Whats an inexpensive makers mark?

blgoode

blgoode

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Oct 3, 2003
Messages
7,145
I want to mark my blades but dont have anything to use? I thought about engraving them but I dont much like the fine lettering jewlers do. Any thoughts on this is great.
 
Well, making your own stamp is certainly possible. Jonathan Loose I know made his and I've been considering trying that myself. I mark my blades with my initials and I etch them in using diluted ferric chloride. I made a resist out of asphaltum and beeswax which I rub on a clean and prewarmed blade in order to get a light coat where I want my mark. When that cools but is still warm I use pins and a magnifying work light to mark through the resist. I then make a dam around that with melted resist to hold an eye dropper full of ferric chloride. It's a little time comsuming and labor intensive but is very cheap. I could easily make up the cost of an electro etch or stamp in time and labor savings if I made more than the handful of knives a year which is my current output.
 
INteresting idea there. I gotta figure out something sometime, selling unmarked knives is always a bad idea.

Have been keeping photos of all of them to keep track, in case by some wild chance I become famous and there's ever need to confirm something's mine(ha, I know, unlikely, but trying to protect buyers in future just in case :) ), but I do need to get a mark sometime.

One problem, which I've discussed before, is that I'd like to just use my first and last initials, simple, elegant, etc. Problem is, they're JS, and don't want anyone to think I'm claiming a rank I don't hold(heck, not even member of ABS yet). So will probably add middle too, just trying to figure out how I want to do it.
 
I'm using a system simular to what Silent does. The only difference, is I use a good quality spray paint as a resist (for some reason, John Deere green seems to work best). I scratch throught the paint while it is still a bit tacky, then etch for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, according to the steel type. This gets good results on every carbon steel I've tried it on, but does not work well on damascus, and probably will not work too well on stainless.
 
get some non conductive stencil paper.... hit it on your old fasion typerwriter a few times on each letter so it breaks through.... and use that as a stencil, i guess you could use the stamp style letters too over a piece of wood
 
where do you get the acid from?
Do you coat the intire blade in wax? I need to do more research on this??? This is totally alien to me.

Thanks for the help though. I'll keep researching.
 
Go to your local Radio Shack and pick up a bottle of 'Archer etchant'...good stuff for light etching, works good on damascus and won't eat the skin off your bones if you accidently get it on you...it will stain clothing, though.

There are probably other substances that will etch faster, but I like this stuff.
 
I'll try it.
Thanks!!! Now for the steady hand on the wax!!!
 
Jone Jones, one of Australias best makers has been marking his blades with a resist and acid for over twenty years. John uses a thin layer of beeswax as a resist, a stylis/large needle to write his name, and aqua regia (acid) to etch. Aqua regia is a really mean acid, one drop for about 30 seconds is all it takes for a good deep etch. The system allows John to alter the size of his mark to suit the blade size and add the type of steel in his blade. It also helps if you can write neatly, if you are not happy reheat the wax and do it again.

I can't remember the two types of acid that mix together to make aqua regia but I remember you can get one at a hardwear store and the other at any pool supply place. The stuff is very corrosive so be extra carefull. I am sure someone here knows the two acids. Good luck with it.
 
Aqua regia is a mixture of 3 part hydrochloric and 1 part nitric acid. Does anyone know where to get these? I may just try the stuff at radio shack first. Seems dangerous!!!
 
How long do you let the archer etch sit on the blade? Do you heat the wax to remove it easier or just rub it off?
 
Not sure where you'd get nitric acid(or rather, not off top of my ehad, though vaguely remember some easy source),b ut hydrochloric acid is also known as muriatic acid and shoudl be available at any good hardware store
 
You fellas just gave me a brainstorm! I can do the beeswax trick and use my electronic etcher for a signature, rather than mess with the stencil tape every time.
 
Originally posted by blgoode
How long do you let the archer etch sit on the blade? Do you heat the wax to remove it easier or just rub it off?
Click to expand...

It varies, according to the type of steel. For 5160 and O1, an hour and a half is about right. For L-6, it takes 2 hours. You can test the depth of the etch with a fine metal scribe and a careful hand. I'm not using beeswax, I use spray paint. I'm not sure that spraypaint would work with a stronger acid, but it works just fine with the archer etchant.

I usually spraypaint the entire blade, after all finishing has been done and the blade has been cleaned. I let it sit until the paint is almost dry, just a bit tacky still. Leaving the paint still tacky makes it less likely to flake or chip, and makes it easier to remove after the etching is completed. Then I carefully scratch my signature into the blade, and put it into the etchant.

Besides etching a logo, the etchant does a great job on damascus. I also, completely by accident, discovered the it weakens the scale on a forged blade, making it easier to remove without ruining a good belt. You can make a copper plating solution by allowing copper shavings to disolve in the solution. It can also be used for a light etch to bring out the 'temper line' of a blade. Overall, very handy stuff to have in the shop.

I should mention I mix the etchant with water, at a ratio of 2/3 water, 1/3 etchant, or thereabouts.

He's a link to a photo of a knife I got a bit carried away on with the etching...
http://www.3dcommune.com/3d/galview.mv?Photography+yqYQGKdcU+1063793478+&v_index=6&nd=1071653074
 
Well...my first attemp bombed!! I couldn't seem to scratch the beeswax without it comming loose from the metal. Then the etchant went under the wax some. Also I didn't get any etching in some places? I was using the etching solution straight out of the bottle and just beeswax. I think the solution is ferric chloride I think. Any suggestions on what I'm doing wrong?
 
Well...I etched two blades. Not good but not awfull. My main problem was the wax flaking up. I had a hard time getting detail. What are other types of resist? Could I glue on a small stencil?
 
Try the spraypaint on a test piece, see if it works for you. I've used if for about 70 knives now, and only screwed up the etch on one, and that was my fault. You may have better luck with it than the wax. Just be sure you get the blade completely covered.

To remove the stuff after etching, I use acetone.
 
If you mix the RS Ferric Chloride 50/50 with vinegar, it works well.

Muriatic acid from any hardware store etches well-it is 0.375N hydrochloric acid. ~$3.00/gallon here locally. If you use this be careful and observe all of the warnings on the bottle. HCl is the strongest of all the acids and will burn your skin, mucus membranes and lungs very fast if mishandled.
 
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