u/Sirak42

Hello community,

I found these embossing punches(?) that apparently came from my grandfather and I thought it would be nice to restore them as a gift to my father.

While I am technically inclined, I am new to restoration and I am worried to damage the tools in the process.

My biggest question, at this stage is, what the pros would recommend for rust removal.
Since the letters at the end of the punch are quite fine, I am worried that acidic solutions might be too aggressive.

I have different options at hand. Like soap, citric acid, aceton, and vinegar.

The punches seem to have some black paint or coating on them but I have no idea what it could be.

Or would you just grind off all rust and paint and then repaint the whole thing? That seems like a nuclear option to me though.

I'd be happy for getting any hint.