Knife Engraving Australia
An engraved knife is the rare gift that gets used every single day, then kept for decades. Add laser engraving to any engravable Xinzuo knife for $19 per knife for one line of text, or $29 for two lines, and see exactly how it will look with the live engraving preview before you order. A name, a wedding date, initials or a short message turns a hand-forged Damascus blade into something no one else owns.
Why is an engraved knife such a good gift?
Because it solves the two problems every gift has: most gifts are either useful or personal, rarely both. A personalised chef knife is both. It sits in the knife block and gets picked up every night, and every time it does, the words on the blade say who it came from.
The occasions we engrave for most:
- Anniversaries. Steel is the traditional gift for an 11th wedding anniversary, and a 67-layer Damascus blade with your wedding date on it beats a greeting card. A knife with a VG10 or 10Cr15CoMoV core at HRC 58 to 64 will still be cutting long after most anniversary gifts are forgotten.
- Father's Day. For the dad who does the Sunday roast, an engraved knife is the upgrade he would never buy himself. It is engraved in house at our Queensland warehouse before dispatch, so order ahead of the first Sunday in September and it arrives ready to give.
- Groomsmen gifts. Initials on a matching set of knives is a step up from hip flasks and beer glasses. One engraving per knife, consistent wording across the set, done.
- Retirement. "35 years. Thank you." on the flat of a chef knife says more than a plaque that ends up in a drawer. It works especially well for chefs and tradies who have spent a career working with their hands.
Not sure which knife suits the person you are buying for? Our kitchen knife gift guide breaks it down by the kind of cook they are.
How does knife engraving work?
You order the knife and the engraving together, and we laser engrave the blade in house before it leaves our warehouse. The whole process is three steps:
- Choose the knife. From an everyday chef knife to a Japanese-style santoku or a full knife set for a bigger occasion.
- Add your engraving and preview it. On the product page, choose one line ($19) or two lines ($29) and type your text exactly as you want it to appear, up to 20 characters per line, using letters, numbers and basic punctuation. Then open the live engraving preview to see your exact wording rendered on the exact blade before you add it to cart. You can also add engraving from the cart if you have already picked the knife.
- We engrave and ship. Laser engraving is done in house at our Queensland warehouse, so there is no weeks-long wait from a third party. Shipping is free Australia-wide on orders over $100.
What does knife engraving cost?
| Engraving | Price |
|---|---|
| One line of text (up to 20 characters) | $19 per knife |
| Two lines of text (up to 20 characters each) | $29 per knife |
Engraving a set is priced per knife, so a three-knife set with every blade engraved means three engraving charges. You choose the wording for each knife, which is exactly what makes an engraved set work as a groomsmen or family gift.
Where is the engraving placed and what does it look like?
The engraving is laser marked on the flat of the blade, clear of the cutting edge and the spine, in a clean lettering style matched to each knife. On Damascus blades the dark laser mark sits cleanly against the layered pattern rather than getting lost in it. You never have to guess: the live preview on each engravable product shows your exact text, in the exact position and style, on the exact blade you are buying.
For text, shorter reads better. A name, a date, initials or a short phrase suits the proportions of a blade. If you are engraving a set, keep the wording style consistent across every knife.
How do you care for an engraved knife?
The same way you care for any good knife. A laser engraving is a permanent surface mark, not a sticker or a coating, so it needs nothing extra:
- Hand wash with warm soapy water and dry immediately. Never put a good knife in the dishwasher, engraved or not.
- Store it in a block, on a magnetic strip or in a sheath rather than loose in a drawer.
- Avoid abrasive scourers and metal polishes on the engraved area. Normal use will not affect the mark.
- On Damascus blades, follow the same routine you would use to protect the pattern. Our guide on how to care for Damascus steel knives covers cleaning, storage and pattern preservation in detail.
Engraving does not change how the knife performs. It is a surface-level mark and does not affect the steel's heat treatment, the edge or the balance.
Frequently asked questions
How long does an engraved knife take to arrive?
Engraving is done in house at our Queensland warehouse before dispatch, then normal delivery times apply for your state. Shipping is free on orders over $100. Ordering for a fixed date like a wedding or Father's Day? Order a week or two ahead to be safe.
How much does knife engraving cost?
One line of text is $19 per knife and two lines is $29 per knife. Engraving a set is priced per knife, with its own wording on each blade if you want it.
What can and cannot be engraved?
Engraving is text only: names, initials, dates and short messages, up to 20 characters per line across one or two lines, using letters, numbers and basic punctuation. The online engraving option is text only; photographs and shaded artwork cannot be laser engraved. Business logo engraving is available for corporate orders, arranged through our corporate gifts page.
Can I return an engraved knife?
Personalised items cannot be returned for change of mind, because once your words are on the blade we cannot resell it. Your rights under Australian Consumer Law are not affected, so if the knife or the engraving is faulty, we will make it right. The Xinzuo lifetime warranty applies to engraved knives exactly as it does to plain ones.
Can I get a knife engraved that I already own?
Engraving is added at the time of purchase, on the product page or from the cart, and we engrave the knife before it ships. It is not offered as a standalone service for knives you already have at home.
Does engraving void the warranty or weaken the blade?
No. Laser engraving marks the surface of the steel without cutting into the blade geometry or affecting the heat treatment, so hardness, edge retention and balance are unchanged. The lifetime warranty stands.
Buying for a business? Our corporate gifts page covers volume orders, per-recipient names and logo engraving for business orders.
Ready to make it personal? Start with a chef knife, browse the Damascus knife sets or the Uliassi Series, or use the gift guide if you are still deciding.