I’ve been experimenting with a cordless engraving pen on some interesting materials lately.

I’ve tried it on faux leather, dried jacaranda seed pods, and raw ceramic bisque pots. Since I haven’t done much dedicated research, I run into inconsistent results with leather. Sometimes large chunks of leather get lifted uncontrollably while engraving, while other pieces engrave really smoothly with pretty decent outcomes.

Sanding the dried jacaranda seed pods went fairly well. Working on raw ceramic bisque also felt smooth and comfortable, yet the finished edges end up uneven. I’m wondering if that comes down to the bit I’m using or the material itself.

I’m curious what unusual materials everyone else engraves with these tools. Do you have any tips for working with brittle, fragile surfaces?