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Hi and happy new year!

I have an old Sabatti Saba Italian side x side box lock with some nice deep relief engraving, machine made. I’d like to fill the recesses to show the engraving better. Does anyone know what I could use? I was thinking just cold bluing the relief and polishing the raised surface, but would enamel work better?

Cheers

Good to see another Clock person here.
The photographs are of a "Matthaus Hipp Toggle electric clock "I built made entirely from scrap materials to see how low a cost you could build a time piece. The case was once a Mahogany door, glass from a failed double glazing unit, the Mercury came from a now defunct Chlorine plant, Brass from a local scrap metal merchant, Electrical components all from scrap industrial equipment. The most expensive items at the time where the four new Alkaline 'D' cells depending on the manufacturer keep it ticking seconds for between eighteen months and two years. It did keep me occupied in my workshop for a little over a year, it eventually turned out looking so good I decided to put a passing hour strike on a ex telephone bell and keep it rather than putting it up for sale. To keep it company I restored a "Fortin Barometer" found as a box of pieces.

I have upwards of fifteen assorted axes, hatchets, and splitting mauls. None of them are engraved. YET.

You'll be hearing from my bankruptcy attorneys.

Engraving enhancer used on this side of the pond from the year dot by gunmakers and the like, not expensive easy to put on and just as easy to remove waterproof as well. Take a visit to your local art suppliers and purchase a bottle of black "India Ink", it is a tried and tested formula Shellac and lamp black easy to apply using a cloth or cotton wool to run into the engraving, then let it dry (usually about two minutes) then go over again with a cloth slightly moistened with Alcohol to remove from the high spots. Apply and remove until you have the effect you are looking for, also it can be touched up any time with no problem.

It's been a long time since I did it but I think what I used was similar to what damascus described, with India ink. It's held up well for years on my Fox BE grade. As damascus said, the level of background darkness can be controlled. I chose to keep it very subtle on this 105 year old Fox.

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That’s exactly it!!! Thanks.

Clock dials are silvered and use a black wax for the engraved figures. https://antiquesworld.co.uk/antique-furniture/clock-dial-engravers-wax/