It also depends on the depth of the etching. This is a case by case basis and, again, you have to judge the depth of the etch against the depth of the pitting against the thickness of the blade. Some blade etching is so shallow you can lose it before you've had a chance to know what's going on. The photo of the Eagle looks like a deeper etch than most, IMO. IME, the stamp on the tang is also going to be a little deeper, too.

As for buffing and re-etching - If I understand it correctly, you'll have all of the same concerns regarding depth of the existing etching versus the thickness of the blade PLUS you'll be taking off even more metal during the etching process. Not something I'd try, but I'd love to see photos.