Black China Marking Pencils are designed for use on smooth surfaces such as glass, metal, china-ware  or plastic. The Black China Marking Pencil works quite well on our Regular Zinc and Heavy Duty Zinc nameplates.  For best results, simply write on the front of the nameplate (many people also write on the back of the nameplate as an added security) and place in the direct sunlight for a day to allow the marking to "set". The writing will last for years!
 
See the video for instructions on how to sharpen (string-pull sharpening).