Engraving on Hardened Blade

[Whip]

We have a couple of very nice knives that were made for our WI Traditional Archers banquet.  It is our 20th anniversary, and we were thinking about having the blades ingraved with an inscription to commemorate the anniversary.  Is that something that can safely be done after the knife is finished?

There is a local jeweler who didn't think it should be a problem using a diamond tip bit on the engraver.  But he didn't seem all that positive and that worries me a little.

The steel on one of the knives is 19C26 Sandvik.  The other is ATS-34 Stainless with a RC60 satin finish.

Any concerns or questions I should be asking?

[Lin Rhea]

Whip,
      When you say engraving, are you talking script or an actual scene or scroll type?

      My gut says yes, because the graver itself should be harder than 60 but to be safe, I have emailed an engraver I know to see what are his thoughts. I'll post as I get something back.

[Whip]

Lin,
We are talking just script.  Thanks for your help - I knew I'd find what I need to know here!

[2treks]

Joe, Give him one of your old beaters to test on.
I found a cutco at the bottom of a junk bow from a sale($1/box) and it is inscribed " MOE". But I defer to the masters.

CTT

[Track]

A friend of mine had a blade I made engraved, but the engraver had a hard time doing it. The blade was hardened to 58-60 Rockwell. Maybe it was just the guy he had doing it.

[Bladepeek]

I've had several ATS-34 blades, hardened to RC 60, marked with a diamond tool. I hesitate to call it engraving since it comes out a little flat, but not so bad as laser marking. The cut is nice and sharp and bright. One was done by a knife maker (Frank McGowan) with a pantograph type machine with a diamond stylus. The other was done by a jeweler and I don't know what his set-up was.