Tips: Restoring old "japanese" Chisels from rust etc..

[Stanley Covington]

So if i get it right, the cleaning procedure is as follow.
After i remove the handle i scrap carefully most rust from the flat surfaces. For the hollow and neck i need to use wet or dry sandpaper. Then clean up with some lacquer thinner.

As i understand the convertion of rust to magnetite is only needed to get the black color back to the chisel / Ura and get a good black finish before flattening and sharping. right?


I wonder, if you guys see the photos, is it possible to get those chisels almost back in the original finish?

The conversion of rust to magnetite is not only cosmetic. It also stops the existing rust from progressing, and protects against future corrosion not to mention abrasion. It's tough stuff.

There are bluing chemicals sold by Birchwood Casey and Brownells that will readily make a uniform (too uniform) black color if you prep by degreasing the blade, and removing all the existing rust down to bright metal. Corrosion resistance will be low, and abrasion resistance will be zero, but some people will like the unnatural appearance.

The rust blue method I described takes time and trial.

[Lambis Stratoudakis]

Just a follow up to Stanley´s way of restoring chisels. I have a old heavy rust chisel with pittings and have given a try before i use the technique to my old ouchis
(btw. photos of the ouchis are on follow link, so you people have a good idea what the condition are and may can help better http://lambisstratoudakis.com/Ouchi )
Anyway i have archived some conversion of rust to magnetite but its not uniform and just a thin layer of black, until now i have redoit 3-4 times.
The rusting process is the issue as its not getting uniform in all places. I have think, but not try, if i don't just try to create rust with hydriperoxide.
A other think... i am just curious,,, is the original black in new chisels some black lacquer I have hear they use a pld kind asphaltum paint.

[Stanley Covington]

Just a follow up to Stanley´s way of restoring chisels. I have a old heavy rust chisel with pittings and have given a try before i use the technique to my old ouchis
(btw. photos of the ouchis are on follow link, so you people have a good idea what the condition are and may can help better http://lambisstratoudakis.com/Ouchi )
Anyway i have archived some conversion of rust to magnetite but its not uniform and just a thin layer of black, until now i have redoit 3-4 times.
The rusting process is the issue as its not getting uniform in all places. I have think, but not try, if i don't just try to create rust with hydriperoxide.
A other think... i am just curious,,, is the original black in new chisels some black lacquer I have hear they use a pld kind asphaltum paint.

I had thought the rust was more widespread and uniform. That explains the splotchy results.

There is probably still some lacquer applied by the manufacturer that is preventing rust from developing properly. That will need to be stripped away.

Japanese blacksmiths do not and never have used paint or asphaltum to color their chisels. it is a natural black oxide. However, in order to get a more uniform finish, for a number of reasons, not all of which are laudable, some use a bluing chemical that makes a very uniform black finish. Gun blue in all but name. Not durable.