Dont leave your knives in the sheath for a long time!

[Wildthang]

I got some really old knives recently that had been in the sheath for probably 20 years! They belonged to one of the girls Grandfather. The ones with brass finger guards has corroded where they touched the leather sheath and had a large blob of green corrosion right where the brass touched the leather.
I never knew that electrolysis could form from brass against leather!
Has anybody else here seen this?

[Rick]

Leather holds moisture. It will also depend on how the leather was tanned/dyed as to what chemicals the metal will be in contact with. In short, a sheath is used to carry a knife, not to store it.

[kyratshooter]

Have seen it many times.

I have a lot of knives with sheaths made from leather using brass rivets. The rivets holding the sheath together turn green.

[hunter63]

"Really old at 20 years".....LOL.....

Anyway,..... Yeah the do corrode the brass, or copper, or rust the steel rivets, leather get mold on it an starts to crumble.....and the carbon steel blades will rust......deep pitting rust.

I admit that many of knives are stored in the sheaths, in packs, in coats, in vehicles, in drawers, tool boxes, in gun cabinets....many are stainless, many are carbon....some do show signs of corrosion on various parts.

Then again many knives that are my treasured gifts, custom made, or expensive special knives are stored and even displayed, out of the stealth's.

Example of trying to get a sheath back from the dead, is this one for an original knife made for and sold by Herters....

Been working neat's-foot oil in and seems to helping the sheath....not going to polish off the rust and pitting, but did kinda rub them down with oil with a piece of buckskin.

I like the patina and have been know to run onion juice on a new shinny blade to get the "aging: process started.

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[Lamewolf]

I have seen it many times and I think the green corrosion is from chrome tanned leather thus the electrolysis. To clean mold from old leather, first kill it with white vinegar, then scrub it well with saddle soap, let dy and then apply a generous coating of some sort of preservative such as neatsfoot oil or Snowseal.

[hunter63]

That kinda what I have been working on...on the Herter's sheath....think it past saving...at least to look good....I want it to look "Old timey"
Remember each ingredient you have just mentioned is at least $5 bucks........

My Dyer Moccasins are chromed tanned leather, two layers 1/4 think....and they were soaked in mutton tallow to start with....and re-treated with mink oil......and they mold.
I just rube them down and wear them...mold goes away for 6 months or so.
Close to 30 years old now...worn thru the first layer of 1/4" sole in a couple of spots.

[Lamewolf]

That kinda what I have been working on...on the Herter's sheath....think it past saving...at least to look good....I want it to look "Old timey"
Remember each ingredient you have just mentioned is at least $5 bucks........

My Dyer Moccasins are chromed tanned leather, two layers 1/4 think....and they were soaked in mutton tallow to start with....and re-treated with mink oil......and they mold.
I just rube them down and wear them...mold goes away for 6 months or so.
Close to 30 years old now...worn thru the first layer of 1/4" sole in a couple of spots.

I have a set of Dyers also - double sole and also about 30 years old but have never had a problem with mold on them - yet !

[hunter63]

They get packed in the basement for the winter months.....they still have that distinct smell to them....LOL

Carl Dyer used to come out to a local rendezvous and measure your feet....than make them to order....Many years ago.
They still are close to the most expensive shoes I own.

[Sarge47]

Interesting. I don't own but one vintage knife and that's an old USN Kabar fighting knife that didn't have a sheath. So I bought a new one off of Ebay for it. The only other leather sheath I have for a knife is the one Buck made for my #120. It's coated with something and I've see really old ones that show no corrosion to the knives they hold. All the rest are either made from Kydex or Nylon Cordura. Now I'm Glad....

[Rick]

While blades can "breath" better in nylon they can still rust. Most knife manufacturers recommend storing a straight knife in a cardboard sheath. Leather is the worst but kydex and nylon can both hold moisture. Cardboard, on the other hand, wicks moisture away from the knife. They also recommend oiling them 2-3 times per year, which gives you the opportunity to check them for oxidation. Check any manufacturer you want and look for their section on storage.

[Wildthang]

Really old at 20 years".....LOL.....

The knives are much older, he died 20 years ago, so I know the knives have been in the sheaths at least that long.........Hunter.........lol