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  #16  
Old 10-04-2002, 08:39 AM
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Michael Sanchez Michael Sanchez is offline
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Marking Methods

Well I just ordered some new stencils from MM and spoke with Natalie again and she was very accommodating. I gave her my account info and asked for blue material. I got what I asked for but a $50 minimum is a little high for a little knifemaker, but if you need to deal with MM I would suggest talking with Natalie.

Just my 2 cents worth,
Mike


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  #17  
Old 10-04-2002, 03:05 PM
whv whv is offline
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thanx for all of your efforts, mike, and the writeup as well!
.
for the sake of the project, do you intend any further testing in the areas of shelf life or longevity?


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  #18  
Old 10-04-2002, 04:11 PM
fitzo fitzo is offline
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stencils

Wayne, I didn't intend any particular experiments with longevity or shelf life. I usually don't use stencils very long at all; I burn a very deep etch, and have lost a couple good blades by using stencils too many times. Nowadays, I use them 2-3 times and toss 'em. I am very anal about having a really crisp etch. On an expensive blade I'll always break out a new stencil. One thing I'll test is how well all these stencils clean up with a sonic cleaner I recently acquired.
As for shelf life, I have stencils that are near 17 years old that still work fine, new. The old green rubbery stuff seems to stick to the paper a bit, but still works. The gold fabric stencils are as good as new. Thus, I believe most stencils should have excellent shelf life.

Thanks for the kind words.

Mike, I'm happy to hear that your dealings with MM went well. I hope they don't send your stencils on different material than you ordered like they did me. If their customer service was reliable they'd be a great company like they were in the 80's. JMO I've never had a complaint with their products.
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  #19  
Old 10-04-2002, 05:22 PM
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Mike Hull Mike Hull is offline
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Shelf life comes into play, for those buying the blue or green rolls of temporary stencil material. The kind you can make on the typewriter, for putting a customers name on the blade and such.
Those are wax based, and if you don't keep them in the refrigerator, the wax will dissapear on the first warm day.


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  #20  
Old 10-07-2002, 08:42 AM
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Michael Sanchez Michael Sanchez is offline
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Fitzo I have had some customer service problems in the past with MM but found that talking with Natalie seems to curtail a lot of them. I also work real close to them and pick everything up at the will call desk. That probably has something to do with it as well.

Mike


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  #21  
Old 10-11-2002, 09:10 AM
Kelly Carlson Kelly Carlson is offline
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Thank you for an excellent and very detailed report!
So far, I'm happy with Lectroetch, but its nice to know of reliable alternatives if/when a company's service might change.


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  #22  
Old 10-11-2002, 09:25 AM
StevePryor StevePryor is offline
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It looks as though none of the aforementioned companies want to do any follow up here. Maybe we are a small fraction of their market, but some recognition might serve to reinforce their position of welcoming our business..


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  #23  
Old 11-07-2002, 12:14 PM
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Don Cowles Don Cowles is offline
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Good Info

This message to one of our members might prove helpful to those with little etching machine experience:
Subject: Re: 440-C Stainless Steel - Mirror Finish?


Hi Gene:

Because we want you to SUCEED ON YOUR FIRST
TRY we are going to make and send you FREE OF
CHARGE the two stencils your requested. They will
be on the way shortly.

In the meantime here is the answer to your question.
Please use the "Chrome Stainless" electrolyte for your
knife.

Also here are some TIPS for marking.

1. Spray some WD-40 (or similar) on a rag and wipe the
Blade with it and then use the other end of the cloth
which is DRY and wipe OFF the WD-40. Some will
still be on the blade but it SEALS THE PORES to some
degree and helps to prevent rust at a future date.

2. Place the Stencil Exactly ON THE BLADE WHERE
YOU WANT THE MARK TO APPEAR and NOT on the
ETCH-O-MATIC Head. Take some Scotch Tape and
tape the Stencil in Place so it does NOT move.

3. Practice FIRST on some scrap metal so that you
become an EXPERT before you even try to mark your
knife blades. Try stencil placement with tape and then
learn to GENTLY lift one end of the stencil after marking
to be SURE the mark is PERFECT BEFORE you
remove the taped stencil. The time you spend learning
about how long to mark, how to get good even marks,
and this sort of thing will greatly help you once you
start marking.

