Just one more thing. As many of you know by now, I love the look of bare steel. The problem is that steel rusts. In the past I have used various oils and waxes to preserve my cherished blades, but Busse Knife Group and some other blades are designed for hard use in extreme conditions. The epoxy coating is there to minimize corrosion. While at the Blade Show, a very good salesman convinced me that his product, TUF Cloth, was superior to others in protecting steel from rust. When I told him that I lived on the coast on a salt marsh, he recommended Marine Tuff Cloth (anything with the word Marine has to be tough). It is a micro-bonding oil-free shield for extreme use, saltwater and storage. It has been tested and used by Navy Seals. I bought it. I put it on all the Scrap Yards, Swamp Rats, Busses, and Ranger knives that I have stripped. Now my knives can still be hard use and look good doing it.

Now, I am off to find something to strip.
Thanks for all the info, as well as the pictures.