Black spot removal?

R

Relee1

Joined
Oct 31, 2013
Messages
315
Anyone have an answer for removing black spots from a carbon steel blade? Anyone used naval jelly...if so does it work? I have a relatively new GEC that is perfect except for a couple of black spots around the blade etch.
 
Ooh blade etch... I usually use 400 grit sandpaper, followed by 600 then emery cloth and oil... But you probably don't want to sand off the etch. If no one else has a solution you could force patina with an apple, orange, or potato to blend in and hide the spots a bit. You will still see the etch if you don't overdo it.
 
The black spots can easily be removed with a metal polish and some scrubbing; Flitz/Simichrome should work, or a stropping compound can be used as well (green usually works on simple carbon steel like 1095). From what I've read, the blade etches on GEC's 1095 blades are very lightly applied (not very deep at all), and consequently don't take much to remove them. The spots near the blade etch may just be some cast-off from that process. If so, it shouldn't take much to remove it. Naval jelly is pretty aggressive stuff, and would likely be overkill for such an issue.


David
 
I'd try a metal polish of some kind (Simichrome, Flitz, Mother's Mag polish) on a Q-tip, or maybe on the end of a wooden coffee stirrer depending on how close it is to the blade etch, and work directly on the spots. Don't use much, and be careful when rubbing the residual polish off that it doesn't get on the blade etch.
 
jc57 said:
I'd try a metal polish of some kind (Simichrome, Flitz, Mother's Mag polish) on a Q-tip, or maybe on the end of a wooden coffee stirrer depending on how close it is to the blade etch, and work directly on the spots. Don't use much, and be careful when rubbing the residual polish off that it doesn't get on the blade etch.
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Why not get it on blade etching? I've never had it effect any etching, just wasn't abrasive enough.
 
I've significantly lightened the blade embellishment on a GEC Northfield from using some Simichrome paste to remove patina. And that was with me trying to avoid it as much as possible. Not an issue for me since it's a user, but if he's trying to just remove those spots then I suggest minimal contact of metal polish with the decorative blade lettering. Just sharing my experience.
 
jc57 said:
I've significantly lightened the blade embellishment on a GEC Northfield from using some Simichrome paste to remove patina. And that was with me trying to avoid it as much as possible. Not an issue for me since it's a user, but if he's trying to just remove those spots then I suggest minimal contact of metal polish with the decorative blade lettering. Just sharing my experience.
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I was just curious as I've never come close to removing any etching using flitz...about the only time I've messed up an etching was while hands polishing a blade from horrible to mirror shine with various sand paper grits.
 
Well, I did buy the knife used with some patina already on the knife, and after I buffed it off (hand polishing only) I noticed the logo printed on the blade seemed fainter than on other factory new Northfields I own. So I attributed it to the polishing, perhaps erroneously. It may have come from the factory like that for all I know.
 
Bobby3326 said:
Why not get it on blade etching? I've never had it effect any etching, just wasn't abrasive enough.
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Reading about them occasionally in the Traditional forum, some of GEC's blade etches are known to be pretty light, and sometimes vulnerable to fading and/or getting 'lost' in patina on blades (and some users of GEC's knives favor this; GEC might go gently applying the etches for this reason). Other brands' etches don't come off so easy; but with GEC's blades, it's a known issue or characteristic with them.

IF one is concerned about rubbing off the etch itself with abrasive polish, use the eraser on a pencil to 'scrub' the localized spots with polishing paste; that'll make it easier to focus only on the spots without washing out or removing the etch itself.


David
 
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