4. Also Practice doing regular Black marks and then
try some DEEP ETCH MARKS using the Adapter
Clip. This will make a Clear Deep Mark. You can
also make this Deep Mark Dark by putting an AC
mark in the bottom of the etched hole.

5. After you practice and become an EXPERT if you
have any other questions just call us at 800-775-0797
and we can talk you through almost any marking
situation.

Best of Luck, and we shall look forward to hearing from you.

Dean Marshall
Martronics Corportion


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  #24  
Old 11-17-2002, 04:14 PM
Gene Gene is offline
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Lightbulb Logo Etching Stencil Manufacturers

Hi Guys -

I know I'm the dumbest and newest kid on the block, but I do have some worthwhile input here, if you're interested . . . .

In getting ready to stencil my first knife, a big California Bowie, I contacted the three leading etching machine and stencil makers, and Sy Haeri, of the "Personalizer" line was extremely courteous and prompt and knowledgable. Ditto Dean Marshall of Martronics Corporation (Etch-O-Matic). They were both fine gentlemen.

On the opposite end of the social spectrum, Charlie Nichol and Gary Kolar of Marking Methods were so rude and crude I would NEVER consider dealing with them under any circumstances.

But, about this time, one of America's leading, long-time professional knifemakers told me he'd been using the cheap little Etch-O-Matic (Martronics Corporation) - with the same stencil! - for SEVEN YEARS, and that nobody in the industry made a finer mark than his mark. He admitted some of you guys have FANCIER marks, but he insisted the quality of the actual MARK MADE BY THE Etch-O-Matic machine AND stencil was not surpassed by even the most expensive machines.

So I bought one from the factory. $59! Big deal.

He was right!

Now, since the knife I'm going to mark is 440-C, with a mirror finish, I began practicing on my wife's new mirror-finish stainless kitchenware - my wife of 41 years loves my knifemaking AND my knifemaking PURCHASES - eat your hearts out boys!

And the little Etch-O-Matic makes utterly flawless etchings!

My first couple were rough - my fault - for openers I didn't know to clean off the knife with acetone. And I was using the wrong electrolyte for mirror finished stainless. You need to use the Chrome Stainless electrolyte for that. But my 4th, 5th and 6th practice etches have been utterly flawless. I have never seen finer marks on knives. I'll email a picture to you, if you you'll contact me offline.

On DC, I do 5 bursts of 5 seconds each, blowing off the stencil between bursts (don't ask why; my "expert" recommended this, and it WORKS! What else!). Then - for the AC - I lift one side of the stencil, blot the blade and stencil, turn the machine around 180 degrees (my idea), and do 4 bursts of 5 seconds each, blowing across the stencil again between bursts.

I allow it to sit for 1 minute, wash it off with cool running water, then rince thoroughly with Neutralizer, wash again with cool running water, wipe dry, spray with Rem Oil and buff dry. VOILA!

When I need parts, stencils and chemicals, Lisa Nixon there at Matronics very politely gets them off to me instantly and cheaply. Better still, Dean Marshall there not only emailed me detailed personal instructions, but insisted that, if I had any trouble at all, to call him at 800-775-0797, and he'd walk me through an etching session!

Now I hasten to add that Sy Haeri, the maker of the Personalizer line, has been every bit as friendly and efficient, though his machines and stencils are roughly twice the price of Martronics'. He charges $42 for a 3" x 6" stencil sheet, but can put several images on each sheet, and I am going to order a stencil from him tomorrow, just to check the quality against Martronics'. Contact me off forum next week, and I'll give you my observations.

THANK YOU, men, for showing me all the thrills of knifemaking!

And have a great Thanksgiving day!

Gene
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  #25  
Old 11-20-2002, 03:53 PM
Gene Gene is offline
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Talking Stencil Makers

Hi men!

Bob Warner says, "so whom are we going to go with. . . ."

I'm an old man, and my values in some arenas doubtless differ a little from those of some of you young roaring lions.

But it seems to me that knifemaking is for JOY. Only. And I like to deal with nice, pleasant folks. Polite people. Courteous.

