clean old schrade blade

[meako]

hi
i have an old timer single blade lockback with the side press lock style so i think its maybe 30 years old. I got it off ebay for AU$50. bargain i reckon.
It cleaned up well except for blackening of the blade perhaps due to age would it be ok to try fine wet n dry paperto get it shiny? Also it has a relly bad "engraving" of some initials at the base of the blade & on one bolster. It looks to have been scratched in with a scriber or similar (pretty ugly). any suggestions for bringing it up to its original beauty?
thanks
meako

 

[siguy]

fine wet and dry if you are set on bringing the shine back to the blade, but since it is carbon steel it will turn gray again with use cutting anything acidic at all (fruits and things)

the same will work on the bolsters, but depending on how deep the initials are scribed you might have to remove alot of metal to make them disappear totally..,

 

[meako]

the wet n dry worked well.
the black staining is gone & it is nice & shiny.
As for the "engraving" I think I'll leave it-you are spot on it would take too much metal off . I think that would unbalance the appearance.
lets just say its got character.
cheers
meako

 

[siguy]

good to hear it worked well :thumbup:

 

[CWL]

Put some car wax on the blade, that'll slow down the patina process by quite a bit.