[GraemeJ]

Not a Mac user, but from what I read, it seems to me that what you really need is something that is capable of bulk renaming files. In the good old days of DOS and CPM, this was as easy as falling off a greasy log, with modern OS's such simple functions become harder and harder to achieve.

As a Windows user, I use a program called Total Commander which, apart from being way superior to Windows File Explorer has a load of useful features - including a very powerful renaming tool. It would rip though your 1,000 files in seconds, deleting the offending characters

Although written for Windows, a little net search revealed that it can also be run on a Mac, details here - http://www.codeweavers.com/via/totalcommander8

I can only suggest you check it out and see what it can do for you.