You have probably seen some great wood engravings when you visit an antique shop or an interior decoration store. They have beautiful detailing done on them, and they make you wonder how it was done so skillfully.
What if you could do it in the comfort of your own home with your own affordable tools? That’s right, you don’t need fancy machinery to create your own beautiful artwork, neither do you need to whittle away at wood with a blunt knife for hours to make these pieces.
The Best Wood Engraving Tools: Reviews
In this review, we have put together a list of the best wood engraving tools on the market along with their specifications, pros, and cons, so that you can get started with your interests right away!
1. Gzmwon Engraver Pen Set – Engraving Tool
The pens work on a high-speed rotation, ranging from 3,000 RPM to 20,000 RPM (Rotations Per Minute), and the lower speeds are usually best for wood engraving. The higher speeds can be used for glass and ceramic as well. Along with the pens and the bits, the set also comes with 6 different style polishing heads with sanding rings to keep the product in good shape.
Specifications
- Item weight — 1.27 pounds
- Color — Red
- Total items — 2 pens + 30 sharp bits + 8 stencils + 1 scriber pen + 6 polishing heads
- Speed — 3,000 to 20,000 RPM
- Suitable for — Wood, Glass, Metal, Ceramic, Leather
Pros
- You get two pens in this engraving pack, and you can use them individually for all sorts of engraving purposes.
- The high RPM of the pens make them suitable for working on wood, glass, metal, ceramic, and leather.
- For more detailing and intricate designs of your choice, the kit includes 30 sharp bits for the best experience.
Cons
- Some of the tips are fragile and should not be used on all materials, as it can cause them to bend and not work properly.
- There is a heating issue with the pens that could cause injuries if used for extended periods of time.
2. Chomas Creations Silhouette Precision Etching/Engraving Tool
The tip of the tool is made of a high quality metal. It also comes with a lifetime guarantee, ensuring that it is durable and is not likely to need a replacement.
Please keep in mind that this tool is just an attachment and not a machine on its own.
Specifications
- Item weight — 0.69 pounds
- Color — Silver
- Total items — 1
- Speed — Not applicable
- Suitable for — Wood, Glass, Metal, Clay
Pros
- The material of the tool is a high quality metal, and is unlikely to need a replacement.
- The tool will work on all or most recognized brands of engraving machines.
- The tool is well suited to work on a variety of materials like wood, glass, metal, and clay.
Cons
- The tool is just an attachment, and NOT a machine. If you’re looking for something to work on right out of the package, this is not the right option for you.
- The tool just has one tip, which does not leave a lot of room to create designs (except for using freehand engraving).
3. Afantti Electric Micro Engraver
Along with the bits, the set also contains a set of 8 stencils with basic shapes, numbers, and letters to ensure that you do not have to rely on freehand engraving. The lightweight and compact design of the pen helps you easily use it as a normal pen for engraving on your workpiece.
Specifications
- Item weight — 8.8 ounces
- Color — Pink
- Total items — 1 pen + 30 sharp bits + 8 stencils + 1 scriber pen
- Speed — 3,000 to 20,000 RPM
- Suitable for — Wood, Glass, Metal, Ceramic, Leather
Pros
- The pen is extremely lightweight and compact in nature and can be held and used as a normal pen for your engraving needs.
- With 30 different tips of and shapes, intricate detailing is convenient and accurate with this pen.
- The design is easy to use, and an easy-access button on the side makes it convenient to turn the pen on or off.
Cons
- The tool is more suitable for etching than it is for engraving. If you’re looking for a tool exclusively for engraving, you should check out other options.
- There might be some fatigue involved when you’re trying to engrave with this pen because of the higher manual force required on your part.
4. Uolor 108 Piece Engraving Tool Kit
The speed on this machine is adjustable from 3,000 RPM to 20,000 RPM and comes with a stepless system (no specific number of speed settings to rely on).
The machine comes with a whopping 82 accessories for your needs, and can be used for not only engraving, but also for carving, sanding, polishing, etching, routing, grinding, drilling, and cutting.
