:agree: Yes, that is correct, the letters & etc. are much cheaper. When have them make a shape & things as such in detail, the price climbs with the detail of the work. There is also a holder made for the stamps & you put the stamp in it, slide the blade under & ya hit the holder & it hits the stamp. I don't have one because they are made to strike a flat even surface & most of my blades are bevel ground from top to edge, thus it makes a angled surface to stamp on. So I took a brake pad tool that just happened to have w 3/8" square hole in it same size as the stamp shaft is, ground & fitted it so it will go up close to where the handle will be & I use that tool to hold the stamp flat on the beveled blade & I hit it a good hard wack with a 4# brass hammer.
It is important that you hold the tool with Something, be it a holder, vicegrips, or something, as when you hit that sucker it will leave the area & especially if you hit it with a steel hammer. I don't like hitting hardened steel with steel, thus I use the brass hammer & it is less apt to chip or fly off into the never-never land of my workshop, not to be see again for ? 15 years..... If you decide to hole it by hand I suggest a heavy pair of work gloves & still a brass hammer.
Also it is important to hit it one time, as realigning a design is hard on a beveled edge. Letters are not so bad on a flat surface but a detailed stamp is hard to hole in plade & whack & not have a double stamp..... = birddog with 8 legs & 2 tails! ha ha !
The stamps WILL NOT stamp tool steel or hardened steel. It must be done before you harden the metal or you will ruin the stamp.