RE: The levers, too, have some cosmetic issues - made more difficult to rectify by the QR buttons but they should clean up nicely. Too bad I'm going to lose the Shield logos, though
With fine instruments, a little "relic-ing" is not only acceptable, but adds to the value -- unless it's being passed off as an NOS closet queen, of course. You'd never restore at the expense of sacrificing the original stamping and other authentic details. You can lose the road rash without destroying the mark, couldn't you?