What if I have properly maintained a steel product and it still develops rust?

If you have maintained a steel product well and rust still occurs, it is important to know that steel is a product that constantly reacts to the environment. Despite careful maintenance, certain factors can accelerate rust formation.

Below we explain how we handle this at Celtic WebMerchant:

• Own responsibility: You are responsible for keeping your steel products oiled. Since rust is a direct result of environmental factors (such as humidity or acids in fingerprints), we do not compensate for rust damage. It is not possible to prove whether you have maintained a product well or poorly.
• Characteristic: Light rust on steel is not recognized as damage or defect. It is a characteristic of unhardened steel that can occur once the protective layer (such as transport grease or Ballistol) is breached.
• No warranty: Rust is not covered by the warranty, as it is seen as a result of environmental factors or an interruption in the necessary maintenance after use.

What can you do if rust appears?

Fortunately, it is often easy to resolve yourself without the product being damaged:

• Removal: You can often easily remove light rust with fine (black) sandpaper.
• Re-oiling: After you have polished away the rust spot, you must immediately protect the steel again with an anti-rust spray such as Ballistol or an acid-free oil to prevent further oxidation.
• Check storage: Ensure that the product is not stored in a damp place and that you clean and re-oil it immediately after each contact with bare hands.

In short, although it is annoying if rust occurs despite your efforts, preventing and remedying it is part of the regular maintenance of historical replicas.