How To Is there a way to remove this pitting?

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Funkete

Joined
May 3, 2022
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I left this dagger sitting on the old scabbard and it seems to have created a pitted area.
Not quite sure how it happened so quickly.
Is there any way to improve this situation.
Is an antique dagger. Collectors have told me to leave it lest I make it worse but I just wondered if there was some way of minimising the black spot without affecting other parts of the blade and removing cross grain.

Thank you for your help

https://imgur.com/a/tA9Ppyl
 
Bill DeShivs said:
Unless you match the grit the blade was ground with EXACTLY. and sand in EXACTLY the same direction it was ground, whatever you do will show worse that the spot.
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Hmm

The spot is pretty black though. Is there anyway to change that colour? Like very very fine dabs of silver paint?
 
I'd say both knife and scabbard are in remarkably good shape for an antique. Aside from the blemish on the blade, the thing looks brand-new.

Even if you cover up the blemish with something, you'll always know it's there. It might be best to just learn to live with it.

If it is a valuable antique, any restoration work done on it by anyone other than a certified restorer could greatly reduce it's value.
 
killgar said:
I'd say both knife and scabbard are in remarkably good shape for an antique. Aside from the blemish on the blade, the thing looks brand-new.

Even if you cover up the blemish with something, you'll always know it's there. It might be best to just learn to live with it.

If it is a valuable antique, any restoration work done on it by anyone other than a certified restorer could greatly reduce it's value.
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Well 87 years old. So not super antique.
But yeah very good condition that's why I'm gutted that I rested it on the scabbard and got this spot eaten into the blade
 
does the pitting have actual depth?
if it's rather superficial, first to try is barkeepersfriend BKF: it will for sure remove the blackness ("color") inside the pitting.

then the pitting (its depth) itself .. i'd get over it, move on, and simply enjoy life.
life. too. short.

compare it with a 1mm-deep pit in an actual mirror. whatever you'd try on the mirror surface (grinding, sandpaper, buffing, polishing), it's obvious that the result will look worse (distorted, scratched, widened ruined mirror finish!) than the original cute speck ("freckle") on the perfectly mean-flat mirror surface.

anyway, whatever you actually do, please show us an AFTER photo two thanks!
 
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IF it were just any user knife, the BKF (Bar Keepers Friend) treatment as mentioned earlier could work just by mixing the powder with some water to a paste and applying a small dab of that to the spot. Let it sit for no longer than 60 seconds, then rinse it away with clean water. Make sure no trace of the BKF remains.

BUT, being a collectible with (possibly) some real value, I'd likely leave it alone, in this case. BKF can work magic on spots like this, but it's also capable of etching the steel somewhat, if left in contact too long. Even stainless steel can be etched by it. Simple carbon steel would be more vulnerable.

And if there is actually pitting aside from the discoloration, the pitting will still be there after the fact. It's just the black oxide that would be removed, making the pitting less visible or obvious.
 
Obsessed with Edges said:
IF it were just any user knife, the BKF (Bar Keepers Friend) treatment as mentioned earlier could work just by mixing the powder with some water to a paste and applying a small dab of that to the spot. Let it sit for no longer than 60 seconds, then rinse it away with clean water. Make sure no trace of the BKF remains.

BUT, being a collectible with (possibly) some real value, I'd likely leave it alone, in this case. BKF can work magic on spots like this, but it's also capable of etching the steel somewhat, if left in contact too long. Even stainless steel can be etched by it. Simple carbon steel would be more vulnerable.

And if there is actually pitting aside from the discoloration, the pitting will still be there after the fact. It's just the black oxide that would be removed, making the pitting less visible or obvious.
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Yeah I understand that nothing can be done about the pitting without grinding it down around it which of course would then be obvious but all I'm trying to do is get rid of the blackness.
If there was a safe way to do that of course it would still be visible because of the pitting but it would be not as obvious if it wasn't black
 
kreisler said:
does the pitting have actual depth?
if it's rather superficial, first to try is barkeepersfriend BKF: it will for sure remove the blackness ("color") inside the pitting.

then the pitting (its depth) itself .. i'd get over it, move on, and simply enjoy life.
life. too. short.

compare it with a 1mm-deep pit in an actual mirror. whatever you'd try on the mirror surface (grinding, sandpaper, buffing, polishing), it's obvious that the result will look worse (distorted, scratched, widened ruined mirror finish!) than the original cute speck ("freckle") on the perfectly mean-flat mirror surface.

anyway, whatever you actually do, please show us an AFTER photo two thanks!
Click to expand...
Yes I agree about not trying to remove the pitting it's just the blackness that I would like to minimise.
 
0000 steel wool and oil. Won’t scratch the blade but it’ll take off the rust.
 
You can get a q-tip dipped in isopropyl alcohol and LIGHTLY rub the area in the direction of the current scratch pattern. It might not remove much of the oxidation but it also shouldn’t hurt the finish.

You could probably find a maker that would refinish the whole blade but you’d have to pay a hefty fee if you want high precision work.

Good luck.
 
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