etching stainless damascus with handle attached

Michael Black

Michael Black

Joined
Jun 29, 2014
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450
Quick question I hope:

I finished up a Damasteel gyuto completely including the etch and handle, and stupidly forgot to do my cut testing when I normally do, and now I'm unhappy with the geometry and want to thin it out further. This shouldn't be a problem by hitting it up with the disc sander and some hand sanding, but I'm not sure about getting a second clean etch in muriatic with the handle attached without damaging it. Any tips? Will normal masking tape work to cover up the handle or should I use a different method to protect it? I don't use muriatic acid very often and it's much more aggressive than I'm used to with ferric so I want to be extra careful. Thanks!
 
I think you’re going to have problems, just the vapors from muriatic acid is going to affect the handle. I also think any resist you use that’s strong enough to resist the acid will have some affect on the handle too. I wish I could offer a good method but you may be in uncharted waters here, I know ferric chloride doesn’t affect G10 but muriatic is a whole different animal. I wear a respirator when I do Damasteel because just the fumes are so bad. I use enamel paint on Damasteel as a resist but even it fights to not get eaten by muriatic. blue painters tape might survive the vapors for a short time, just don’t let it touch the acid.
 
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I've done something similar before. What I did was paint the whole handle with testors enamel, re-etched and then used a lot of paint thinner to remove the testors. The first time I used bright red paint so that I could make sure I got it all off, but it seeped into some of the seams/cracks in the stabilized wood handle and so now I only use clear.
 
Get some clear nail polish and paint a few coats on the handle material. Will hold up fine to the muriatic. Acetone to remove and a good buff will leave it like new.
 
I never thought about wax dipping...nice!
 
Thanks for all the input! I finished thinning it and am hand sanding it again now. The wax sounds like a good idea but I don't have that much wax on hand. I think I'll give the clear nail polish a try and report back!

Here's the knife in question:

*edit* it's a G10 bolster, with African Blackwood spacer and stabilized Masur birch handle.

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HSC /// said:
protect with vaseline petroleum jelly?
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That sounds slippery haha! I use that all the time for bedding tangs, and I could see it working. Especially since I don't actually plan on dipping the handle into the acid, so it will really only be protecting from the fumes.
 
Jak Epp said:
Don’t have much to add other than to say: Good looking knife!
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Well thank you! Hopefully it looks as good the second time around...

I covered the top of the handle with clear nail polish and have it in the muriatic now. I'm not heating up the acid like I normally do in hopes that it keeps the fumes down as well, even though it will etch a lot slower this way. I'll post up how it turns out when it's done.

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