If so, I thought your etching idea wonderful. You can fool the eye, please the eye, make the tool even better. If the edge is OK, geeze, I think i'd keep the knife as is. You can remove material around the spine area without hurting the heat treat or temper.
Sarge, the folks in this forum collectively know too darn much. One person can't hope to keep up with it all. Come de Revolution, the only substancial contribution besides marksmenship and hunting I could offer is reloading. Sarge and Steve with several others could build a new society.
"Sargeville"
When my time here is done
work and play all run
all hopes and dreams contained
it seems, in the setting of this sun
Let me walk in Sargeville, where all my friends reside
making music, telling stories, where the truth does not hide.
munk