My finished blades have been noted for the clarity of etching. I etch in ferric like we all do mostly. My etchant is 30% ferric. I etch for 20 seconds first time then clean steel with a worn 200 grit paper. then back agin for 30 seconds, clean off again. I repeat again at 30 second intervals until the etch looks the way I want it to. Afterwards I soak in TSP for a few minutes then wipe clean and burnish with a worn 2000 grit paper, then oil lightly. Now, here's a nother trick; if your layer count is dense (over 400 layers) it helps to do what I call, "backfinishing"; this is the technique I use to sharpen the etch and really make the pattern pop, After the primary etch as previously described, I take a 800 or 100 grit finishing stone and gently burnish the surface of the blade. This burnishes the 'plateaus' of the etch to a higher degree. I then re-immerse the piece in a weaker ferric mixture ( One part to ten) for another 5 minutes without wiping in between. the resulting etch is extremely clear and tightly detailed, especially the the denser layer formations.