After cleaning the blade with alcohol and wiping it down with CLP gun oil, if you shine a bright flashlight on it, you can see the stains, without the light they aren't very noticeable if at all.

Is there a better way to take this off? It's not a huge deal but if someone can tell me the method I would be grateful :D

Also, does anyone know how to post photos from the Imac "photobooth" into these threads? If I could show you pictures maybe you could help me better. :p

You know, I am not sure what happened to your blade, but it reminds me of a similar experience. I have a pattern welded knife that I'd used to cut a piece of meat, and found that the blade took a sort of case hardened look after that.

All of my knives made from W1 turn peacock blue and bronze (very much a casehardened look) almost immediately after cutting anything with moisture in it. A quick sanding with 1000 grit sandpaper takes care of it. What sort of finish do you have on the knife. If it is a really fine mirror finish you may have to either live with it or sand it off and re-polish.

its just the acids in the vegies or whatever you are cutting (acid in the blood of meat) staining the blade... or giving a small patina.

if you have a carbon steel knife you can use all sorts of things (vinegar, mustard, sauces, lemon juice, etc) to force this patina on the blade and it will help with it to not rust as quick...

no dramas to the knife at all, but if you don't like it you have to polish/sand it out

I had the same issue after cutting some squash and pumpkins; a qiuck pass with some scotchbrite and oil took care of it. It's not like a mirror, but the faint stains are gone and the metal still has a nice polish to it. Wiping with rubbing alcohol before the scotchbrite helped with the worst of it too

Albion NG have a satin finish of somwhere between 600 and 800 grit, don't they? As long as you use an equal or finer grit than that used in the final polish it will be fine. I cut a lot, and am eternally re-sharpening and re-polishing.

I think Albion uses / recommends a (very?) fine grey scotchbrite? Maybe #7448 but don't recall where I found the reference to cause me to buy some. Confirm via search here, or maybe on Albion web under maintenance?

Link to Albion maintenance: http://www.albion-swords.com/swords/albion/sword-care.htm

I've cleaned up my Albion Fiore a couple times, just follow the instructions on the Albion web site. Especially that bit about starting from the hilt and going in one smooth motion to the point. If you scrub back and fourth, then you change the look of the finish. I use a white scotch pad and it works fine. You'd never know I touched it.

They are close to the kitchen pads, and I would think using one of those would work, but they are talking about the kind you pick up in a hardware store.

Found a grit chart for you, the grey is 600-800 and the green is one step courser, at strait 600 grit. Hope this helps.

http://forums.hammerbowling.com/showthread.php?t=7242