Specifications
- Item weight — 10.4 ounces
- Color — Pink
- Total items — 1 pen + 82 accessories + 24 stencils + 1 scriber pen
- Speed — 3,000 to 20,000 RPM
- Suitable for — Wood, Glass, Metal, Ceramic, Leather, Stone, Plastic
Pros
- The best part about this machine is that it is not only meant for engraving, but also other rotatory actions like drilling, sanding, and cutting.
- There are 82 accessories included in the kit, giving you a large range of options to choose from for your engraving needs.
- The speed system is stepless and can be nicely adjusted to make your experience better.
Cons
- The cable on this machine is only 2 feet long, which means that you’ll always need to be near a power outlet when you’re working with it.
- There is no clear instruction manual on how to use each different bit, so you might have to put in the research yourself.
5. Arokimi Electric Micro Engraver
The design of the pen is quite lightweight and compact. You can hold this tool like a pen and easily carve and etch on wood. The fast speeds will also let you smoothly and effortlessly create intricate work, and you will have clear strokes with this tool.
Specifications
- Item weight — 0.01 ounces
- Color — Black
- Total items — 1 pen + 30 sharp bits + 1 scriber pen
- Speed — 3,000 to 20,000 RPM
- Suitable for — Wood, Glass, Metal, Ceramic, Leather, Plastic
Pros
- The pen comes with 30 different types of tips of different shapes and utility, helping you make intricate designs.
- The high adjustable speed setting makes this pen a versatile tool for all kinds of materials.
- The pen is quite ergonomically designed, and can be used just like a normal pen is used on paper.
Cons
- The kit does not come with a very long power cord, and you need to be near a power outlet all the time if you want to work with this tool.
- The tool might overheat if used for extended periods of time without a break.
6. Chomas Creations Etching and Engraving Precision Tip Tool
The tool does not need any extra items on top or below it to work effectively with the aforementioned machines. It, however, does not work with Silhouette machines. The tip is of a high quality metal and comes with a lifetime guarantee, ensuring that it will not likely need to be replaced.
Specifications
- Item weight — 1.58 ounces
- Color — Silver
- Total items — 1
- Speed — Not applicable
- Suitable for — Wood, Glass, Metal, Clay, Leather, Acrylics, Plastic
Pros
- The tool is extremely versatile in nature, and if you own a Maker or Explore machine, you will be able to make it work with practically any material that you can fit in the machine rollers.
- The tool comes with a lifetime guarantee, which is a statement about how durable and strong it is.
- The tool can work fine on its own and does not need any extra attachments once you put it on the machine.
Cons
- The tool is for machines only. It can not be used independently for engraving or carving.
- The tool works only on Maker and Explore machines, and if you own other machines like the Silhouette, this will not fit.
Buyer’s Guide
Now that you know the best and worst parts about all the tools mentioned in this article, it’s time to get started on which of these best wood engraving tools is the perfect fit for you.
- The Machine Attachments: If you have a machine at home (Maker, Explore, Silhouette), you can get a high-quality engraving tool like the Chomas Creations Etching Tool or the Chomas Creations Precision tool.
- The Complete Sets: If you’re looking for something that has everything you need to start engraving, you could go for the Uolor 108 Piece Engraving Set or the Gzmwon Engraver Set.
- The Beginner’s Set: If you’re just starting off on engraving and you need a set that’s a good place to start, you can check out the Arokimi Electric Micro Engraver or the Afantti Electric Engraver.
Wrap Up
With modern technology, you can easily get some tools that will help you etch your designs into wood without putting a lot of manual force into it. If you’re new to wood engraving and have no idea where to start, take a look at this guide on how to etch wood.
Wood engraving tools have come a long way because of the advent of technology, and all the tools mentioned in this article can easily be used for your home engraving needs.
We hope that this review has helped you pick out of the best wood engraving tools available today, and we sincerely wish you the best of luck in your woodworking endeavors!