i own a couple of them. they were manufactured by the jessup steel company in washington, pa. about 10 city blocks away from my home. i know that the gravers were about as good as any gravers available to me at the time. as far as i know, that alloy may no longer be supplied by the company that...
i f you reduce the size of the face, it should not be a problem. by properly shaping the graver, the face is reduced well below max. one good reason for this, touchup is much faster as there's way less metal to abrade away. also, the larger the face, in your case, more face to visually distract you.
chemistry: the various acids, bases and and slew of "stuff" that makes work easier as well as better looking. also, electro etching with salt water. the process is dangerous as chlorine gas is released. safety first, kids !