Off Topic Barkeepers friend ?

[Hickory n steel]

Have any of you used it to remove rust from a knife before ?
How abrasive is it, and is it easy to carefully remove rust using it without affecting patina ?

I've got a knife coming that's has what appears to mostly be some fresher yellowish rust, and I was thinking of trying it.
I figure it would be pretty useful if it's a relatively fine abrasive, it is readily available at any grocery store and much cheaper than Flitz or Case paste.

 

[Ernie1980]

I use it to clean my sharpening stones, I have never tried to remove rust. I would just use some steel wool or a wire brush, both of which will remove rust but leave the patina.

 

[kvaughn]

I use it to clean my sharpening stones, I have never tried to remove rust. I would just use some steel wool or a wire brush, both of which will remove rust but leave the patina.

0000 steel wool.^--KV

 

[afishhunter]

I've used Barkeeper's Friend on stainless steel counters and appliances.
It is about as abrasive as Comet or Ajax cleaning powders.
I don't know if it will remove a patina.
I do know it stained a brushed stainless steel refrigerator door I was cleaning.
(The boss was not happy about that, either.)

 

[veitsi_poika]

I've always just used WD-40 Rust release and scotch-brite pads... Green ones if you don't care about slight abrasions and blue ones if you do care. I do intend to try Bar-keepers Friend one of these days though, update us if you do

 

[Cutfinger]

Bar keeper's friend, I believe, is mostly oxalic acid. I use it to remove oxidation from brass harmonica reed plates. It bites into brass very well, removes patina, and leaves a dull etched finish.
It seems work more slowly on steel. I've never used it to remove patina on knife blades, I expect it would or could also leave them with a dull etched appearance. That's probably not the result you're looking for.

Sorry, just reread the OP. This stuff tears off patina

Michael

 

[Hickory n steel]

Bar keeper's friend, I believe, is mostly oxalic acid. I use it to remove oxidation from brass harmonica reed plates. It bites into brass very well, removes patina, and leaves a dull etched finish.
It seems work more slowly on steel. I've never used it to remove patina on knife blades, I expect it would or could also leave them with a dull etched appearance. That's probably not the result you're looking for.

Sorry, just reread the OP. This stuff tears off patina

Michael

Alright, thanks.

Btw, you guys have made me feel like an idiot because for some reason I was not even thinking about steel wool.
Its existence had completely left my brain.

I guess I'll just go a different route with this old Queen bird and trout when I get it ( probably the wet aluminum foil method I've used many times ), but I am going to try the barkeeper's friend on a couple of my rusty old hand saws.

 

[Old Hunter]

0000 steel wool and gun oil will remove surface rust from the blued steel of a gun barrel without damaging the bluing - that’s what I’d try first on a knife. OH

 

[Hickory n steel]

The knife is scheduled to arrive at my PO box tomorrow, but the post office might be closed for new new years Eve.

Either way I'll know when I get it here soon what the rust situation really is and how best to handle it.
The knife is a jigged bone Queen bird and trout, that should be a '32-'50 if the tang stamp charts also apply to belt knives.

 

[Hickory n steel]

Good news, the " rust " is really just patina, it looks like maybe it was put in a tackle box with fish guts on it once or twice.
There's a little rust here and there, but mostly I just need to do some minor edge work clean the bone scales and make a sheath.


The bone on one side is pretty black and it doesn't look like it came that way, guess blood and sweat can do this.