Remove Decarb Layer?

Lots of talk about "decarb" layer, but I think it is a misused term. Of the ones I stripped, I did nothing much to the grayish finish under the coating. Just left it there. Except a SS I heavily modified by changing into a straight edge. That just used a bit of wet sandpaper. 400 grit???

The grey stuff is not really decarb. If you ever see real decarb in the Wild, you will know it. It is super rust aggressive. The early competition finishes that had true decarb left on them rusted very very easy ( but still not deeper than that outer layer). The grey finish underneath all the coating I've seen stripped, is not prone to rust in my experience.
 
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Yes, I have stripped a few. The finish underneath is like a bead blasted finish. Obviously done to remove any decarb that may have been there, and to help the paint to adhere to the steel. Never had any problems with rust, and I put em away dirty.

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Thank you for the replies. I thought that every coated blade had decarb underneath. Obviously I was wrong. Sorry for the troubles.
 
I have stripped many. Whatever the grey base layer really is, I use a Scotchbright wheel to grind/buff it off. Leaves a decent ghetto satin.
 
I've had what I thought was decarb and I've had some serious decarb that started rusting quickly. In the last a ScotchBrite wheel usually did the trick but with some of these later knives I haven't been so lucky.
 
I don't know if it's scale, decarb, or patina from a whiskey bath, but I wet sand it off with various grits of sandpaper and a scotchbrite wheel.
 
Strip it and find out. Maybe you’ll get lucky. If it does you should get rid of it. Any that I have stripped and not removed have quickly surface rusted . Sometimes scotchbrite isn’t enough. You need a belt. Good luck. Post pics
 
On anything other than a corrugated blade, I would use a Scotch-Brite Belt on a belt sander.
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I think the easiest way would be a blasting cabinet. Thinking about getting one soon.
 
First blade I stripped was a TGLB. I bead blasted it to get rid of the "decarb", "dull gray", whatever, layer. The surfaces I could blast never rust. The spots I couldn't blast very well (inside the talon holes) did rust. A lot. Bright orange, Cheeto looking rust. I would remove it.
 
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