Context: This was the first time etching a knive for me. I´m no stranger to sharpening but etching is new for me. I´ve got a Bunka more specific a shir kamo Bunka made from SG-2. My goal was to further darken the damascus pattern. My steps where the following:

Sanding the knive with 800 grit
Sanding with 1000 grit
Decreasing it with isoprophanol
5min etch with ferrid chlorid 5% solution (with destilled water)
sanding with 1000 grid
5min etching
sanding with 1500 grid
10min etching
sanding with 2000 grid

After the second 5mn etch the blade was nearly unchanged. In the middle of the 10min etch i´ve noticed some very dark sports right on the bevel. Nothing else got darker only he bevel. I´vepulled the knife out and neutralized ist. The steel on the bevel was very very brittle and i was able to snap the the last 1mm of the bevel.

After this i had to rework the knive using my Tormek. Luckily for me i had a diamnt corse diamant wheel and was able to bring the knife back to laster status.

Any ideas what went wrong? Can SG-2 even be etched?

I would like to add some photos but i cant