Hey Jay,

There is a thread in the apprentice corner on stamp vs etch. Good info!

Bob

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Any ideas on hand stamping my blade, silver soldering over the stamp, then sanding the excess solder off the top. Where in the heat treat process could I do this? Is it possible?

Hello Jay, anything involving heat beyond the temperature (350F-400F)should be done prior to heat treatment, but you need to be aware of the melting and flow temp of your solder. Some high temp solders can get in the hardening heat range, but most are around the 1,2000F to 1,300F range which would result in your solder running back out during your 1450F plus heat to harden. If you tried to use the high temp stuff after the hardening, you would need to shield the blade VERY well to not undo your heat treatment and even then you would have a radically different phase arrangement in the solder zone. If you used a very low temp solder(around 400F) you could try to shield the blade and flow it in but...

I have inlayed pure silver in the blade and then proceeded with the heat treatment with no problem, I have also heat treated work for others who had some gold inlay (but that ha a certain pucker factor- pucker for you, not the metals- $$$$$). Pure metals, silver, gold, copper etc... will often have a higher melting temp than your hardening temp and so will work that way. If I wasn't going to inlay, I would check into leaf and filler techniques, that are done cold, such as gold or silver leaf, or metallic powders mixed with a binder/cement.

Thank you Kevin.