It's on the way 👍

I’m glad for you. I thought for sure they would come up with some excuse to delay. Be sure to let us know your opinion especially about the ‘engraving’. I also think after receiving it you will realize your anxieties were unfounded. I strongly suggest that you get another, less expensive, katana to learn with.

Well then, despite looking up yet more information on the subject, I guess im not understanding the process.

What I found online tells me that in both etching and engraving metal is removed.
To my mind that means it goes below the surface, however slight, and creates said 3-dimensional image.
To me a 2-dimensional image would be if they took a Sharpie, or some other marking device, and applied it to the surface as one does when writing on paper.

I would like to understand the process you are talking about, where it etches only on the surface, so if you have some sort of link to some example if that I'd appreciate it.

To me you might consider it a personal thing. When one learns a way to do things even though seem insignificant and later see people doing otherwise doesn’t set well. As an example hanging my clothes so all face in the same direction seemed dumb when I was little. The military taught me otherwise, as a step toward learning organization. When in grade school they taught me to arrange my folding money so that all would in the same position. I thought that was dumb. Then I was in a country that didn’t do that, namely in the banks, I found it bothersome when the cashier handed me a wade and the bills faced every direction imaginable. I was taught to eat with a fork. I’ve been in countries that it was not uncommon to use a hammer grip on a spoon to eat everything. I was lunching with one such woman and was curious as hell how she was going to manage her pork chop. She saved that until last and then held it down with her left hand and raked the meat off with the spoon which she then used to eat it. As for engraving when I was studying silver smithing engraving was done using a hammer and chisel and cutting the metal. Which requires a hell of a lot skill. More so than most people are willing to commit to today resulting to other means such as a router or etching. And people have only seen that, call it engraving and have known of nothing else. That in itself I don’t object to if I understood in advance what method would be used and was agreeable to it. But it I ordered something engraved and they substituted something scribbled on with a router or etched with acid I’d be one unhappy camper to the point I’d yell fraud.  There are other forms but for simplicity I just referenced a router and etching.

Interesting if true, treeslicer. How deep does the laser etching go, by the way? Most cheap chemical etching on blades I've seen barely scratch the surface-- like less than half a millimeter. If the Chinese forges can do a deep and detailed laser etch that can remove at least 2mm of material, I'd definitely be down for that.

Excuse me, sir, but I was reporting the fact, not disputing your position.

Thanks MichaelRS that was informative. I had forgotten about lasers and was unaware of the two types.

I'm not a big fan of etchings/engravings on a katana blade. But I really like your choices of fittings and colors. Looks Awsome. Hanbon seems to.offer good selections and good prices. Let us know how she is when you get it. Might get one in the future for a  display piece 👍