[Forging Initiative] Decorating Metalwork

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“This document aims to address those techniques of metalworking that are done when the main process of forging has been completed. Most of these techniques are primarily used to enhance the aesthetic appeal of the object, but there are distinct practical applications to a number of techniques, which will be addressed accordingly. This document will refer at certain points to Apprentice Nivalis’ document “The Art of Forging”. It is recommended to be read, as it is an introductory document to the field. The techniques in this document require a basic level of familiarity with the various states of development a forged object goes through as it is created.”

Engraving: Involves carving the metal, usually deeper than is the case with etching. Engravings can be patterns, motifs or full depictions. Manually one requires an engraving tool, similar to a chisel but generally smaller, and with a variety of different tool ends to achieve different effects. The tools are tapped with a hammer or dowel to drive them through the material. A second possibility is doing it by rotary tool, which can use a variety of different attachments to achieve various effects. Finally, machine-engraving is a possibility, if a dedicated machine is available. These are generally programmable devices that automatically carve a predetermined design. Engraving is done at various stages in the forging process. The most important factor is that the object is properly normalised to prevent warping in later heat treatments. Rough work is generally done when the material is still relatively soft, allowing easier removal of large amounts of material. If the object is subsequently hardened, that lends it to more refined work as smaller graves endure less resistance from the hard material. Still, the harder the material worked on, the quicker one’s gravers will lose their edge, which causes one to spend more of their working time sharpening.


Depicted below are a number of Gravers. Their purposes will be briefly listed under the image:

A: Onglette: Capable of producing very smooth grooves, often a primary tool used for creating curved motiffs.
B: Wide-pointed Graver: A heavier tool, used for making wide channels. Capable of moving large amounts of material, so one must take care in its use.
C: Knife Graver: As the name suggests, a very sharp tool. It is rather inflexible, and often used for detailwork, connecting deeper channels with shallower ones.
D: Facet Graver: Used on particularly difficult materials, it is capable of creating bold, wide channels.
E: Oval Graver: Used for fine work, a very flexible tool thanks to is shape.
F: Wide-ribbed flat graver: Used for removing large amounts of material and ideal for creating flat planes.
G: Small-ribbed flat graver: Similarly named as the above but used for vastly different purposes: It can create very clean channels with a dove-tail profile, making it ideal for preparing for inlaying, which is further expounded upon later in this document.
H: Round graver: Used for making semi-circular channels, as the shape implies. This can be used to create fullers in a blade, channels that aid in structural integrity, weight reduction and that can serve as blood-channels.
I: Small-ribbed round graver: Another tool for creating round-bottomed trenches, that also serves to create inlay-channels ideal for using metal wire as inlay material.
J: Line graver: A tool for creating straight-line or cross-hatch patterns on flat surfaces. Slow to progress with and dulls easily.

Sharpening of these tools is paramount. The process of sharpening a graver is, at its face, an intimidating one, but will become second nature after a period of dedicated use of the tools involved. Below is a simplified diagram, the process of sharpening is often done by the next technique discussed in this document.


Grinding: A technique in which abrasive materials (such as sandpaper, whetstones or similarly textured materials) are used to gradually remove material from the piece being worked on.. It is done to refine the shapes of a piece, remove excess material and to sharpen edges. Can be done with various tools, but for the purposes discussed in this document hand-held grinders allow finer control. The higher the grit used, the less material is removed at a time and the smoother the surface will be as a result. More detail on the technique can be found in “The Art of Forging.”

Etching: A technique to give an item’s surface a texture or colour. Broadly speaking two methods exist: Chemical and Laser. Machine-etching is touched upon in the Engraving section. Chemical etching is done by taking a substance that achieves the desired effect (acids, oxidisers, and other chemicals) to either strip away layers of the surface it is applied to, or to colour the metal (known as blueing, regardless of the actual resultant colour). For more detailed results, one may apply a resistance to the surface. A resistance is a substance that prevents the etching chemical from affecting those sections it is applied to. It can be used to create patterns, motifs, and full images. The process of chemical etching usually involves running a current through the liquid being used for the process. Laser etching is simpler, a laser is projected and removes layers of material. This can be done quickly in a dedicated machine following a predetermined design, or with a hand-held laser pen, though that will be more time consuming.

Embossing/chasing: A technique generally used with thin materials. The material is displaced to make shallow reliefs to bring out patterns or imagery. Usually done by setting the material to be embossed/chased against a pitch background, heating the pitch and letting it set again. This keeps the material still, while the pitch is still malleable enough to work. With a series of tools not dissimilar to engraving tools, though usually not sharpened, height differences are introduced to bring out the desired imagery. One must be careful that the material isn’t thinned so much that it compromises structural integrity.

Inlaying: Applying precious materials to channels carved by engraving. Gold and silver are common, but items such as mother-of-pearl, ivory and others are possible too. The basis is carved to the desired shape, before the material is (generally) cold-pressed in. The surface may have to be cleaned through grinding afterwards.

“This concludes this introductory look into the various finishing techniques employed when the forging is complete. Of course, this merely touches upon the basic knowledge required to begin to develop the physical skills involved. It is my personal recommendation that one with interest in this field seeks to try out the various tools and how they interact with one another. Knowledge is power, but useless without the skill to act on it.”