Thread: Flitz & Q-Tip

This is a puzzling situation, and I think it comes down to how the steel is protected from water and air, both of which must act in combination to produce rusting. I don't believe that one plain carbon steel is intrinsically much more liable to rust than another.

The Dremel may be the new straight razor Tool of Death. I think it has numerous legitimate roles in the restoration of an old one, but I wouldn't use it here. Any polish fine enough not to coarsen the existing polish is likely to remove staining, as long as it is really new staining. I would use it on a piece of leather, lead sheet or similar, rather than a Q-tip, as it would stay in contact and flat better. I would also make the blade too hot for moisture to linger in the pores, before applying protective oil or wax.