Thread: Laser Etching a Straight?

Has anyone ever tried laser etching a straight (either the blade or scales)?

BC, I was subscribed to a thread that mentioned that - as well as custom monogrammed scales. I believe it was a post by "kyle76" that mentioned it.

Originally Posted by MacUser45

Has anyone ever tried laser etching a straight (either the blade or scales)?

Originally Posted by RAP-BIG-ICP1

BC, I was subscribed to a thread that mentioned that - as well as custom monogrammed scales. I believe it was a post by "kyle76" that mentioned it.

Last time I heard from kyle76 about etching, he said it wasn't working out at the blades would lose temper from too much heat. I wonder about laser etching?

Originally Posted by Kenrup

Last time I heard from kyle76 about etching, he said it wasn't working out at the blades would lose temper from too much heat. I wonder about laser etching?

I don't know, but I do know that laser etching is very fast, and produces very little heat. I'm sure that's a little dependent on the type of laser used though. NdYAG I believe, produces less heat than a CO2

I have a friend with a laser machine, I think it's called a DNC. He's done some work on instrument panels for my boat. At my request, he has been lasering custom wood scales and cutting inlays for them. I've posted some and had one in my sig before the crash. The one I'm currently working on for a member here is below. He tried doing a Wapi blade, but the steel was too hard to etch without generating such heat that I worred about warping the blade or losing the temper. We gave up on that idea. I don't know if a thicker blade would work or not. I haven't had him do just an engraving on wood (without the inlay), but I'm sure that would work fine.

That is an amazing inlay Kyle! Very impressive.

Thanks, Chris. Might look good on one of your boxes!

I wonder if you could fashion a heat sink of some sort? Like a block of aluminum or something physically attached to the blade (without damaging it) during the etch process...
Or would the heat be required to do the actual etch? I've seen lots of tools done before, but they are large, and one probably wouldn't worry too much about temper.

i was looking into doing this to a straight blade but i think i might just have it diamond engraved by an engraver..

more info here as well
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=35420

You can laser etch a blade. Results vary depending on the type of laser. A co2 can be used with a coating that turns black when lasered. dosen't look to bad but dosen't show up to well unless you do it on SS. Yag lasers are more common for marking metal but I don't know what the heat of a yag laser would do to a thin razor

I did this with a Co2 laser just to see what it would look like. Heat is not an issue.