Removing Rust From Knives
Rust is the greatest fear of all knife collectors. If left untouched, rust gradually spreads across a knife's surface and can cause pitting (much like acne scars) on the blade. Furthermore, once rust surfaces on a knife, it will, like a disease, have a higher chance of resurfacing even after it has been removed completely. Some say that prevention is the best cure - how true is that! However if it is too late for prevention...
In this tutorial below, we will show you how to remove rust from knives using commonly available materials from the hardware store and make your collection shiny and rust-free again.
In this tutorial below, we will show you how to remove rust from knives using commonly available materials from the hardware store and make your collection shiny and rust-free again.
To remove rust, you will need the following items:
- Metal Polish
- Clean & soft cotton cloths
- #0000 Steel Wool
- WD-40
- Fine grade Sandpaper
- Rubbing Alcohol
- Rags
- Rust remover solution (optional)
- Naval Jelly (optional)
Start with the following steps:
- Determine the severity of the rust. Check to see how thick the rust is. Check if it is surface rust (mild black tarnishing), light specks of brown, or deep orange rust with pitting.
- Wipe down with the WD-40. Leave on for a few minutes before wiping off. This should remove the top most layer of the rust and most of the tarnishing for milder cases.
- Apply metal polish and buff with a cloth several times. This will remove most of the rust and tarnish, leaving only black marks on the blade. Only do this if the blade is not gun-blued or the blade's coating/finish will not be affected by metal polish.
- Stop if you are satisfied! If the above steps removes the rust and leaves your knife looking like new, do NOT carry on with the following steps. Don't fix what ain't spoilt.
- Bring in the #0000 Steel Wool. If the metal polish didn't finish the job, gently brush the blade surface in even and strokes in the same direction to get rid of the black marks and give the blade a nice satin-polished finish. Use some more metal polish if necessary.
- Sandpaper to get rid of pitting. Use only ultra-fine grade sandpaper to even pitted surfaces. If you use too coarse a grade you will end up leaving more marks on the blade and more work for you to do.
- Finish with the #0000 Steel Wool. As one of the finest and most gently materials around, buff the blade lightly and it will look like new!
- Wipe down with Rubbing Alcohol. This will remove all the leftover chemicals and dirt from the knife, as well as remove all the moisture on the blade surface.
- Prevent rust from forming again. Lastly, remember to apply a good rust inhibitant (such as mineral oil, ren wax or Tuf Glide) IMMEDIATELY. See our "Storing your knives" section for more tips.
Note: If the rust on your knife is really thick and you plan on using your knife for hard use (ie not collectible) just soak the blade in a rust removing solution or apply Naval Jelly to get the rust off easily. Oil after cleaning.
If you are unsure of whether you should clean your knives (particularly if they're antique), the best thing to do is not to clean them at all and to seek experts' opinions. If you are set on cleaning them up, let a professional restorer do it for you instead of ruining your heirloom.
If you are unsure of whether you should clean your knives (particularly if they're antique), the best thing to do is not to clean them at all and to seek experts' opinions. If you are set on cleaning them up, let a professional restorer do it for you instead of ruining your heirloom.
