I really don't have a problem with the idea that the steel particles can break off. That's entirely reasonable. And we all know there are many ways or materials to use to degloss a finish or even to add gloss to a finish when the deglossing becomes polishing. What I have said is that I have never seen any evidence of steel wool causing freckling on any of the stocks I have done. I don't hunt in a salt water environment, though I did grow up in Louisiana in a wet and high humidity area along the Mississippi River. If you say that freckling is unavoidable, all I can say is that I have not seen it. What I will do this week is to take my Winchester 9422 and put a small amount of salt water on the stock and see what happens. It has an Antique Oil finish with some open pores and it should have some steel particles in the finish or the pores.
If you are right, I will say so on this forum. And if I don't see any freckling I will say that and will expect you to be civil.
Frankly, I could not possibly care less what you admit to finding or not finding as it is extremely obvious the entire argument has completely slipped past what you use for logic.
Your total lack of comprehension on the Scientific Method is amazing. Where is the control group in your "gonna slap some saltwater on my 9422 stock?" You do not even understand the most basic concept in testing.
Make a sample board with steel wool and without patches side-by-side. Then subject them to whatever you want to test and compare the results. Then you might actually start to understand. Though I admit to feeling even that is highly unlikely...
