What common pen materials can be engraved?

[redfishsc]

I know they all can, but I have a friend with a trophy shop with a standard cutter-style engraver (no laser). What kinds of materials can I use? He already engraves pens (metal Euro-style pens) and wants to offer some of my stuff.

Seems like it would tear up the wood. What do you think?

 

[Rifleman1776]

I see a lot of people have read your question but none have answered. I believe the guy who does the engraving would be the best source of that information. Suggest you take samples of scrap material to him for testing. More better, find someone with a laser engraver,that is the way to go these days.

 

[OSCAR15]

DITTO

 

[bjackman]

You could take him unfinished or partially finished barrels. Let him do the mechanical engraving then do your final sanding/finishing/assembly after you have cleaned up the possibly fuzzy edges.
Should work with any material.

 

[vick]

I have no actual experience but have been reading up on high speed engraveing equipment lately. It depends on what kind of equipment he has and sepicifically the rpm's it works at. Some machine work at 400,000 + rpms and can engrave pretty much anything you could turn on the lathe. People use them to engrave wood, glass and metal includeing hardened knife blades. These high speed low torque systems should produce very little fuzzing and excel at small detail work as opposed to hoging out wood (what you want). To give you an idea a dremel runs about 35,000 RPM's on high.
That being said I agree with other definately give him a sample to try my only corcern would be melting on resin pens, but I doubt that would be a problem if he is careful, it is just the only thing I can think of that might be.

 

[redfishsc]

Thanks guys. I knew that he could answer the question via trial and error but since my time is at a high premium right now, I was hoping someone here could tell me.

Vick, I'll ask him on the speed capabilities of his equipment. Personally I can't fathom a machine spinning something (even the teeny engraving bit) at 400,000 RPM, but I know you are right about it as I've read about some air-driven hand engravers capable of that speed. That must be like trying to hold on to a Tomohawk missile guidance system with that kinda of inertia.