Removing etching from a stonewashed blade?

J

Jim malone

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May 25, 2007
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Just a quick question regarding the posibility of removing an etched name from a stonewashed blade. I have a mikov "Predator" in N690 steel and i really don't like the "Predator" name on the blade. Can this be removed in a way it won't be too obvious. I don't know why knife manufacturers put these names on the blade, especially in view of a possible scrutenisation by law enforcement or a judge should this knife ever be presented in a court. Even my S.O. found it rather silly to give this blade such a foolish name. I don't know if you can hand sand the blade to a stonewash finish and remove the etched name in the process. I can't remove the blade due to it beeing peened.
 
Sanding might remove the etch if it's not too deep, but you will lose the stone wash finish.

At best what you would end up with is a satin finish. Unless you go a big step further and polish the blade after sanding to produce a mirror finish.

I believe that stone wash finishes are produced by running the blades in a tumbler with actual stones prior to sharpening.
 
Looking at images online of that blade, it appears the portion of the blade with the etch is dead-flat & extending back through the ricasso of the blade. If so, some careful, linear sanding with wet/dry SiC sandpaper on a FLAT, hard surface (like glass or stone) might actually result in a decent look, applying the satin finish only to that portion and leaving the dirk/dagger grind forward on the blade untouched with the transition shoulders of the grind staying crisp & neat-looking. If that were my knife, I'd be tempted to try that first. Start with something like 150 - 320-grit sandpaper secured flat & tight to the hard backing and sand in a linear, one-way direction to produce clean & straight grind lines. That range of grit often leaves a satin finish similar to a lot of factory satin-finished blades.

Other means, like polishing with abrasive polishing pastes might lighten the etch somewhat. But etches are usually done to some depth in the steel, so a recessed shadow of the etch would still be visible. I think sanding or grinding would be the only way to completely erase it.
 
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