What we do with Rust on the blade?

[SOG]

lol since seed started the first, I will start a second :D

I am wondering what we should do about rust on the blade ? please don't say put oil on the blade to prevent the rust :D I mean what do do with the rust when the rust stain is already on the blade ? Any ways to take the Rust off the blade? and here I mean any part of the blade...

I ask this question is because my 440A Aitor Bowie have rust on it after a few expedition trips like 2 years ago, but it was fine for me because I don't use it to cut vegetable or any kind of food anyway, but then I saw quite a few post selling their knives because it have rust stain on it; and it reduces the price for quite a lot! :eek:

So it get me take out my Aitor Bowie and tried to get those rust stain off, it seems not an easy job to do, especially if one doesn't want to scratch the metal on the blade... it shouldn't be hard to take off the rust with sand paper or chemical, but it will almost certainly scratch the metal... and would take some time, so I wonder if anyone have any great ideas to take rust stain off without damaging it? or just a easy way to take rust stain off...

I know we could just use sand paper to take the rust away, and there are many ways to polish it to mirror like, but what if it's a sandblast blade? just wonder if there's any easy and safe ways to take off rust stains....

Thanks you all :D

Jason.

[Gman1128]

Ive heard alot of people recommend using navel jelly, they say the rust just comes right off. Ive never done this so I'm not sure what it will do to the blade finish. Maybe you should bring it to a professional cutlery shop, I'm sure they could do or recommend something.

[Tac45]

Unfortunately rust is like cancer. Once a spot has developed it has started eating into the blade if only on a microscopic level. You can remove light rust with a metal polish. But the problem you have is that you have a bead blast blade? If that's so then the metal polish will also start to polish the blade getting rid of the bead blast effect. Metal polish eats away at the metal as well. What ever you do you will more than likely still have spots where the rust has been only they will be lighter spots regardless of what you use to remove it. This is because the blade is bead blasted and any rust removal will also remove some of the finish. Shiney blades are much easier as metal polish will get rid of the rust and keep the blade shiney.

Sorry man. I know it sucks. As far as keeping rust away. Clean after use and when storing the blade you can oil it. Silicon spray it. Grease it, basically anything that keeps moisture from penetrating through. Oils and silicone sprays will need to be reapplied generally. Blades I havn't used in a long time I keep covered in a teflon based oil. It forma a film over the blade and stays till it is wiped off. The particular oil I use doesn't have a brand name on it but it is made for the US Military and sells/sold cheap in gun shops. I bought a dozen bottles years ago and it is still going strong. I'm in Australia so a assume the stuff would be much easier to get over there. Check out your local gun shops. They have lots of good products for protecting the metal on guns that sit in storage.

Good Luck

[Noss]

Use CLR Calcium-lime-rust remover. I have used it before (not on a finished knife) and it works great. You can get it at the grocery store, Wal mart. You can soak it or place some on a rag and remove the rust. This stuff works on metal and other materials.

Test it first and make sure it won't hurt your finish.

[SOG]

Thanks for all the input guys, stainless is harder to clean up compare to tool steel... Because tool steel is so hard the rust usually stay on the surface. I wonder if the H-1 steel from Spyderco will rust or not though, they said it will never stain :D

I don't have much rusted knives anyway, I think the only two that I have rust is the 440A and the Leather man... Oh well, I use those two the most though...

[seed]

Flitz is good to remove rust. It will probably remove your finish as well though (if you have one). Eezox is an incredible rust preventative. Weapon Shield is awesome lube and rust inhibitor as well.

You know what else? I've never tried it for rust removal, but those cloths that remove the black off of the cylinder face of stainless revolvers (NOT for blued or finished) would probably work extremely well. I forget the name of the company...I have it somewhere. Regardless, they are a must for stainless revolvers.