Etching makers mark

A

AustinS1234

Joined
Jun 8, 2018
Messages
98
Does anyone know how to etch a makers mark into a blade without buying the $300 personalizer plus? Also, I don’t want to hacksaw open a dc power supply and rewire things to do this. Basically, what is an easy repeatable way to etch with dc and darken with ac or something that gets the same results?

*I posted this is general knife discussion and I’m new here so I also posted it here because I’m not sure which area would be better*
 
Austin, welcome man. You’ll want to take some time to fill out your profile for multiple reasons, but to answer your questions I’m going to advocate for the personalizer. It’s amazing, and repeatable, and gives you everything you need. I know a great member here & you tuber Keeton Knives has a YouTube video on how to make one (I’ll link it here!). (He’s now Red Beard Knives apparently hahah!)


 
DustinY said:
Austin, welcome man. You’ll want to take some time to fill out your profile for multiple reasons, but to answer your questions I’m going to advocate for the personalizer. It’s amazing, and repeatable, and gives you everything you need. I know a great member here & you tuber Keeton Knives has a YouTube video on how to make one (I’ll link it here!). (He’s now Red Beard Knives apparently hahah!)


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Thanks for the information! I’m going to watch this video and see if I can do this or not!
 
To second what Dustin wrote above the Personalizer/Personalizer Plus is a worthwhile investment. I am sure you can build something that will work very similarly but when I was making the same decision you are making now I decided it wasn't worth risking the last step of finishing my blade on something I cobbled together out of transformers and spare parts.
 
AustinS1234 said:
Thanks for the information! I’m going to watch this video and see if I can do this or not!
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Austin! Welcome to the obsession! :D—-At the end of the day $300.00 for my personalizer plus was Cheap! 22 plus years later it’s cost, maybe? .25 cents a blade. ——————-Call them. I nice English sounding lady will usually Answer and take care of you & get you squared away towards a stencil for your logo. I wanted to make knives. Not mess around making a marking machine...
 
there are less expensive etching kits out there. the more simple personalizer costs just under 200. and there are cheaper ones available.
 
If your just starting out making Knives you might want to hold off putting you name one then till you get to around blade 100. You might not want people to know you made those first 100 blades.
 
I made an etching device with very low cost parts. Basically, I had a 12 volt DC power supply and a 12 volt AC power supply from old electronic devices (modems). The DC voltage etches and the AC voltage fills the etch with black oxide. Did some soldering to add a switch and wire leads. For the hand held electrode, I put a copper plate on a piece of micarta, cut a little larger than the stencils I use. I wrap cotton pads around the electrode held on by a rubber band. I dip the electrode in a saucer of electrolyte, pat the excess liquid off on a paper towel, then zap my stencil.

Marking Methods made my stencils from images I made on the computer. And I use their electrolyte solutions.
 
JTknives said:
If your just starting out making Knives you might want to hold off putting you name one then till you get to around blade 100. You might not want people to know you made those first 100 blades.
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100 blades? That is a huge exaggeration.
Lets not discourage new makers with things none of us did ourselves.

If a person can not dial it in within 10 blades they need to study, learn and listen more before making more.

To the OP just look around you will see them being made from door bells as well as hobby train controllers on the cheap.
 
AVigil said:
100 blades? That is a huge exaggeration.
Lets not discourage new makers with things none of us did ourselves.

If a person can not dial it in within 10 blades they need to study, learn and listen more before making more.

To the OP just look around you will see them being made from door bells as well as hobby train controllers on the cheap.
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I agree with this, and i'm in the mindset you ABSOLUTELY want to mark everything. Two reasons for that:

1. Growth. You'll want everyone to see and yourself where you started, and where you're at now. This also helps keep you honest in my eyes, you won't want to sell something subpar - especially because it has your name on it. These early blades can be given away, etc. It's humbling.

2. There's a learning curve, you won't want your first knife you etch to be the first knife you ever decide is up to spec. There are techniques and methods you need to hone in order to get a great result. You'll start out good, but the extra crispy marks that are deep come after the first one and you "figure it out" so to speak.

Just my opinion. Lol.
 
Jasoncap said:
To second what Dustin wrote above the Personalizer/Personalizer Plus is a worthwhile investment. I am sure you can build something that will work very similarly but when I was making the same decision you are making now I decided it wasn't worth risking the last step of finishing my blade on something I cobbled together out of transformers and spare parts.
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Yea that’s a good point. That would be a huge disappointment if I built something and and ruined my piece.
 
Rhinoknives1 said:
Austin! Welcome to the obsession! :D—-At the end of the day $300.00 for my personalizer plus was Cheap! 22 plus years later it’s cost, maybe? .25 cents a blade. ——————-Call them. I nice English sounding lady will usually Answer and take care of you & get you squared away towards a stencil for your logo. I wanted to make knives. Not mess around making a marking machine...
Click to expand...
Thanks for the warm welcome! I’m already falling into a rabbit hole with equipment I’m purchasing haha. I’m trying to cut cost without cutting quality and I’m realizing that’s hard to do
 
john april said:
there are less expensive etching kits out there. the more simple personalizer costs just under 200. and there are cheaper ones available.
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What’s are the other options? I was looking around and couldn’t find anything accept dc power supply's.
 
JTknives said:
If your just starting out making Knives you might want to hold off putting you name one then till you get to around blade 100. You might not want people to know you made those first 100 blades.
Click to expand...
Hahaha yea My first few were preeeety bad... I’m not around 100 yet but I’m close. Im doing more custom orders and I want them to eventually be marked
 
kbright said:
I made an etching device with very low cost parts. Basically, I had a 12 volt DC power supply and a 12 volt AC power supply from old electronic devices (modems). The DC voltage etches and the AC voltage fills the etch with black oxide. Did some soldering to add a switch and wire leads. For the hand held electrode, I put a copper plate on a piece of micarta, cut a little larger than the stencils I use. I wrap cotton pads around the electrode held on by a rubber band. I dip the electrode in a saucer of electrolyte, pat the excess liquid off on a paper towel, then zap my stencil.

Marking Methods made my stencils from images I made on the computer. And I use their electrolyte solutions.
Click to expand...
Could you use vinyl sticker material for the stencil? I have a friend who makes stickers and I was thinking of getting him to make my logo and I’ll just stick the negative to the blade then etch over it. It won’t eat through vinyl will it?
 
JTknives said:
If your just starting out making Knives you might want to hold off putting you name one then till you get to around blade 100. You might not want people to know you made those first 100 blades.
Click to expand...

I think what JT was getting at was to wait till your knives are a good quality before putting your name on them. Not that it'll take 100 knive to dial in you etch. Etching is pretty easy. Just make sure it doesn't move while etching.

In sure everyone here agrees that they have some early knives they'd love to get back and replace. I know I do and I'm still new at this.

My opinion is that you shouldn't sell a knife until you comfortable putting your name on it.

Fyi I have built my own grinder, over etcher (door bell transformer works great for this) and stencils.
 
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