Sanding over mfg. stamps

So I am restoring a wade and butcher it has a lot of pitting all over the stamping and I am worried that if I get to aggressive sanding I might lose the wording

Yea, you should worry. Sometimes you can't remove all the rust/pitting without wiping the stampings out. You may just have to live with some residual pitting but that is your call. If you use a buffing wheel I think it would be easy to smear/distort the stampings also. Go easy with a light not too aggressive touch.

Bob

I just use a sanding block, no matter the size, over the stamps. The flat surface helps save the stamps.

Two things you do not have control of..

The depth of the corrosion
The depth of the stamps

Don't lose the Mfg.marking if at all possible some are so Wimpy that they come off with MAAS others are so Strong they can outlast a grinder...

+1 to Glen, if you're really skeptical I would try just a drop of MAAS or light metal polish, if it looks to be too delicate, I would just take some electrical tape or masking tape, and tape over the mark and go about as usual; making sure the tape is changed anytime it looks to be getting worn. The makers mark intact keeps its value and collectibility higher, so preserving that should be priority in my opinion. That is unless it is damaged beyond repair or saving already.