Best way to remove stains (rust) on carbon blades??

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basko152

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I've recently discovered the joy of sharpening. After a few tutorials and buying a sharpmaker I am getting pretty decent results.

I bought my wife a set of forged kitchen knives a few years ago without knowing anything really. It turns out I bought her a set of Sabatier high carbon forged blades and from what I've read they are a pretty decent blade for kitchen work. They've never been maintained and get regular dishwashings so they are needing some TLC.

I took to sharpening them and I'm totally digging it. I'm using vegetable oil to lub them (opinions on that??).

On to the real question. They have some small rust spots in a few places. What is the best way to remove these without damaging anything? They are small and just surface rust so it shouldn't be too hard.

Thanks all!!
 
I usually use a metal polish like metal glo and that gets small rust spots off.
 
Do they have a satin finish? I would use something like a Scotch-Brite light duty pad. It should not hurt the blade at all.

TheSurvivalist
 
Yes they do have a satin finish. I have some soap filled steel wool SOS pads, but I thought they might be too harsh. Whatdya think?
 
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Steel wool pads would be too harsh for simply removing surface rust. I recommend the Scotch-Brite pads because they are made of interwoven nylon fibers instead of steel. The nylon won't scratch the blade as badly as an SOS pad. Try to use light strokes in a linear motion, not a circular motion.

TheSurvivalist
 
They've never been maintained and get regular dishwashings so they are needing some TLC.
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DO NOT put high carbon blades in a dishwasher. They will rust during one washing. Instead, just rinse them in warm soapy water in the sink.

Now, to answer your question about removing rust...

Soak the blade with WD-40 for several hours. I usually spray the blade heavily, leave it for an hour, wipe if off, respray it, wait an hour, wipe it off, and repeat maybe one or two more times.

Next, I use 2000 grit sandpaper (which you can obtain from an auto body paint shop). I have a 6" x 6" piece of rubber gasket material that I lay a piece of sandpaper on. Then I lay the blade flat on the sandpaper and scrub/slide if back and forth vigorously. Keep moving the blade to clean areas of the sandpaper as the abrasive clogs quickly.

Doing this will turn a rusty high carbon (as in 1095 steel), into something that shines like chrome, as shown in the following photo:

858ot-4.jpg
 
The Sabatier high carbons are a pretty good line. I've had a few pieces over the years. Expect that high carbon blades will stain and live with it when they do stain. The stain will become a patina that will protect the blade. It is NOT unsanitary, although Americans have a strong preference for stainless blades. Keep them out of the dishwasher - just wash with soapy water and dry. I use dish liquid that contains a sanitizer to kill any bacteria.
 
Woah, I see some misinformation here. I work in a store that sells all manner of swords and knives, and this advice is based on what I have learned in the 3 months I've been there so far. I hope this helps.

High carbon steels rust(oxidize) from a variety of things, one of the most common is your skin's oils if you touch the blade (NEVER touch the blade!). Otherwise it's the moisture in the air. Keeping a blade in a leather sheath for an extended period (storage) is unwise as leather attracts that moisture and traps it against the blade. For long storage, wood is better.

Unlike with aluminum, the oxidation of steel is NOT a protective oxidation. The oxidation actually harms the blade if you leave it on there (corrosive oxidation).

Removing oxidation from steel blades is very simple and quick using a very small amount of Nevr-Dull. This product comes in a tin that will last you forever and it costs about $6 a tin. It is essentially a bunch of cotton that has been soaked in "mineral spirits". It will not harm your blade. After all the rust is removed, wipe the blade clean with a cloth.

If it is going to be sitting for a long time (As in a display piece), you should probably wax it. I reccomend using Rennaisance Wax, it's what the museums in the UK use to protect their metal pieces. Rennaisance Wax will run you about $15-20 for a small tin. If used frequently, leave it clean or apply sword oil. I reccomend Hanwei Sword Oil. It costs about $7 a bottle. In either case, LESS IS MORE when putting a protectant onto a blade. Think about what you are trying to do. You are trying to put a layer of something between the moisture in the air and the steel. It just needs to be thick enough to seal all the microscopic pits and valleys in the surface of the steel. Any more is a waste and won't be any more effective at protecting the blade. Too much oil can be a mess, too much wax can leave the blade looking "smeared". Wax also tends to attract dirt and dust particles, so you will need to clean it and rewax more often if you use too much.

If I'm wrong about any of this and someone reading this knows better, please post a correction, I'm still learning :)
 
Being old enough to have used numerous carbon steel knives in the kitchen in the past this is what I suggest. Mycrofft is right , don't attempt to keep it shiney, don't use a dish washer. When finished your cutting, immediately wash knife and board with hot soapy [or detergent] water and dry immediately. Rust spots come from leaving water and /or food on the blade , especially acid foods. Patina is beautiful !!
 
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