Engraving in 440c

[Michael Orticelli]

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forums and my experience with engraving is very limited, mostly simple jewelry tasks. I appreciate all the help, advice and encouragement I have read so far.

I have a few custom knife blanks that I made a year ago and had to put down due to other pressing work. Now that I have picked up some engraving tools I would like to use them as practice blanks. Right now I am working on the design to suit the blade shape, but I am curious if anyone can recommend whether I heat treat them before or after the engraving. I'm sure it will be far easier to engrave the dead soft steel, however I have no experience with how the heat treating might effect the engraving, or visa versa. I am planning to engrave a good portion of the blade itself on either side. Also, these are full tang blanks, if that makes any difference.

Would it matter if the engraving was deeper relief carving rather than lighter line and shading?

If anyone has an experience/advice with this, I really would appreciate it.

Thanks!
Michael

 

[Don Cowles]

Heat treat after engraving.

 

[chris]

440

hi
micheal
definatly after engraveing 440 is normaly heat treated in controled atmesphere so there wont be any scaling of your engraveing or the blade
chris

 

[Michael Orticelli]

Much appreciated!

 

[Robert Morales]

Michael, From my limited experience, even annealed as from TKS, 440C will dull my Cobalt gravers in short order. I've switched to Carbide and get a lot more mileage out of a point. The 440C blades I had TKS heat treat came back discolored and only needed fine sanding.

 

[Michael Orticelli]

I've switched to Carbide and get a lot more mileage out of a point.

Are the Glensteel gravers from GRS carbide steel? I am so far happy with how well my GS square graver stays sharp.

 

[KSnyder]

Mike, nope, I believe the Glensteel is a tougher form (alloy) of hss.
Carbide needs to be sharpened with diamond.
Kent

 

[Robert Morales]

Michael, I went back and looked and what I had been using were Glensteel, not Cobalt. As Kent noted they are a HSS alloy. I'll have to try one of my Cobalt gravers to compare. You referred to your 440C as being DEAD SOFT and from what I've gathered, the 440C from suppliers, such as TKS, is ANNEALED and a little harder than DEAD SOFT. And, it's MANDATORY, you show us your work!! ;{ )

 

[Michael Orticelli]

And, it's MANDATORY, you show us your work!! ;{ )

In time, for now I am collecting advice and it is all greatly appreciated. When I complete something and need some critique in moving forward, I will definitely post pics. For now though, I am quite confident in the lameness of my work, and am keeping at it...

 

[KCSteve]

Hey, I've been posting my work!

Take a look at mine and you should feel much better about yours.