Fading of etch on damascus

mikehill

mikehill

Joined
Feb 9, 2006
Messages
66
Hi,
I have a small 21 with raindrop damascus and have noticed a small faded patch in the etch near the stud. The previous owner must have rubbed it when opening. Any ideas on how to restore it ?
Thanks, Mike.
 
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I'm very interested to see what replies your questions gets!
I just purchased a raindrop damascus 21 and its "worn" around the stud as if someone pinched the blade as the opening method. I called CRK and was informed the blade can be re etched only once in its life time and the cost starts at $75 and goes up depending on severity and location of wear.
 
I was just thinking of maybe painting a bit of acid on :rolleyes: I find it strange, almost unbelievable that it could only be done once though :confused:
 
I wouldn't try painting the blade with acid, you would likely get a patchy look! The blade might only have enough metal in CRK's opinion to get etched twice before getting thin and overly fragile. (Only a guess lol) Can you post a picture of the blade in question?
 
I would assume when a blade is etched it removes material hence only being re etched once in its lifetime.
Another quick call to CRK would clear this up though.
 
I'd say if that's the case, leave it until the blade gets to the point where it would be worth using up its once in a lifetime etch.
 
I called and asked about re-etching some months ago and got the same answer. I'll probably send mine in for a re-etch way down the road and would suggest the same for anyone else that is going to use their Damascus blades fairly often. After about a year and a half my user DT blade has a few faded areas that have more or less worn together nicely. Looks good and dark for a long while after being oiled (not that it is necessary to oil a stainless Damascus blade.)
 
You're also going to get etch wear at the tip and other wear areas depending on what you cut. My small Sebbie was coated after etching so you'd have to remove the coating (bead blast?) before re-etching. About 3/16" of my tip is polished from cutting lots of foam core and poster board. You might try a light acid (lemon juice or vinegar) and see if it would color that spot again but I doubt you'll be able to match the original etch.

Can you tell if the bare spot still is coated or not?
 
Thanks. Mines a 2014 which as far as I know isn't coated ? Might try a little lemon juice, can't do much damage either way.
 
I'd caution anybody wanting to re etch on your own. I finally bit the bullet and did it on my large plain Jain with ladder that is my workhorse.
I did some research and bought a bottle of etching solution from radio shack. I masked off the pivot and lock face so I wouldn't rough it up. Then I did a 50/50 of etchant/water and dipped it in for about 10 minutes, checking it every few minutes. It turned out to be a deeper etch than factory and it's kind of rough.
Then you have to sand it with a high grit to bring out the highlights. I'm pleased with it, but it is probably not worth much on the market since I did it...
 
arskrg said:
This thread needs way more pics
Click to expand...

A pic that shows it slightly worse than it really is.

DF684183-82AD-4A2D-BACD-175ED03C5C3F.jpg
 
Ooops sorry, mixed it up with one of the others, will amend 1st post. I wish it was a classic though :D
 
Disassemble and a 4 min dip in Muratic acid should do the trick. Has worked very well for me in the past. I put hot glue where the washers sit on the tang so that remains untouched, will need a good sharpening afterwards. You will be left with a "scaled" edge.

Or if you don't mind parting with it, CRK has excellent customer service. I enjoy doing things myself. If it's a user go for it. The method I stated will work perfectly. If a queen that was flipped 500 times by owner, send it in.
 
I should say after dip and rinse the glue peels right off. I then take a leather lansky hone with 1 micron paste and rub on a circular motion where the glue was. Cleaned and polishes where the washers ride.

Good luck.
 
I'm bringing this thread up based on another thread I began last week.
Doing some mods for an old friend on some cheap damascus and need to re-etch after some sanding to get rust spots out.

The fact that even years ago CR was charging $75+ and their official stance is "once in a lifetime" is more ridiculousness from them.
Chad Nichols and Devin Thomas have said to me personally "repeat as desired".

"And you may find yourself
Living in a shotgun shack
And you may find yourself
In another part of the world
And you may find yourself
Behind the wheel of a large automobile
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house
With a beautiful KNIFE
And you may ask yourself, well
Why did I buy this"?
 
Straight from their website:
RE-ETCHING
We can usually re-etch the pattern on a blade to bring back its definition. However, we recommend caution when choosing this route. Re-etching can only be done a few times and will shorten the life-span of the blade since the process involves removing material.

Note: We cannot re-etch discontinued models with Damascus blades since we would be unable to replace the blade if damage were to occur during the process.
 
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