How can I remove surface rust from a cleaver and keep it off I was in Amish country in Ohio last weekend and found this in an antique shop. It seemed interesting and reasonably priced so I bought it. I did notice the surface rust. The cleaver is 9" from heel to toe on the blade and weighs almost 3 pounds.

Can someone tell me how to remove the surface rust and how to keep it from rusting? Does anyone know what kind of cleaver it is and what it is good for?

Thanks
For the rust you can try an oxalic acid cleaner like Barkeeper's Friend (try it on a small spot first!).  It's worked great for my bakeware's cooked-on spots, and should be useful for rust as well.  Using it will be a bit of trial-and-error, because leaving the metal exposed for too long will etch it, and not long enough won't clean much.

For rust prevention, just clean the cleaver after each use and thoroughly dry it.  I'm not sure what it's made of, but those steps should suffice to prevent rust formation.  If you're obsessive about this, or don't cleave often, you can coat it in petroleum jelly afterwards (I do this with my straight razor.  It's probably not feasible for a kitchen tool unless you're storing it away).