Martin, all I use is just ordinary household white vinegar.
I get the blade as clean and oil free as possible first by washing with dishwash liquid, then I put it into a wall paper trough --- that which is used for hanging wall paper --- cover it with vinegar & take it out daily to brush under running tap water. Any little bits of hard rust I pick off with a sharp tool, a little pocket knife blade works OK, I use a saddlers awl.
I have tried cleaning vinegar , its supposedly stronger, but to me they both seem pretty much the same & cleaning vinegar is twice the price of the cheapest ordinary white vinegar.
I can see no point at all in diluting the vinegar, but in the past I have added a bit of hydrochloric acid to it, didn't seem to make much difference, if any at all.
When all the rust has gone I rinse thoroughly & drench with WD40, that is, if I do not immediately stain with warangan. Sometimes an old blade will come through the vinegar clean process with the pamor already good enough for viewing.
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