Albanian Jambiya/Khanjar Wootz?

[josh stout]

I would love to see a thread just on etching. I know the topic is often discussed and most people know the basics, but many questions remain.

Already asked in this thread: How do you keep a thin etchant painted on from being patchy?

When working with vinegar, I just put the whole blade in a PVC tube and let it sit. How does painting it on work in practice?

With ferric chloride, many times the blade turns out kind of greenish, and woots experts say this is not a good color, but on the blade in this thread, the colors look like a traditional blend of grays. Is this a factor of the steel or the technique?

I also have allot of uncertainty about how much to clean something after an etch. With some things it is obvious, but with others, if I even just wipe them with a backing soda soaked paper towel, most of the patterns disappear. If I do my usual cleanup with a 4000 grit paper, I am left with only the hardened edges showing.


Josh