How to Buy High Quality Metal Engraving Tools?

Oct 21, 2024

It is said that metal engraving is an extremely testing craft process for engravers. But in reality, the quality of the metal engraving tools also affects the quality of engraving to a certain extent. Today's article will show you how to choose engraving tools that will maximise the efficiency of your work.

Understanding the different types of engraving tools

There are three common types of engraving tools on the market, namely manual engraving tools, pneumatic engraving tools and electric engraving tools.

Manual engraving tools are more suitable for completing some of the details of the engraving task, the more common including carving knives, carving knives and files and other engraving tools. Manual engraving tools for the requirements of the engraver is still quite high, because in a whole process of engraving, engraving accuracy and details are to rely on the engraver manually to control.

Pneumatic engraving tools generally refers to the pneumatic engraving machine, more suitable for mass production of engraving works or large area engraving. Pneumatic engraving tools can be divided into two types according to whether to connect an external air compressor. Engraving machines that need to be connected to an external air compressor are more powerful, but not portable. Engraving machines with built-in air compressors are more portable, but slightly less powerful.

Electric engraving tools refer to engraving tools that use electricity as the driving force. Electric engraving tools can engrave the material categories will be relatively more, in addition to metal, but also can engrave wood and stone and other materials.

What kind of material should I choose for my engraving tools?

You've got a basic understanding of the types of engraving tools, so the next thing we need to consider is choosing a high-quality engraving tool. The first thing you need to look at is what is the raw material of the engraving tool, I recommend that you buy engraving tools made of tungsten steel, carbon steel or stainless steel. The wear resistance and hardness of engraving bits made from these three materials are superior to other materials.

Consider the precision and function of the tool

The criteria for choosing different types of engraving tools are different, and we need to consider them in three ways.

If the engraving tool you want to buy is a manual engraving tool, then you need to first understand the purpose of all kinds of engraving tools. For example, what is the difference between the three types of engraving tools, V-shaped engraving knife, flat engraving knife and curved engraving knife, as well as what are their uses. Only enough understanding, you can according to their actual needs to buy the most suitable for their own tools.

If you are buying a pneumatic or electric engraving machine, then you need to consider what kind of engraving speeds and strengths these two machines have, as well as what kind of materials they are suitable for engraving. For example, you may want to consider whether the material you need to engrave is soft metal, which is easier to engrave, or hard metal, which is slightly more difficult to engrave.

What is the brand and reputation of the tool

If you're not sure what type of engraving tool to buy, you can go for one that has a good brand reputation. Katway is a brand that sells high-quality engraving tools, and you can buy a wide range of engraving tools, including pneumatic and electric engravers, from Katway's online shop.

In addition, you can also use customer reviews to consider what type of item to buy. Perhaps the first thing you can think of is to look at customer reviews in a shop to get an idea of the quality of an item. However, you can actually start asking questions in professional forums and ask people who have purchased the item about its quality.

Maintenance of the tool and the need for repairs

Buying a good engraving tool doesn't mean that you will be able to follow up with a clean slate, you also need to consider whether you will be able to do regular maintenance on the engraving tool. If you want to know whether the engraving tool you have purchased is easy to maintain, you can look at the following features of the product you have purchased: firstly, whether the tool is constructed in a way that it is easy to clean, how complicated it is to replace the parts, and how to lubricate the engraving tool.

In addition, you need to know how durable the engraving tool is and how long its warranty is. Here you need to pay particular attention to

What is meant is the warranty rule for engraving tools. This is because even if you use the engraving tool in strict accordance with the standard, the engraving tool will still experience wear and tear. So repairs are necessary from time to time, and you'd better know the warranty rules well before you make a purchase.

How cost-effective is the tool

While it is true to say that you get what you pay for, not every engraver has the same requirements for engraving tools, and it is not the same to compare a jewellery engraving novice with a jewellery engraving craftsman who has years of experience in engraving. In the beginning, a novice jewellery engraver may only need to use some relatively simple hand engraving tools. Those engraving machines with multiple functions can be purchased later after you already have some engraving skills. However, you should never fall into the pit of cheap goods just because you are looking for a low price. It is difficult to carve beautiful carvings with poor quality carving tools.

Overall, it takes a lot of time and effort to pick the right metal engraving tools. The above are just some references, you still need to make a reasonable choice according to your actual needs.