[ArfinGreebly]

So, today I dropped by a feed store I've been meaning to visit since I moved here to North Idaho.

I walked in, the fella asked if he could help me, I told him I was just browsing, as I hadn't visited the store since I moved to town.

I noticed he had a bin of knives by the register. Just generic "cheap Chinese" folders. I sighed. "Don't suppose you have any Case knives?"

"Yeah, I think we do . . . had them in stock for . . . like . . . five years or so . . . here we go."

Behind the register stand, out of view to all but those actually looking for them, were three Case knives.

Two of them in gift tins (a John Deere, Green Bone Stockman in stainless, and a Coke Bottle shaped knife -- in a Coca Cola gift tin -- with a blade set that looks like a Peanut, also in stainless), and one yellow-handled Sod Buster Jr in CV, still in the original (if somewhat beat-up) box.
http://www.noisyroom.net/pix/thr/2008_0814-Knife/Smaller/2008_0814-Knife001.jpg
On opening the sodbuster, we found this:
http://www.noisyroom.net/pix/thr/2008_0814-Knife/Smaller/2008_0814-Knife006.jpg

http://www.noisyroom.net/pix/thr/2008_0814-Knife/Smaller/2008_0814-Knife014.jpg

http://www.noisyroom.net/pix/thr/2008_0814-Knife/Smaller/2008_0814-Knife015.jpg

On examination of the piece, it seemed to me that this could be salvaged. I asked him if he'd consider knocking five bucks off the $20 store sticker.

So, $15 later, I made my way home with this.
http://www.noisyroom.net/pix/thr/2008_0814-Knife/Smaller/2008_0814-Knife004.jpg

It has, as you can see, rust on the left side of the blade and rust along both sides of the actual sharpened edge. It's not really awful (other than the Capital Crime of letting a Case XX knife rust), and I'm sure the rust can all be removed and the edge made somewhere between wonderful and perfect.

However, since I've not done a red rust removal project on this kind of blade before, I thought I'd run this past you guys and see what suggestions are forthcoming.

I'm all ears.

[DRYHUMOR]

Polishing compound, patience, clean rag. Should clean up well.
Good deal though.

[Valkman]

Yea I'd start with some Flitz or something like that. I just start with the least abrasive stuff and see what works.

[bikerdoc]

light oil, and elbow grease

as a last resort 2000 grit emory paper

[Todd A]

Same as bikerdoc.

Oil and cloth .

2000 grit auto-body paper with 3 in 1 oil with light finger pressure as a last resort.

[Valkman]

Send it and I'll sandbl- er, beadblast it for you. :)

[HiWayMan]

I just used an old brass bore brush and some 3in1 oil to clean up a Boker Soddy in the exact same condition I picked up two days ago. Worked like a charm. The brass bristles won't mar the rest of the finish.

[Irwin]

How come the rust is only on a little of the blade and not all of it? Is there possibly something inside the handle causing this? Or is it just change in humidity and heat rapidly? Irwin

[ArfinGreebly]

That's pretty simple.

The thing's been on the shelf since January of 2003, so that's . . . five years and seven months, and has been viewed and touched and fondled many times during that period. It's plain from the condition of the box, the wear on the flaps, and so on.

You take piece of carbon steel and get your grubby mitts on it, then leave your prints, oils, acids and whatnot on the blade and stick it back in the box without wiping it off, and presto! Some time down the road you will have rust.

I learned that little gem from a knife shop proprietor many years ago when I asked him why he wiped each knife after showing it to a customer.

First time I've seen it in practice.

[sixgunner455]

The other part of why most of the rust seems to be on the edge is that the rest of the blade was mirror polished at the factory, and that seems to slow down the formation of corrosion by making the surface more resistant to letting moisture stick to it. The edge, being sharpened but not polished after, has more open pores in the steel, and is rough enough to allow moisture to form there..

[ArfinGreebly]

So . . . I've started playing with workin' on it.

Picked up some fine grit valve grinding compound from the auto parts store, and using that on Q-Tips, here's how it's going so far.
http://www.noisyroom.net/pix/thr/2008_0816-Knife/Smaller/2008_0816-Knife015.jpg

http://www.noisyroom.net/pix/thr/2008_0816-Knife/Smaller/2008_0816-Knife016.jpg

http://www.noisyroom.net/pix/thr/2008_0816-Knife/Smaller/2008_0816-Knife017.jpg

http://www.noisyroom.net/pix/thr/2008_0816-Knife/Smaller/2008_0816-Knife015x.jpg



Notice there's still a "shadow" where the larger rust blotch was.

The edge has been dressed on a medium stone and a diamond steel, along with some stropping with the polishing compound.

I'll be getting some finer grade paste or rouge if I can find it.

I'm not sure I'll get it "perfect" but when it's as good as I can get it, then we'll apply the patina.

(Funny how you develop a fondness for a blade after you've spent a little time with it.)

Hey, it may be lipstick on a pig, but it's my pig.

:D

[Todd A]

Looking good.

Nice knife rescue.

[bikerdoc]

Good job.
your on the right track
Mothers mag and aluminum polish is a good product I use to polish. I believe it is 1 micron grit.
I use a piece of cardboard and a little polish and rub.
When the polish turns black get a new piece of cardboard and more polish.
Before you patina clean the blade of all polish residue.

[sixgunner455]

Once the rust was gone, the shadow just looks like character to me. I'd just use it, and let that blade darken up. Pretty soon, you won't be able to see where the rust was anyway.

[ArfinGreebly]

Behind the register stand, out of view to all but those actually looking for them, were three Case knives.

Two of them in gift tins (a John Deere, Green Bone Stockman in stainless, and a Coke Bottle shaped knife -- in a Coca Cola gift tin -- with a blade set that looks like a Peanut, also in stainless), and one yellow-handled Sod Buster Jr in CV, still in the original (if somewhat beat-up) box.
Well, since I didn't already have one . . .

I went back and picked up the John Deere. Five years on the shelf. Needed a little TLC on the edge.

Now riding EDC in side pocket. Does a real number on tomatoes.

http://www.noisyroom.net/pix/thr/2008_0822-Knife/Smaller/2008_0822-Knife001.jpg

http://www.noisyroom.net/pix/thr/2008_0822-Knife/Smaller/2008_0822-Knife004.jpg

Eight dots, 2002 (the soddie is a nine-dot 2001)
http://www.noisyroom.net/pix/thr/2008_0822-Knife/Smaller/2008_0822-Knife007.jpg

*Sigh*

(That's a little sigh of contentment.)