Etched my ESEE Izula II blade this week!

Been using this knife for anything that's too big of a job for the sheffield folding utility razor knife I carry in my pocket for the past year and I love it so much I decided to etch all of the laser engravings into the steel so that once the powder coat is gone all of the identifying marks will still be on the blade. The last thing left to do is to cold blue the etchings to blacken them and to help prevent rust.

http://i64.tinypic.com/n1dw7n.jpghttp://i64.tinypic.com/72efyp.jpghttp://i63.tinypic.com/247bb.jpghttp://i68.tinypic.com/2q1sc2o.jpghttp://i63.tinypic.com/11k9m3d.jpghttp://i65.tinypic.com/alotpf.jpg

That's cool. What's the process?

Ferric chloride for 60-90 mins depending on temperature, then rinse with water and scrub with a toothbrush and soap. Repeat until you reach the desired depth, the deeper the etch the lower the detail however. Mask off any areas you don't want etched with nail polish, I did the cutting edge on mine for the process just in case the ferric chloride reached that far, don't want to have to re-profile your edge.

One of my absolute favorite and most used field dressing knives is my Izula II. Amazing what that little knife can do. I wear mine in a Kevlar neck sheath as back-up since I started carrying my CRKT Hunt'n Fisch, which has become my primary hunting knife.

Attachment 5961

Yea you truly don't need anything more for field dressing any mid size game. It's pretty much the only knife I carry just because it holds a great edge and feels great in hand. Someday once the powder coat gets beaten enough I'll strip the paint and force a patina to help protect the steel. Glad to see other users on here with this wonderful little tool :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Stumpkiller

One of my absolute favorite and most used field dressing knives is my Izula II. Amazing what that little knife can do. I wear mine in a Kevlar neck sheath as back-up since I started carrying my CRKT Hunt'n Fisch, which has become my primary hunting knife.

Attachment 5961

---

Did yours come with the olive drab colored micarta scales? I have been considering dying mine another color.

Just found my bottle of super blue today and finished up the etches, here's a before and after.

http://i67.tinypic.com/10wpb46.png

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Nub Hippie

Did yours come with the olive drab colored micarta scales? I have been considering dying mine another color.

---

The scales did come with mine (at BladeHQ.com) and the sheath (Kydex - I mistyped as Kevlar, or the system corrected me) was from a local gunshow.