Makers mark, before or after HT?

After, you will be finish grinding after heat treat and you don't want to spoil the looks of your MM. If you are putting it on with electro etch or the like take the blade to at least 400 mark it and do the finish sanding. When you sand with 600 or 800 the small hallow will be removed from around the MM and you will be ready to handle.

Good luck, Fred
 
After; assuming you're etching your mark in. If you're stamping it in, you're gonna have to do that before heat treat.

On my knives, the maker's mark etching is the second to last thing done. Sharpening being the last.
 
What they said above - after if you're etching, before if you're tamping. My etcher doesn't have any issues going through scale, except that I might not get as clean of an etch.
 
I see no reason to ever electro-etch before heat treat. Electricity doesn't care how hard or soft the steel is.

If you're stamping, that's different.
 
Yep... after. I etch after all heat-treat scale has been cleaned up and the blade has been re-finished. Then the whole blade is taped to protect the finish and the MM... then I finish off the knife with handles.
 
I wonder if you etch your mark really deep before HT, the dark colors would remain inside the etch after HT?

I know alot of guys have (including me) have some issues with getting a deep and dark even etch. I wonder if the HT colors/scale would remain inside if you lightly finished your flats, and look alright?
 
Danbo said:
After; assuming you're etching your mark in. If you're stamping it in, you're gonna have to do that before heat treat.

On my knives, the maker's mark etching is the second to last thing done. Sharpening being the last.
Click to expand...

Most people do it in a bit different order. Etch the mark, then put on the handles, then final sharpening. I know that's a strange concept for some of us:p

Seriously, though. Danbo doesn't like handles so this doesn't appy to him, but I've switched to doing all of my maker's marks before putting on handles so that I have a nice flat surface to tape my stencil to without handles getting in the way. Also, if you really mess up an etch badly you can regrind the flats of the knife to remove the botched logo and redo it, then put your handles on. If you put on handles before etching and you mess it up, you're screwed unless you do a hand rubbed finish on every knife you make. Just something to think about.
 
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