Parkerizing questions

[Leon Husock]

I just started parkerizing knives and I've got a couple questions:

How do you put your mark on them? I tried electrochem etching before sand-blasting but the blasting pretty much wiped the mark out. I'm concerned that if I try to mark it after I sandblast it though I'll get crud on the blade which will interfere with the parkerizing.

How does parkerizing damascus work? I know parkerizing works best on a relatively low-grit finish (120-160 or so), but I usually polish damascus to a super high finish. Do you etch for depth, sand-blast, parkerize, then hand-sand the highs to a bright finish? I feel like that would remove a lot of the topography, but I could be wrong.

Any insight would be appreciated!

 

[Jesse Latham]

I use satin clear Gunkote on my damascus. Ed Caffery etches deep and puts black Gunkote on then sands off the high spots and then sprays satin clear.

 

[Leon Husock]

I use satin clear Gunkote on my damascus. Ed Caffery etches deep and puts black Gunkote on then sands off the high spots and then sprays satin clear.

I don't think that would work for me since I primarily make kitchen knives, but it's good to know for any non-food use knives.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Just a question, not an attack - why would you parkerize a kitchen knife?

 

[Leon Husock]

Just a question, not an attack - why would you parkerize a kitchen knife?

Mostly because I vastly prefer carbon steel knives to stainless (not to mention I don't have a digital HT kiln) and parkerization provides a measure of rust resistance, plus some people don't like the patina and the way it can rub off on food. But also because I just love the matte black parkerized look, it's super cool.

 

[Sam Wilson]

Just etch the mark deeper. I have done hundreds of blades with electro etching before blasting and then coating, just make sure it's deep enough to catch your fingernail, basically.

Sam⚔⚔