pitting

[kquest]

Hi,
I recently purchased a M-1910 Bolo knife. The blade has no active rust, but is badly pitted. Is there any way to remove this pitting

 

[Doug C]

Once pitted,no. Use Tuff-Cloth to prevent any further damage.

 

[Cliff Stamp]

You can use any of the chemical cleaners to remove the rust in the pitting, to actually remove the holes made by the pitting you have to sand the entire surface down.

-Cliff

 

[kquest]

Thanks for the response.
There is plenty of material to work with. But does sanding to bring the blade surface down to eliminate the pitting ruin the value of the knife? It would nice to at least get rid of the dark color in the pits. I have been using WD-40 as a lubricant and sanding wih 400 grit wet sandpaper.

 

[Gryffin]

You can use any of the chemical cleaners to remove the rust in the pitting

Just curiously, what works best for this?

I've used Naval Jelly in the past, but I don't think it's very effective. I've taken to using a brass brush on my Dremel to remove it mechanically without scratching the steel, but I'd rather use a chemical first, to get where the brush won't reach.

 

[whittet]

I have that problem too.

http://users.primushost.com/~whittet/badly pitted.htm

My solution is take the handle off, regrind, sand with successive grits
put a new handle on.

 

[Cliff Stamp]

Just curiously, what works best for this?

Little experience with them, I ignore the rust that doesn't come off with a gentle wipe, the black oxide is stable anyway. For restoration ask someone like Chas Clements who has used a bunch of them and does presentation grade work.

But does sanding to bring the blade surface down to eliminate the pitting ruin the value of the knife?

It can, it depends on the knife and your ability to finish it.

-Cliff

 

[kquest]

Just wanted to thank all for the suggestions. I am just giving the blade a thorough cleaning with the fine sandpaper and #0000 steel wool. I cleaned the pitted areas with a fine wire brush on the Dremel. The metal looks good, no scratches. I am considering spraying a thin coat of clear lacquer to the cleaned blade to preserve it.
Regards,
kquest