Lowest Grit Sandpaper While Preserving Blade Etching

[jseitz]

Is there a general consensus as to the lowest grit sandpaper that you can use and still preserve blade etching. I'm going to try my first restoration and plan to hand sand (which I've read up on). The blade is a Wade & Butcher Celebrated. The etching looks good and well preserved, but there is some heaving rusting and pitting elsewhere that would require the really low grits to completely remove. But if I do that, then I'm pretty sure the etching would go along with it. Thanks!