Atayal Knife

[kahnjar1]

Originally Posted by JeffS

Thanks Stu. Would a scotch-brite style abrasive pad be suitable? If not, do you recommend a very fine steel wool?




I guess it is much too short to be a baldric or even a belt. I was curious after seeing the one that yuanzhumin posted in 2011 (image attached) which includes an interesting woven baldric. I have since gone through, via web search, a heap of photos and written material and seen a range of carry options including over shoulder and at waist (and even both simultaneously), as well as another example of a short loop. Waist carry seems the most common. I've also noted a range of belt/baldric materials including simple rope, bamboo strip, and a range of woven and beaded examples.
One would think there would be a bit more common practice within a tribal group.

Hi Jeffs,
Scotchbrite is quite abrasive. I would not use that unless the rust is stubborn. But anyway keep resoaking with White Vinegar and use steel wool, which should polish rather than scratch the surface.
Stu

[Gavin Nugent]

Originally Posted by kahnjar1

Hi Jeffs,
Scotchbrite is quite abrasive. I would not use that unless the rust is stubborn. But anyway keep resoaking with White Vinegar and use steel wool, which should polish rather than scratch the surface.
Stu

Jeffs, Stu is totally on track in his responses about conservation.

Exercise patience, weeks or more or patience if you need to. Get yourself a good bronze brush too, it will help the process along... keep away from abrasive products unless you are very certain in what you are doing and can fully subdue the results with a proper polish.

Gavin

[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.

[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

[JeffS]

Originally Posted by kahnjar1

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

Ok, back at it. Rigid brass sounds like a good idea. I'll see what I can dig up.

[kahnjar1]

Originally Posted by JeffS

Ok, back at it. Rigid brass sounds like a good idea. I'll see what I can dig up.

Hi Jeffs,
I should have said that if you have a spent brass cartridge case somewhere around 303 cal, squash the open end and use that. Handy tool which I use often in this situation.
Stu

[JeffS]

Here we are now. The bumped contrast makes the pits seem darker than they are to the eye. Except for a couple small spots I believe the rust is completely gone now, perhaps one or two more soaking rounds. Note the blade on the open scabbard side has much more extensive pitting, you can see the outline of the staples. The question is, what next?

Also, please see the scabbard photos. What options are there for repairing the cracks? I've been feeding the wood oil for several days but the long thin crack at the foot of the scabbard is not closing. The crack series along the staples have wider gaps but seem more stable.