While this post isn’t exactly about crafts or druidry it’s still relevant to many of us. Permit me a couple of paragraphs to explain why before the ‘how to’ walk through.
Druids, amongst other things, are often keen lovers of history; often drawing inspiration from accounts of gods and heroes that are millennia old.
For many though we miss the small stories of the items around us while finding ourselves actively drowning in the chosen narratives of the powers that be.
We can challenge the inhumanity of mass production and convenience focused consumerist capitalism by looking to the everyday items around us that hold artistry in the making and human stories in the using.
The starting point for this blog was the discovery of an old 1915 stamped jack knife that came my way from a late great Uncle. It holds part of their story in my memory and in the restoration and use of this item I see their hands working with mine.
This Jack knife is of a model issued up until the late 1950s (at least) and was probably issued by the army in World War 1. So, understandably, it has accumulated knicks, scratches and rust, but it’s high quality carbon steel and super sturdy and so has a lot of life left in it yet.
It was almost rusted shut at the start of this process buy, should you find yourself in possession of a similar carbon steel item you could follow the simple steps below to restore functionality, if not always beauty, to your tool.
This technique will work on chisels, auger bits, knives and even larger tools like billhooks.
Before you begin you should check that your handle is unlikely to be affected by a vinegar bath- some bone handles benefit from being coated in vaseline or mineral oil before submerging to offer a little protection.
How to:
STEP 1: Pepare. If your item is heavily costed in rust then it’s wise to prepare it with an initial scrub down with a wire brush to remove as much loose material as possible. If your tool has been previously oiled and it’s still evident then a soak in hot soapy water should help emulsify the oil so that the vinegar bath can work it’s magic.
STEP 2: Container. If at all possible open any folded blades, if not, a longer soak may be required. Once your item is ready select a non-metallic container to house your acid bath. I chose an empty tetrapack of coconut water and cut a hatch, big enough to fit the knife, in one side. A plastic tray will work just as well.
STEP 3: Choose your acid. I suggest using a mixture of cider vinegar and white spirit vinegar at a ratio of 30%:70%…. but spirit vinegar alone will work. Lemon juice is another option but varies in strength and ergo reliability. Pour enough vinegar in to cover the metal item once in the container.
STEP 4: Soak. Heavily rusted items need more soaking than lightly rusted items. Generally, a good starting time is around 10-12 hours – so at least overnight.
STEP 5: Scrub. Using steel wool or a wire brush (and being mindful of where your fingers and any sharp edges might get overly acquainted) scrub as much rust off as you can.
STEP 7: Repeat. If you’ve managed to get as much rust off as you wanted then feel free to go on to the next step. But, if there’s still patches of rust on then soak for another few hours and repeat the scrubbing. If no bubbles have appeared on the metal after being submerged for an hour then your vinegar might need replacing- acids only work until they’re exhausted.
STEP 8: Wash and oil. Your blade may well be pitted but rust free once the process is completed and you may wish to grind a fresh edge or even grind a few of the shallow pits out if they bother you.
If not then simply wash the acid off and dry well. A coat of oil (mineral, vegetable or animal) will protect the metal against future rust, especially if replenished frequently. I used a lubricant oil like WD40 to get in to all the moving parts of a pen knife, but will touch up with any fat if the blades get scuffed up.
Alternative options include salt scrubbing and sodium bicarbonate paste… but I’ve had less easy success with those.
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Druid of Manannan 