will this etcher work for blades

I have something similar to this (much older but the same machine) and it won't work for etching, it's not designed that way. These are more like engravers, if you try to etch with fluid you'll get a darkened area but no depth.
 
Yeah, as was just said, that is an engraving machine, which uses that point going back and forth really fast to carve into the steel. That is not going to look professional at all. Knife makers use stencils, and an etching solution, to actually "etch" their design onto the blade. It is a chemical thing, instead of a mechanical thing.
 
samuraistuart said:
Yeah, as was just said, that is an engraving machine, which uses that point going back and forth really fast to carve into the steel.
Click to expand...

That is not how this works. The point does not move. It works more like a welding procedure. The part is clamped to a plate that is attached to the unit and the pen completes the circuit. Just like in the pictures in the link.
 
From product description: ... Depth of mark in the article being etched can be varied by the operator's speed of writing as well as by changing the amount of current drawn ...

It's an engraver. Even with creative chemical layout, etch won't look good because elec current will take the shortest distance between probe/head and ground.

melsdad said:
That is not how this works. The point does not move. It works more like a welding procedure. The part is clamped to a plate that is attached to the unit and the pen completes the circuit. Just like in the pictures in the link.
Click to expand...
 
It is an engraver that uses a small arc to "burn" a mark. Fine for writing your name on a hammer...terrible for writing it on a knife...useless as an etcher.
 
OH, OK my bad. Thought the tip on that thing would vibrate really fast, back and forth, to carve into the steel.
 
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