I'm beginning to etch things for the first time. In my reading I've come across quite a few different ways of doing it. At this stage I'm etching to try and bring out a hamon but also thinking ahead to damscus. What is the benefit of a coffee etch? How do you do one? I see a lot of guys that seem to do this in tandem with ferric. Do you shorten the time you etch in ferric if you're going to go with coffee?
Thanks for your knowledge,
Travis<><
I have used coffee at times for the last three or four years. I find that it does not etch to any significant degree. But it does color. If I want an etched blade DARKER then that is when I use the coffee. One opinion.
Mike Williams
Master Smith
Coffee "etch" is a misnomer. All coffee does is darken the steel.
That term is frequently misused.
Karl B. Andersen
Journeyman Smith
|quoted:
I have used coffee at times for the last three or four years. I find that it does not etch to any significant degree. But it does color. If I want an etched blade DARKER then that is when I use the coffee. One opinion.
What is your process for using the coffee? I'm showing my ignorance here, is it simply brewing a pot of coffee and letting the blade sit in it?
Thanks Mike!
t<><
Typically folks make a really, really strong batch of instant coffee - like 1/2 jar to a quart of water. Dissolve well.
It is mostly used to darken the tool steel in etched Damascus for contrast. The nickel content of the 15N20 resists the staining effect of the coffee.
Some folks also use it to darken Parkerized blades.
Soaking time needs to be tested with your process. Some go as little as 15 minutes while others go overnight!!
Karl B. Andersen
Journeyman Smith
|quoted:
Typically folks make a really, really strong batch of instant coffee - like 1/2 jar to a quart of water. Dissolve well.
It is mostly used to darken the tool steel in etched Damascus for contrast. The nickel content of the 15N20 resists the staining effect of the coffee.
Some folks also use it to darken Parkerized blades.
Soaking time needs to be tested with your process. Some go as little as 15 minutes while others go overnight!!
Thanks for the information Karl. That’s exactly what I was looking for. Do people ever use this to darken hamons? Or would a coffee etch merely darken all of the steel? Lastly, is a coffee etch permanent or does it eventually wear off like a mustard finish?
Thanks again,
t<><
In my experience, a "coffee etch" is best done AFTER a normal etch in ferric chloride. Honestly, I've tried the "coffee etch" thing a number of times over the last few years, and for me, the results are not worth the hassles.....but that's just me! <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//wink.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' />
Ed Caffrey, ABS MS
"The Montana Bladesmith"
www.CaffreyKnives.net
|quoted:
In my experience, a "coffee etch" is best done AFTER a normal etch in ferric chloride. Honestly, I've tried the "coffee etch" thing a number of times over the last few years, and for me, the results are not worth the hassles.....but that's just me! <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//wink.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' />
Thanks for the advice Ed. I appreciate it.
t<><
