Thread: Etching razors

Muriatic acid (available at swimming pool supply stores) will etch carbon steel. Adding hydrogen peroxide (available at a pharmacy or beauty supply store) will make it etch quicker and allow it to etch into stainless steel. No copper is needed for etching steel.

With muriactic acid and hydrogen peroxide mixed correctly and agitated with an aquarium bubbler, the etch rate is about 0.001 inches per hour for carbon steel and about 0.0005 inches per hour for stainless steel.

With stainless steel there is always a chance of the reaction creating hexavalent chromium (nasty stuff) so disposal of the acid solution becomes a problem. I usually pour off the waste acid into disposable plastic containers and the put in a few handfuls of cement mix. The acid reacts with the lime to neutralize it. Then add a bit of water and stir the mix up. Let it dry and you have a concrete brick with all the nasty waste stuff bound up in it.

Ferric chloride is available online. When mixed with water it becomes a weaker hydrochloric acid than muriatic. Lots of artists use it for aging metal surfaces and lots of electronic hobbiest use it for etching circuit boards. It's slower than muriatic acid, but it is also not as likely to chemical burn you.