Question: Titanium grades???

[KeelingCustoms]

Hello, I’m hoping the cafe can help me out with some info.
I’ve been asked to engrave a Chris Reeve Zebenza knife with titanium scales.
I looked them up and it says they’re made with 6al4v titanium.
Has anyone had experience engraving this metal? If so, what geometries and gravers did you use for best results?
Thanks!

 

[Adder]

Never tried to cut it myself, but here is a link that might answer your question. I also have read that engravers have good results using lindsay m48 engravers. Carbide gravers are more brittle than these gravers.

6AL4V Titanium. | The Engraver's Cafe (engraverscafe.com)



Jørn-Ove

 

[EngraverHand]

It would be cool to have a titanium "grade" list if it exists.. or maybe there is more factors involved. I recently engraved something that says "Grade 2" and it was engraving so nicely.. but for all I know it can be different types of "Grade 2" so maybe one will engrave well and another not?

 

[Mike576]

I have engraved 2 titanium knives so far. A zero tolerance 0456 and a Ferris forge stinger. I just emailed centrum forge to ask what grade the titanium is on the stinger as it is much easier to engrave than the 0456.
I had good luck by using a 116 parallel point with a dubbed face using the bulldozer template. Or by just by hand on a 2000 grit diamond stone dubbing the tip by raising the face angle and dragging the graver back at an extra 15 degrees or so.
I also used cutting lube as much as possible and that helped a lot as well.

 

[fitzo]

Wilfred Valtakis II , aka Chipped Metal, engraves titanium all the time, so you might ask him. His name is hypertexted to deliver you to his Bladeforums maker subforum. He uses carbide.

 

[WValtakis2]

Wilfred Valtakis II , aka Chipped Metal, engraves titanium all the time, so you might ask him. His name is hypertexted to deliver you to his Bladeforums maker subforum. He uses carbide.

Dang, I gotta check back here more often Yup, specifically I use Lindsay's Carbalt blend.