It's not really hard to do and anyone can do it if they want to preserve the logo on their blade, even after all the coating has worn off! You can etch before you strip if that's what floats your boat. Etching leaves sort of a "stamped" look on the blade. Materials needed: -Eyedropper -Radioshack PCB Etchant Solution -Old toothbrush -Soap (I just used a piece of Irish Spring bar soap) -Watch -Workstation 1. Remove handles from knife. This is not necessary, but I like to because it helps keep the blade flatter on your workstation My nasty etching eyedropper. You can use a q-tip to dab the solution on if you want. Radioshack PCB Etchant Solution 2. Lay the knife flat on your work surface and apply solution until the whole logo is covered. Notice how the solution is kinda clear when you first apply it 3. Set watch timer dot on the minute hand to keep track of time With 10 minutes left to go, do you notice how the etchant solution has darkened significantly? This is just solution working its magic eating away at the exposed metal in the logo. 4. Pour etchant solution off of blade toward the spine side. You don't want the solution to run over the edge. It will darken it. 5. Brush vigorously inside logo with soapy toothbrush 6. Rinse off under hot water. *Important* Etchant solution eats away at metal and your pipes are made of metal, so keep the hot water running as you are rinsing, brushing the solution off. Let hot water run for a while to ensure all of solution has been washed away 7. Dry blade and repeat steps 1-6 on the other side Once again, with 5 minutes left to go, the solution has darkened. Rinse with hot water, scrub with soapy toothbrush and rinse again. You have now completed one etching session on your ESEE blade. I usually like to do about 3-5 sessions depending on how deep the etch is. *Tips* The warmer the temperature, the faster the solution etches. You can duct tape your edge to help prevent the etchant solution from touching it. If you are really careful with a steady hand, you don't need to duct tape your edge. Just an extra precautionary measure. This step is optional, but when I'm finished etching, I usually like to take Birchwood Casey's Gunblue and dab it into the logos with a Q-tip. It darkens it up even more and brings out a greater contrast with the Venom Green color of the blade! It will also help control rust/corrosion issues You are now done etching!!
It also can be achieved a lot faster by protecting the edge with several coats of good quality nail varnish and drop the entire blade onto a full reciptacle of pcb.shake now and then,rinse after 4/5 hours.done.
The depth of 4 hours of etching. 5 hours etching on both sides... Deep etch on the Izzy II This is why we etch our blades. When the coating has worn off, it leaves sort of a "stamped" look on the blade! This the Junglas all cleaned up of fatwood sap, dirt and whatever gunk has been building up.
A few more sessions on the Junglas to deepen the etch a little bit... After etching After bluing and oiling MOS's Jungli are done. These etches are really deep.
I've always wondered, so I'll ask. Let's say you took an izzy and left enchant on only the ant, could you in theory leave it on long enough to etch a perfect ant shaped hole in the blade?
Yeah Ive always wanted to try and strip and sand the entire blade so there was just the ant logo etched through both sides.i think that would look neat. I just worry that the etching process wouldnt come out the other side as clean as the side you started on.
Glad this thread made it over. Have you added the different knot threads that you and MTM did? Those were also really great.
I just did my 3HM. Seemed to etch a lot quicker than any others I've done. 2.5 hours and I called it good. Started losing a little detail in the main logo so I didn't want to go any longer.
I want to do this also. Didn't @91bravo have a DIY on how to dye handles too? I'd like to turn my micarta handles black on my desert tan Izula.
Get some RIT dye in the color you want, follow instructions on package for mix if it is the dry dye. Dip handles until you get preferred color. Worked great on my 3 handles.
The depth of you etch is nowhere close to the depth of your knowledge... vBlake Y'all remember that!! Thanks for bringing this beauty over @91bravo
I've yet to try etching any of my blades, but I want to give it a shot soon. Just out of curiosity, will this work on a stripped blade, or will it just etch through all the metal (not just the logo)? I just picked up a stripped 4 that I want to etch.