I don't care how much they charge, within reason, but I DO care whether they are gentle folk. And I just bumped into a stencil maker who was REALLY A GENUINELY NICE MAN!

As I guess everyone on Earth knows (forgive me!), I've just completed my first knife in 61 years, and all that's left to do is to sharpen it and do the etching.

So yesterday, for no particular reason, I decided to order my stencils from ELECTRO-CHEM ETCH, out in Brea, California. No big deal. I sent them an email; told them what I wanted; gave them my credit card information, and sat back waiting for them to get the stencils to me.

BINGO! A few hours later, SY HAERI, the owner of the company, called me here at home, PERSONALLY, and chatted with me - like long lost high-school pals - for half an hour. We talked about religion and education (we both have Doctorates), and his relatives and mine, we talked about knives, and how I got into knifemaking and cabbages and kings. I had ordered Arial Black #7, but he suggested I might also want to look at #5 font.

He gave me a number of hints I hadn't heard about stencils, like soaking them in water and storing them out of the light and such.

HE WAS A VERY PLEASANT GENTLEMAN. And, Bob, he just moved way up on the top of my list!

Have a great day, guys!

Gene
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  #26  
Old 11-20-2002, 04:20 PM
fitzo fitzo is offline
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Glad

Gene,
I'm happy for you that you are having good customer service from two of the companies I selected to review. I sent this URL to all of them, and hope that, despite not choosing to comment, they read it and realize we all talk with each other about suppliers.

Hope your Bowie project has been absolutely satisfying. I'm sure your daughter will understand and appreciate the study, work, and love that went into building it. Congratulations!
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  #27  
Old 11-20-2002, 05:50 PM
Gene Gene is offline
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Talking Stencil manufacturers

Thanks for the kind words, Fitzo!

But not, this one is for my son, my daughter's is a larger Persian Fighter.

Best wishes to all you you knifemakers out there!

Gene
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  #28  
Old 12-26-2002, 07:41 PM
Ron Claiborne Ron Claiborne is offline
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First Let me say thanks to Mike Fitzgerald for all the hard work and research that I know you have done.
this has taken a long time to compile thanks Mike . As all of you know I build a etching machine that I feel is a great machine , but it does not matter what the machine is if you dont have proper stenciles. they will make or break the machine that is being used so the maker of the stencils is more importent than one might think at first glance .
learning your machine is most improtant as well ,
but we cant order stencils from every body to find a good stencils .that is why this report is helping us make a wise decision, again i say thanks , building and saling the machine I want every person to get the best out of my machine .
its getting harder to recomend some one for the reasons that have been mentioned in this report
Gene and others that take the time to learn what they have and try to get the best out of there machine and the people that provide them with a great service is worth dealing with is encouraging
Why to go Gene, and thanks to all that have taken the time to reply to this thread its helped me in recomending a company to make their stencils . Im always interested in finding people that really want to provide the best that they can ,
Ron Claiborne


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Last edited by Ron Claiborne; 12-26-2002 at 07:46 PM.
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  #29  
Old 12-30-2002, 04:20 PM
N House N House is offline
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Hi
I just received and etcher for christmas,My wife got it
from Ron Claiborne,I got some sample stenciles from IMG
and I praticed with the etcher.I made my first try at etching
with Ron's machine and the IMG stenclies,it came out flawless
very crisp and very clear.Ron is a good guy to work with
and IMG is a pleasure to do business with.


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  #30  
Old 01-05-2003, 02:02 AM
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DiamondG Knives DiamondG Knives is offline
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Fitz to you, "Many Thanks", you've bitten into this project with your typical Bulldog tanacity! The research youve done will help a lot of folks.
(And who said all Yankees were bad! )

I have stencels that I got from Sy about 4 years ago, Ive only just started using my 3rd one , and ruined my first one the day I got it, so Ive benn using the 2nd stencel for almost 4 years with wonderful results. Its the green ones with the rubber lookng back.

Sy is the only company that I have delt with, so I cant do much comparison,But why mess with a good thing?

Ron I can wait to get one of your machines, If they work just as half as good as I hear, there a super bargin!
Folks, you won't work with a better man than Ron. Im looking forward to seeing some of his other goodies on the market soon!

Mike Garner


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