Atayal Knife

[kahnjar1]

Originally Posted by JeffS

Hello - here is a 5 day update and request for advice. I've been doing vinegar soak followed by brass brush and Rhodes Grade 00 steel wool about 3 to 4 times a day. It has been in and out of white vinegar continuously this entire period. Definitely an exercise in diminishing returns, a few very stubborn rust spots as seen on the photos remain. Overall the surface is covered in pits, I wouldn't classify them as particularly deep but very widespread. If I continue on this path I will end up with the stubborn rust spots removed but the overall blade quite rough from pitting. Again I'm inclined to move to sanding, starting at maybe 320 to subdue the pitting and moving up incrementally to 1500 grit for polish.

Hi Jeffs,
Keep going with the vinegar soaking.....it will shift the rust, but GIVE IT TIME. If you have a piece of rigid brass (sheet or bar), you could use that to loosen the caked rust. Use it like a wood chisel. Brass is softer than steel so will not scratch it.
It looks to me as if there is still rust in those minor pits also.
Stu