Help with cleaning this antique kukri

R

reluinquished

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May 13, 2018
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5
Hello

So I have this kukri knife here and it is a big one.

https://imgur.com/gallery/rmJ8k0V

The blade is very shiny but has some rust and I want to remove the rust without affecting the shine, is polishing paste with a dremmel buffer head the way to go or is there a safer method?
I have read that these blades are made from spring steel and not carbon steel so there is less risk of oxidisation but still some has occurred and I want to restore the piece.

I also want to restore the blades on the smaller kukris which I have been told are actually eating utensils and the gurkas do not use knives and forks, I believe these to be carbon steel, one has more oxidisation than the other.

Can someone recommend me the best oil to coat the blade of this knife and whether it will be good for a WW2 machete I have that has a carbon steel blade? Can I use silicone oil? I am wary of using that or 3in1 oil as it could damage the leather sheath.

Should I use a little neatsfoot for the leather sheath for the kukri?

Thanks
 
"Spring Steel" is a carbon steel.

A rag with mineral spirits will work to take off the rust, or worst case some Mag Polish.
I would not use a Dremel. You'll get swirls.
 
You can also use a wire brush to remove the rust, since the blade is harder than the wire it will not leave any marks. Also, it will be easy to get in those small spaces and get everything out. As for protection, I would recommend watching some of the corrosion tests on YouTube.
 
Try a Rust Eraser on the rust. It takes off surface rust while leaving the underlying patina. If you want to polish that, you can take it from there.
 
I like 0000 steel wool to get rust off...some WD40 if needed. You will probably need to polish afterwards whichever way you go.
 
Some very khukri savvy people at the Himalayan Imports subforum here. The small blades are for sharpening (think butcher honing steel) and personal use. One should be sharp. You can ask a mod to move this post.--KV
 
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