diff --git a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/io/HalfStoreFileReader.java b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/io/HalfStoreFileReader.java
index 2119a3e7cbef..f4cccfd03b04 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/io/HalfStoreFileReader.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/io/HalfStoreFileReader.java
@@ -105,13 +105,6 @@ public Cell getKey() {
         return delegate.getKey();
       }
 
-      @Override
-      public String getKeyString() {
-        if (atEnd) return null;
-
-        return delegate.getKeyString();
-      }
-
       @Override
       public ByteBuffer getValue() {
         if (atEnd) return null;
@@ -119,13 +112,6 @@ public ByteBuffer getValue() {
         return delegate.getValue();
       }
 
-      @Override
-      public String getValueString() {
-        if (atEnd) return null;
-
-        return delegate.getValueString();
-      }
-
       @Override
       public Cell getCell() {
         if (atEnd) return null;
diff --git a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/io/hfile/HFileReaderImpl.java b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/io/hfile/HFileReaderImpl.java
index 9c9b38c4906b..e0585c6edaa2 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/io/hfile/HFileReaderImpl.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/io/hfile/HFileReaderImpl.java
@@ -1040,16 +1040,6 @@ protected Cell getFirstKeyCellInBlock(HFileBlock curBlock) {
       }
     }
 
-    @Override
-    public String getKeyString() {
-      return CellUtil.toString(getKey(), false);
-    }
-
-    @Override
-    public String getValueString() {
-      return ByteBufferUtils.toStringBinary(getValue());
-    }
-
     public int compareKey(CellComparator comparator, Cell key) {
       blockBuffer.asSubByteBuffer(blockBuffer.position() + KEY_VALUE_LEN_SIZE, currKeyLen, pair);
       this.bufBackedKeyOnlyKv.setKey(pair.getFirst(), pair.getSecond(), currKeyLen, rowLen);
@@ -1571,17 +1561,6 @@ public Cell getCell() {
       return seeker.getCell();
     }
 
-    @Override
-    public String getKeyString() {
-      return CellUtil.toString(getKey(), false);
-    }
-
-    @Override
-    public String getValueString() {
-      ByteBuffer valueBuffer = getValue();
-      return ByteBufferUtils.toStringBinary(valueBuffer);
-    }
-
     private void assertValidSeek() {
       if (this.curBlock == null) {
         throw new NotSeekedException(reader.getPath());
diff --git a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/io/hfile/HFileScanner.java b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/io/hfile/HFileScanner.java
index 0393d3b788a7..b0022788c38f 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/io/hfile/HFileScanner.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/io/hfile/HFileScanner.java
@@ -106,24 +106,6 @@ public interface HFileScanner extends Shipper, Closeable {
   /** Returns Instance of {@link org.apache.hadoop.hbase.Cell}. */
   Cell getCell();
 
-  /**
-   * Convenience method to get a copy of the key as a string - interpreting the bytes as UTF8. You
-   * must call {@link #seekTo(Cell)} before this method.
-   * @return key as a string
-   * @deprecated Since hbase-2.0.0
-   */
-  @Deprecated
-  String getKeyString();
-
-  /**
-   * Convenience method to get a copy of the value as a string - interpreting the bytes as UTF8. You
-   * must call {@link #seekTo(Cell)} before this method.
-   * @return value as a string
-   * @deprecated Since hbase-2.0.0
-   */
-  @Deprecated
-  String getValueString();
-
   /** Returns Reader that underlies this Scanner instance. */
   HFile.Reader getReader();
 
diff --git a/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/io/hfile/TestReseekTo.java b/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/io/hfile/TestReseekTo.java
index c757798a3940..b40f39777d8a 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/io/hfile/TestReseekTo.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/io/hfile/TestReseekTo.java
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.Tag;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.testclassification.IOTests;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.testclassification.SmallTests;
+import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.util.ByteBufferUtils;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.util.Bytes;
 import org.junit.ClassRule;
 import org.junit.Test;
@@ -118,7 +119,7 @@ private void testReseekToInternals(TagUsage tagUsage) throws IOException {
       long start = System.nanoTime();
       scanner.seekTo(new KeyValue(Bytes.toBytes(key), Bytes.toBytes("family"),
         Bytes.toBytes("qual"), Bytes.toBytes(value)));
-      assertEquals(value, scanner.getValueString());
+      assertEquals(value, ByteBufferUtils.toStringBinary(scanner.getValue()));
     }
 
     scanner.seekTo();
@@ -128,7 +129,7 @@ private void testReseekToInternals(TagUsage tagUsage) throws IOException {
       long start = System.nanoTime();
       scanner.reseekTo(new KeyValue(Bytes.toBytes(key), Bytes.toBytes("family"),
         Bytes.toBytes("qual"), Bytes.toBytes(value)));
-      assertEquals("i is " + i, value, scanner.getValueString());
+      assertEquals("i is " + i, value, ByteBufferUtils.toStringBinary(scanner.getValue()));
     }
 
     reader.close();