Stained Steel

[Jabaski]

I've been carrying around my Benchmade Bone Collector regularly since I've had it, and I've recently had the time to sit down and re-profile it to 30 degrees.
While meticulously working the tough D2 steel, I noticed that I had some spotty staining near the thumb hole.
I have regularly applied Tuf-Glide to the blade to prevent corrosion, but I guess somewhere along the daily chores, an area was compromised.

I'm no expert when it comes to steel, and I haven't the foggiest idea of how to take care of the spotting without doing further harm to the D2 steel. Should I go at it with some dish soap and baking soda, or are there more favorable methods to consider?

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Oftentimes, for light spotting, simply polishing the steel with Flitz, Simichrome, etc., will clean that up. I'd try this first.

Sometimes, WD-40 will remove light rust stains, usually with a little scrubbing.

Another remedy that works very well, but should be done with care, is to use some Bar Keepers Friend. It's a powder, to be mixed with water, which has some very mild abrasive but also uses oxalic acid to dissolve rust. A paste can be made by sprinkling some powder in a glass dish, add a little water, and mix to paste consistency. Use a Q-tip to dip into the paste, and apply it to the spotted areas. Let it sit for maybe 15-30 seconds (rub with the Q-tip if desired), then rinse it off completely under running water. Then wipe everything dry. I've used this method to remove rust from flatware, and it also works excellently for removing rust stains from china/stoneware that's been sitting in the sink too long, with flatware laying on top. Stains come off immediately, leaving no trace they were ever there. The oxalic acid must be used with care (read all the directions/warnings on the container), and you don't want to let it sit too long on the surface being cleaned. If you have other 'less expensive' knives/tools/utensils that are a bit rusty, you might test the product there, to get a feel for how it works.

Oiling or treating the blade afterwards will help, but only if the blade is CLEAN and DRY. Otherwise, moisture and salts (from your hands) can be trapped under the oil, and will continue to rust.

 

[Jabaski]

Oftentimes, for light spotting, simply polishing the steel with Flitz, Simichrome, etc., will clean that up. I'd try this first.

Sometimes, WD-40 will remove light rust stains, usually with a little scrubbing.

Another remedy that works very well, but should be done with care, is to use some Bar Keepers Friend. It's a powder, to be mixed with water, which has some very mild abrasive but also uses oxalic acid to dissolve rust. A paste can be made by sprinkling some powder in a glass dish, add a little water, and mix to paste consistency. Use a Q-tip to dip into the paste, and apply it to the spotted areas. Let it sit for maybe 15-30 seconds (rub with the Q-tip if desired), then rinse it off completely under running water. Then wipe everything dry. I've used this method to remove rust from flatware, and it also works excellently for removing rust stains from china/stoneware that's been sitting in the sink too long, with flatware laying on top. Stains come off immediately, leaving no trace they were ever there. The oxalic acid must be used with care (read all the directions/warnings on the container), and you don't want to let it sit too long on the surface being cleaned. If you have other 'less expensive' knives/tools/utensils that are a bit rusty, you might test the product there, to get a feel for how it works.

Oiling or treating the blade afterwards will help, but only if the blade is CLEAN and DRY. Otherwise, moisture and salts (from your hands) can be trapped under the oil, and will continue to rust.

Thanks for the tips man, I'll see what I can pick up locally and give it a try.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Thanks for the tips man, I'll see what I can pick up locally and give it a try.

I forgot to mention, the Bar Keepers Friend can be found in most grocery stores, where you'd find the other abrasive cleansers (like Comet or Ajax). There's also a 'liquid' form of the same product which, I believe, is marketed as 'non-abrasive'. Still uses the oxalic acid (you can smell it), which is what really makes the stuff work. Don't have to mix it as a paste, like the other, so it's a bit more convenient to use. Same cautions apply. I haven't seen the liquid in as many locations as the powder, but it might be worth looking for.

Good luck.

 

[fast14riot]

Bar keepers friend is handy stuff. For most of my rust removal needs I just reach in my pocket and grab a penny. Scrape it off with the penny, the copper is softer than the steel. Use Flitz or other polish after to remove residual copper from the blade. Wash with soap and water. Dry completely, and then lightly oil.


-Xander

 

[Phydeaux]

I usually use #0000 steel wool and WD40.

Ric