How to clean Damascus Steel?

C

citizenal

Joined
Oct 22, 2006
Messages
2
Hello everyone,

I am new to the forums and am a bit overwhelmed.. :)
What do you guys use to clean damascus? I have a custom Damascus knife that has a couple of rust drops and was wondering what do you guys recommend as a buffer or cleaner?

Any help would be greatly appreicated.

Al
 
Welcome to Bladeforums!

"Damascus" is a term used to designate different ways of making steel for a blade. Pattern welded damascus, the kind with the woodgrain appearance, is a mix of different steels, which can be stainless or high carbon.

It looks like yours is high carbon, since you've got some rust, although even stainless steel will rust under harsh conditions.

A good start would be to rub it down with a simple oil, to clean and protect it. I use food grade mineral oil from the pharmacy, but if you aren't going to use it on food, you don't have to be that careful. ;)

If it doesn't come off with mineral oil, try a metal polish. Sanding it off shouldn't be necessary, and can damage the finish on the blade, which would require further sanding with progressively finer grits to restore.
 
I just used Ren Wax successfully on a wallet. I cleaned the coating off a leather insert and the Renaissance Wax restored the leather itself nicely.
 
Welcome to Bladeforums!

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