Help with stained/patina Rex 45 military

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ArnAnders89
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Help with stained/patina Rex 45 military

#1

Post by ArnAnders89 »

Hi all I am posting because I could really use some help. I messed up big time trying to remove the smallest amount of surface rust on my military Rex 45. I used Metal Rescue gel and followed the directions to a T. And this is what happened 😭🤬
Thanks for any help
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VooDooChild
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Re: Help with stained/patina Rex 45 military

#2

Post by VooDooChild »

Flitz gets recommended alot.
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Fireman
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Re: Help with stained/patina Rex 45 military

#3

Post by Fireman »

I would be pissed too. Sorry this happened. I personally would dismantle it and hand polish it out to a mirror finish to prevent future rust. Great knife BTW. I am jealous.
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yablanowitz
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Re: Help with stained/patina Rex 45 military

#4

Post by yablanowitz »

A little Flitz and a lot of elbow grease. Or you could soak it in vinegar and turn the whole thing grey.
FreeGolf
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Re: Help with stained/patina Rex 45 military

#5

Post by FreeGolf »

I removed my rex45 surface rust and patina with some liquid Bar Keepers Friend and agitation (rubbing) with a rubber glove. Got all the staining and patina off but what remained was a really clean blade but just a little pitting from the oxidation. Such is the life of a carbon user. Rock on and keep using it :cool: . I hope the Bar Keepers Friend will take care of your issue that gel made.
Last edited by FreeGolf on Sun Oct 25, 2020 3:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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TkoK83Spy
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Re: Help with stained/patina Rex 45 military

#6

Post by TkoK83Spy »

Yep, Flitz is your best shot...but to be honest, that patina looks kind of cool! I personally think it would look great if you could get the whole blade to get that design. It's nice to have some character to a blade, and now that it's no longer pristine, you should be able to use it hard and cut anything you like and not worry about it. It's one of the best steels around, so use it and love it!!
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TenGrainBread
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Re: Help with stained/patina Rex 45 military

#7

Post by TenGrainBread »

My experience is that there's no need to use chemical rust removers on minor surface rust. Some scotchbrite, fine steel wool, or fine grit sandpaper along with a little solvent (like WD-40) or oil lubricant will remove staining and minor surface rust. Just keep the scotchbrite pad or sandpaper away from the sharpened edge as these are generally made of aluminum oxide which is pretty hard and can dull the edge.
TomAiello
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Re: Help with stained/patina Rex 45 military

#8

Post by TomAiello »

I have a blade that looks kind of like that. I just gave up and went about using it hard. Works for me. :)
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bbturbodad
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Re: Help with stained/patina Rex 45 military

#9

Post by bbturbodad »

Flitz and a Dremel with a felt buffing wheel should remove it but it'll be shinier than the original finish.
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vivi
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Re: Help with stained/patina Rex 45 military

#10

Post by vivi »

I'd just let it develop a patina. Looks cool and helps prevent additional corrosion.
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Holland
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Re: Help with stained/patina Rex 45 military

#11

Post by Holland »

Looks awesome! I would let it keep developing a patina
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Wartstein
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Re: Help with stained/patina Rex 45 military

#12

Post by Wartstein »

TkoK83Spy wrote:
Sun Oct 25, 2020 3:54 pm
Yep, Flitz is your best shot...but to be honest, that patina looks kind of cool! I personally think it would look great if you could get the whole blade to get that design. It's nice to have some character to a blade, and now that it's no longer pristine, you should be able to use it hard and cut anything you like and not worry about it. It's one of the best steels around, so use it and love it!!

Agreed 100%.

But should you just can´t get to like this very "personal" look of your knife (which is perfectly fine too of course):
Others here recommended "barkeepers friend". I never used that stuff myself, but it is often recommended for cleaning sharpmaker rods. Now what I use for cleaning those rods is cleaner for glas-ceramic / ceran cooktops.
Works perfectly well on the rods, might as well work on your blade (perhaps just like or better than barkeepers friend).
The product I use is called "CeraClen" and very cheap, but I am in Europe and don´t know if it is available in other parts of the world
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
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Wartstein
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Re: Help with stained/patina Rex 45 military

#13

Post by Wartstein »

Added to my post above:
I tried out the cleaner for glas-ceramic / ceran cooktops ("CeraClen") for you on a heavily stained O1 blade:
Just applied a bit of the cleaner on a part of the blade and spent like 5 seconds rubbing it with the coarse side of a dish sponge (so not even a really thorough and serious try) - results see below. Not bad, I think - though of course I don´t know if it will work like this on your particular knife.
Good luck anyway, and again: If I were you, I definitely KEEP the cool "stained" look... ;)

Image

Image
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
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