Couldn’t find the 3M easily available at a retailer here. An 18 oz tub costs around $60 at Amazon.

So, I went at it with sandpaper I had on hand: 320, 400, 600, 800, 1200, 3000. Then I followed with MAAS again. These results are after 2-3 minutes at each grit.
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A lot of the black stuff came away with no visible pitting or penetration into the steel that I can see. I’m getting itchy to try it out so I’ll put an edge on it and try shaving before I do any more cosmetic work.