Question: I have received some of my grandfathers and Uncles hand tools. They have not been used for years and are quite rusty. Should I leave them like this or remove the rust and apply something to prevent them from getting so rusty?

Answer: Cleaning off the rust now and conditioning the tools so they will be less likely to continue to rust in storage would be the most beneficial action you can take for the sake of the long term life of the tools. Below are a couple of links to info on rust control.