How do you create a colored logo on a stainless steel blade?

BloodyDonnie

BloodyDonnie

Joined
Oct 14, 2017
Messages
276
I polished the blade of my Benchmade anthem to a mirror finish, thus the logo was removed in the process in the process

Now I'm trying to recreate the logo. The original logo is in a metallic gold color, and it looks like it was laser marked onto the blade.

There are many places that do laser marking or engraving but none of them can produce a gold marking, let alone a colored marking.

How was the logo originally done? What process should I be looking for? Thanks
 
You would be looking at acid etching and gold plating.
Laser engraved marks could be plated over and the excess gold polished off.
 
I can't imagine too many places would be willing to replicate a trademarked logo... but these days, who knows.
 
hhmoore said:
I can't imagine too many places would be willing to replicate a trademarked logo... but these days, who knows.
Click to expand...

Both places I inquired about this were willing to do it, and I told them it would be a logo of the brand. But I mean I took pictures of it before the polishing with the logo still on, and then after the polishing. The logo isn't completely 100% gone, there is still a very faint outline. So I guess it could qualify as a graphic touch up lol
 
I take issue with this statement: "There are many places that do laser marking or engraving but none of them can produce a gold marking, let alone a colored marking." I can get white, pink, blue, purple, tan/gold, brown, and black on bare steel. It's not necessarily reliable or consistent, but it is possible.
 
P.Brewster said:
I take issue with this statement: "There are many places that do laser marking or engraving but none of them can produce a gold marking, let alone a colored marking." I can get white, pink, blue, purple, tan/gold, brown, and black on bare steel. It's not necessarily reliable or consistent, but it is possible.
Click to expand...

Where are you located? Can you do it for me? I have contacted one place that can do color but they said they cant do gold. They said that marking on stainless steel for them usually comes out bronze but they would need to try it on a test piece to get it right. Otherwise it's hard to get it right in one shot. I dont have another piece of steel that is the same though
 
BloodyDonnie said:
Where are you located? Can you do it for me? I have contacted one place that can do color but they said they cant do gold. They said that marking on stainless steel for them usually comes out bronze but they would need to try it on a test piece to get it right. Otherwise it's hard to get it right in one shot. I dont have another piece of steel that is the same though
Click to expand...

I'm in PA, I'm not doing any laser work for hire now. As for the color issue - I see what you mean; the resulting colors on stainless are totally dependent on ambient light angle and intensity, and with that said I'm not drawing a distinction between the shades of bronze and gold. I hear that a MOPA-type fiber laser can make true colors that are not dependent on light angle but I have no firsthand experience.
 
One experiment that didn't work. I electro etched my logo into a blade, but polished out the black oxide. So I tried filling the etch with colored paint, then sanding the overflow off. The paint did not stick. Too bad; maybe I needed a deeper etch or maybe different paint.
 
kbright662 said:
One experiment that didn't work. I electro etched my logo into a blade, but polished out the black oxide. So I tried filling the etch with colored paint, then sanding the overflow off. The paint did not stick. Too bad; maybe I needed a deeper etch or maybe different paint.
Click to expand...

use model paint and once dry use acetone to wipe excess from surface. As someone who has made golf clubs for 20 years and paintfill engravings regularly it works extremely well
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top