Thread: Rust Remover for restoring razors?

Originally Posted by BYUTexan

Here's the situation. I have a Masonic Wade & Butcher razor and I want to preserve the etchings. There are various rust spots that I couldn't get off with a polishing paste Would it be difficult to sand those various spots? or would I need to sand the whole thing?

Ahhhhh you are still working that blade...

OK etching/engraving if you can feel the pattern imprinted in the blade then perhaps you can keep it
I have found the the Murphy's law of etching/engraving is that the pitting is most likely deeper then the design...

The absolute safest method for keeping engraving is the tumbler method, and it will even wipe out etching or wash...
There just is no perfect scenario, to remove pitting one must remove metal, remove metal and you can loose the designs...

Now the tumbler will polish the metal and pits equally so that the pitting looks better but it will still be there...

hope that helps...

Bottom line is that with some razors you just have to live with the pits to preserve the etching.

Originally Posted by Gunner777

Bottom line is that with some razors you just have to live with the pits to preserve the etching.

What is pits/pitting?

That would be areas of deep or sometimes shallow pits in the steel from rust and erosion of the surface steel over time. They are black and usually are small areas grouped together. Sometimes they can be removed in various ways but other times they are deep enough you can only remove part of it.
I'd post a pic but I don't have any right now with significant pitting.

Do you have active red rust on this razor????
Do you have a pic????
Did you put metal polish on active rust????

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Do you have active red rust on this razor????
Do you have a pic????
Did you put metal polish on active rust????

I don't have a camera, so I'll have to borrow one to post pics, but the rust is black in color.

Black could be whats left under the red rust, stains hard to say without seeing it though.

Originally Posted by Gunner777

Black could be whats left under the red rust, stains hard to say without seeing it though.

there is actually some red rust under the black rust in one heavily rusted area

Okay Glen, I have to ask: Would it be bad to put metal polish on red/orange rust?

Being new at this I've paid attention to the WIKI and have begun to learn to sand and polish. One of the first real lessons was to pay attention around engraving. Do not be so aggressive instead work lighter and you may still have to make a choice between losing the engraving or keeping some pitting. In either case the razor can be brought back to a great shine, you may just have to make a thogh choice.