Thread: Etching & Restore Q

Hey all, I need help with an ebay purchase: I'm wondering how much the show face of the blade with the etching on a Boker King Cutter will restore properly. I'm starting to get the hang of how things clean up and what it requires, partly from looking through past threads, but I wasn't sure about this one. Here's the picture. Thanks for your help.

I think these King Cutters had gold wash on the blade faces and once that's worn (it's very fragile),you can't get it back.

Originally Posted by aroliver59

I think these King Cutters had gold wash on the blade faces and once that's worn (it's very fragile),you can't get it back.

Thanks - though since it seems like the ething is still present (or mostly) my concern was about whether or not the sanding/polishing that will be required to get the blade decent (even if not mirror) will also take the etch with it?

Gold wash is not an etch into the blade, it is laid on top of the blade. Any sanding will remove it.

Gold will not bond to steel - it has to have another metal - like nickel or copper - applied first. Part of the cleanup required beforehand requires the removal of any oxidised metal surface, which is usually done with acid or reverse plating - a light etching, in effect.

After that the copper or nickel is applied as a flash coat, then the gold is applied over that. Some razors have bright gold details - like the writing - on a matt gold background - that matt-effect is caused by a deeper etch that gives the metal a bit of a tooth.

If you remove all the gold from a King Cutter during restoring or even by over-enthusiastic polishing (it is incredibly thin) then polish the blade there will still be a light ghosting relief-effect where it used to be - this is the depth to which the blade metal was etched.

Regards,
Neil

Is there any substance or technique that can be used to "bring out"/highlight a light etch?

Not that I am aware of - anything that would etch the metal would also etch the etching. I'd love to know if there is a simple way, though...

Simple etchings could be enhanced by dipping the blade in melted wax resist (blade would have to be properly cleaned and degreased for wax to stick) and where deeper marking was needed the wax could be removed with a stylus or similar, then the blade put into etching solution. All a bit complicated and only really suitable for simple line etching.

There are commercial laser engravers that etch steel - they can reproduce photos so they should be able to input the original etch, enhance it with software and then laser it on again, but it is costly and I don't know that it would be successful over the top of an existing etching - besides, not all laser engravers can work on steel, and those that can must have adequate heat control to avoid ruining the blade temper.

I have found that a very light polish sometimes adds contrast - it makes the shiny parts a bit more shiny and isn't vigorous enough to take away the matt-effect of the edge - it has to be a very mild polishing agent, though, and carefully done.

Regards,
Neil