How to put kanji or other marks on a blade?

[greasedbullet]

Title says it all. I would like to put some writing/marking on a blade, I just do not know the best way to do it. Should I etch it, or get an engraver, or some form of laser thingy? It would be awesome if it was something affordable, but I understand that some things cost money.

Any and all recommendations are welcome.

Thanks for the help.

[danielomalley]

If you're just marking the blade for identification, electro etching is a quick and easy way to go. For Japanese blades with softer sides, you can also just use a hammer and a small chisel. There is something incredibly artful to the simplicity of hammer and chisel (though it does take some practice). I've attached a couple photos from one of my visits in Japan where a maker (Kobayashi) is marking the sides of a blade.

[Mucho Bocho]

Thanks Daniel. Great to have your feedback on this forum. Hopefully we will be hearing more from you. you and Drew have always been great to deal with.

[greasedbullet]

Thanks. I think engraving the blades by hand is a little too intense for me right now. I will definitely look into electro-etching.

[JBroida]

hand engraving is HARD... i've been practicing for 2 years now and i still suck

[greasedbullet]

I'm sure it is much harder than it looks, and it looks really hard to begin with.

[ThEoRy]

Why do you want to engrave or etch blades?

[greasedbullet]

Hopefully some day soon I can sell the knives I make. I am just trying to figure out how to put my mark on them.

[ThEoRy]

Ok heads up then, market research is prohibited here. Looks like you might want to check out some of the stickied threads around here for that sort of thing.

http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/sh...es-for-Posting.

[greasedbullet]

Thanks for the heads up. I didn't think these kinds of questions would be considered market research. I am not trying to break any rules. Is there any way I can take this post down then?