Quote Originally Posted by Mastershake View Post
Was the metal breaking down just from the WD40??
That was likely the residue left over from the ferric chloride etch of the damascus. Some smiths leave some on the blade to increase the contrast after polishing, and usually seal the surface of the blade with beeswax. The WD-40 acted like a solvent and dissolved the wax so the residue came off on the TP.