Hi all. I am a jeweller, so am only really used to cutting precious metals by hand, but having invested in a gravermach thought I might try a stainless steel kitchen knife using power assist. What a nightmare. The blade was simply stamped stainless steel and as I have heard you guys talk about it being quite engravable with the correct set up thought i was on to a good thing. I used a glensteel graver with 50 degree face and 17 degree heel with small flat(daubed) point. Could not even get point to enter metal without fracturing, let alone cut. What is going on. I presume that there are un engravable stainless steels just as there are engravable ones.What are your experiences.
kitchen knife and stainless steel question
- Thread starter phil
- Start date
tim halloran
Elite Cafe Member
Phil:Almost all, if not all cutlery steel is heat treated. It's probably a 400 grade stainless which has enough carbon content to allow it to be hardened. Depending on the Rockwell C scale hardness rating it could be between 50 to 60, with 60 being as hard as a wood planer blade. You might be able to cut it with, C-Max, or other micro grain carbide, with a dubbed point. Otherwise you would probably have to use a rotary tool with diamond or possibly carbide burrs. Most knives you see in magazines with engraved blades are engraved before being hardened. Or are acid etched,EDM'd, or laser engraved. Hope this helps you out. Also if a magnet will stick to it, it's carbon stainless and in this case probably hardened.
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