiveType prim, AT t) {
         ret = get_attribute(mesh, name, prim, t);
 
+        assert(ret.is_valid());
         uint8_t dimension = wmtk::get_primitive_type_id(prim);
         possibilities.emplace_back(AttributeDescription{name, dimension, t});
     };
     if (pt.has_value() && type.has_value()) {
+        wmtk::logger().debug("Reading attribute {} with pt {} and type {}", name, primitive_type_name(pt.value()), attribute_type_name(type.value()));
         add_option(pt.value(), type.value());
 
     } else if (pt.has_value()) {
+        wmtk::logger().debug("Reading attribute {} with pt {}", name, primitive_type_name(pt.value()));
         for (AT at : types) {
             try {
+                wmtk::logger().trace("Attempting to read attribute {} with pt {} and guess {}", name, primitive_type_name(pt.value()), attribute_type_name(at));
                 add_option(pt.value(), at);
             } catch (const attribute_missing_error& e) {
                 continue;
             }
         }
     } else if (type.has_value()) {
+        wmtk::logger().debug("Reading attribute {} with and type {}", name,attribute_type_name(type.value()));
         for (PrimitiveType p : wmtk::utils::primitive_below(mesh.top_simplex_type())) {
             try {
+                    wmtk::logger().trace("Attempting to read attribute {} with guess pt {} and type {}", name, primitive_type_name(p), attribute_type_name(type.value()));
                 add_option(p, type.value());
             } catch (const attribute_missing_error& e) {
                 continue;
             }
         }
     } else {
+        wmtk::logger().debug("Reading attribute {}", name);
         for (AT at : types) {
             for (PrimitiveType p : wmtk::utils::primitive_below(mesh.top_simplex_type())) {
                 try {
+                    wmtk::logger().trace("Attempting to read attribute {} with guess pt {} and guess type {}", name, primitive_type_name(p), attribute_type_name(at));
                     add_option(p, at);
                 } catch (const attribute_missing_error& e) {
                     continue;
diff --git a/src/wmtk/attribute/AttributeType.cpp b/src/wmtk/attribute/AttributeType.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a3fc3185ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/wmtk/attribute/AttributeType.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+#include "AttributeType.hpp"
+namespace wmtk::attribute {
+const std::string_view attribute_type_name(AttributeType pt) {
+
+    switch(pt) {
+        case AttributeType::Char:
+            return attribute_type_traits<AttributeType::Char>::name;
+        case AttributeType::Int64:
+            return attribute_type_traits<AttributeType::Int64>::name;
+        case AttributeType::Double:
+            return attribute_type_traits<AttributeType::Double>::name;
+        case AttributeType::Rational:
+            return attribute_type_traits<AttributeType::Rational>::name;
+        default:
+            break;
+    }
+    return "";
+}
+
+const std::string_view attribute_type_traits<AttributeType::Rational>::name = "Rational";
+const std::string_view attribute_type_traits<AttributeType::Double>::name = "Double";
+const std::string_view attribute_type_traits<AttributeType::Int64>::name = "Int64";
+const std::string_view attribute_type_traits<AttributeType::Char>::name = "Char";
+}
diff --git a/src/wmtk/attribute/AttributeType.hpp b/src/wmtk/attribute/AttributeType.hpp
index 3cccfddf19..c7e3938f50 100644
--- a/src/wmtk/attribute/AttributeType.hpp
+++ b/src/wmtk/attribute/AttributeType.hpp
@@ -5,32 +5,36 @@ namespace wmtk::attribute {
 enum class AttributeType { Char = 0, Int64 = 1, Double = 2, Rational = 3 };
 
 template <AttributeType AT>
-struct type_from_attribute_type_enum
+struct attribute_type_traits
 {
 };
 template <>
-struct type_from_attribute_type_enum<AttributeType::Char>
+struct attribute_type_traits<AttributeType::Char>
 {
     using type = char;
+    const static std::string_view name;
 };
 template <>
-struct type_from_attribute_type_enum<AttributeType::Double>
+struct attribute_type_traits<AttributeType::Double>
 {
     using type = double;
+    const static std::string_view name;
 };
 template <>
-struct type_from_attribute_type_enum<AttributeType::Int64>
+struct attribute_type_traits<AttributeType::Int64>
 {
     using type = int64_t;
+    const static std::string_view name;
 };
 template <>
-struct type_from_attribute_type_enum<AttributeType::Rational>
+struct attribute_type_traits<AttributeType::Rational>
 {
     using type = wmtk::Rational;
+    const static std::string_view name;
 };
 
 template <AttributeType AT>
-using type_from_attribute_type_enum_t = typename type_from_attribute_type_enum<AT>::type;
+using type_from_attribute_type_enum_t = typename attribute_type_traits<AT>::type;
 
 template <typename T>
 inline constexpr auto attribute_type_enum_from_type() -> AttributeType
@@ -53,4 +57,5 @@ inline constexpr auto attribute_type_enum_from_type() -> AttributeType
         return AttributeType::Char;
     }
 }
+const std::string_view attribute_type_name(AttributeType pt);
 } // namespace wmtk::attribute
diff --git a/src/wmtk/attribute/CMakeLists.txt b/src/wmtk/attribute/CMakeLists.txt
index cd8f3506ca..7b2d12439b 100644
--- a/src/wmtk/attribute/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/wmtk/attribute/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ set(SRC_FILES
     Accessor.hpp
     
     AttributeType.hpp
+    AttributeType.cpp
 
 )
 target_sources(wildmeshing_toolkit PRIVATE ${SRC_FILES})