Rust on good kitchen knives

I've inherited a set of high-end knives that were treated poorly: washed in the dishwasher, not dried properly. So they have spots of rust here and there, and the knifeblade is a little pitted. I can take care of the pitting with a couple of decent sharpenings, but I'm not sure of the best procedure to get rid of the rust spots. If I use an abrasive like steel wool, it will leave tiny scratches in the metal, won't it? Is there something I can soak them in to get off the rust?

• Brillo pads. They work like a charm. No scratches.

  Heloise

• Re: Brillo -- their original steel wool pads impregnated with soap, or their green scouring pads?

• You could stick it in a person, OP... Or better yet shoot it point-blank four times. Great Afrikaner home remedies.

  Oscar%20P.

• Stick you knife into a potato and leave it there for a few hours.

• The Brillo pads with soap. Fantastic for the silver reflector pans under your stovetop burners too.

  Heloise