Ben-Hur Restoration Attempt

[ats200]

Hey everyone,

Before I knew what I was getting myself into I purchased a Shumate Ben-Hur on ebay. It took a while to realize how bad the condition actually was and I gave it a quick cleaning attempt. (before and after pics are below)

Should I go any further or is the pitting too deep? Seems like I've been sanding forever but they just won't go away. If it's too deep and not worth continuing does that mean the blade is useless or can I still hone it up and use it until it eventually dies?

Thanks!