Just picked up one of these at a sale and have a few questions.

It's in relatively good condition but I plan on giving it a thorough tuning.
I'm puzzled about the plane iron though - it appears that it has been ground
in a slight arc across the cutting edge as opposed to a 90 degree cut. Is
this normal for these planes? I've seen some planes with a curved blade
before but wondering what effect it will have if I grind straight across.

2nd item - Although it's relatively rust free, the japanning is chipped in
quite a few places. Having it re-japanned ( is that a word??) is not a
viable option as is trying to do that myself. What might be a good
alternative - I was thinking some sort of epoxy paint. Any ideas?

Thanx,

Vic