The engraver comes in easy to open packaging (if you’ve bought stuff on Amazon before, you know why this is important 😊). The directions are a one pager on the back of the package and concisely written. It uses 2 AAA batteries and comes with two engraving tips (they’re the same tip, one is just a replacement). There is also a tiny screwdriver to use when you switch out the tips. I switched out the tips and it is literally like a 20 second process, very smooth and easy.
I was correct in thinking that this engraver would be easy to use – you do hold it just like a pencil and “write” your initials on whatever you like. I tried it on a wooden bowl that I wanted to put my initials on and it worked great. I didn’t have to press very hard and it makes very little mess if any (just some dust I wiped off with my finger). It isn’t super loud either. The sound is kind of like a very pissed off gnat 😊 It also comes with a set of stencils which I used on the bowl as well to engrave a little lotus flower just to see what that would look like.
I also used it to engrave my initials on my favorite Stanley tape measure because it seems to “walk off” on its own and I mysteriously find it in my relatives’ houses. In any event, I like this little engraver because I can just grab it and engrave something within seconds and it takes up no space in the craft room.
A little advice – always do some testing on something you don’t really care about (a scrap piece of wood, metal you don’t care about, etc.). As with all crafting stuff, you need to feel your way with the tool before you go full bore on a material that matters to you.