I wanted to share my experiment with the white vinegar and paper towel method of metal etching.
I used a name-brand Gerber, so metal content is whatever the Army bought in bulk ~2010/11
My focus was a bit off because I didn’t check the level before I started it.
Pictures for reference
I used 100% power at 200 speed.
In case there were people out there like me who never even considered such a thing, it’s literally just a paper towel soaked in white vinegar…no other masking or adjustments.
I’m excited thinking about what else around the house I can burn my name into…
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Wow that is pretty dark. I am surprised how that looks without any marking spray. I wonder how it will hold up over time
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It’s hit or miss. Some metals appear to have some kind of finish/coating that will mark with nothing at all, some won’t even with “proven” methods (sprays like cermark aside, as that effectively deposits a layer of coating when lased.)
This is a nice result. I had similar on one particular brand of tool, but another didn’t even leave a visible trace using the same method.
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I use this tool a lot so longivity will be tested for sure…I’m testing a bunch of camping and kitchen knives before I try a Bowie knife (Remember the Alamo!) for father’s day.
That one will end up on display, so I’m not as worried about longevity as much as initial darkness. I did three of my kids pocket knives before the Gerber and they weren’t as dark but I found that slowing it down helped a lot.
TBH, I wasn’t expecting it to work at all, so I’m pretty excited about more options - especially for the display versions that won’t be exposed to use as frequently, if at all. 
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Whether your focus was off or not, it looks great. I like the bold lettering. 
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I used to work at a knife store and my vague recollection is that Gerber has a higher carbon content which may be a reason for darker etching. Makes me wanna try now
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I have a small selection of Shun, Global and Wolff… I won’t be testing!
(my pressssciousssssssssssses…)
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I expected to see a printed circuit board.
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The carbon content of the tool probably is pretty high compared to other knives. I’ve never seen a shiney Gerber!
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Can we make printed circut boards? Is that a thing …
Because now I’m thinking about an entire new set of projects …
That’s pretty impressive!
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Thank you for opening my eyes to this new possibility!!!
There be dragons here (soon-got to cut circuit boards first - mwahahahaha!)
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Is the vinegar still wet when you engrave or do you wait till it is completely dry?
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It was soaking wet.
I believe it works on certain metals like the acid etching principal.
I’m still experiencing with it. 
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