does storing a knife in a leather sheath really "destroy" steel?

[jbmonkey]

i have heard for years now that the tanning process and chemicals used in making leather into sheaths will cause massive harm to all steels, carbons, stainless, super stainless, etc.

is this true, meaning in real world not in a lab scenarios?

reason i ask is i have a ka-bar short i bought sight unseen and i dislike it. do to it not being a short blade and full size eveything else, but more like a mini version knife. long story short i left it in the leather sheath for over 2 years now, maybe longer and never treated the exposed knife edge with any oil or tuff cloth or silicon or anything and it appears to be in the same shape as it was brand new. no markings or staining, or anything. so this got me thinking.....maybe this age old warning is not so realistic, or maybe it has been simplified and the important part about storing a knife wet or filthy with crud in leather creates a catalyst that causes the issues?

anyone ever put a knife away clean with out persevatives of any kind in it's leather sheath and come back much later and found rust or staining or acidic attacking of the steel? pictures would be great as well, but i know that is asking allot. thanks in advance.

 

[Modoc ED]

I'm no expert by any means but these are my thoughts. Knife makers use leather for their sheaths that is tanned with a process and chemicals that are steel/metal/scale friendly as do sheath makers.

I store all my Buck knives in the sheaths they come in from the factory as well as other brand knives. Sometimes there will be some discoloration on the brass of these knives but it easily cleans up with an oily rag

 

[JD Mandrell]

I see a lot more tarnish to brass bolsters and guards from being left in leather sheaths, than I do blades rusting.

Worst one I saw, was a Backjack Knives Trailguide that was left in it's sheath in a closest for 6 years. Brass guard had green stuff everywhere it made contact with the sheath, and the green had stained the leather at those points, but the A2 blade was totally fine.

 

[archieblue]

if you live in a humid area the leather can absorb moisture and hold it against your blade.

 

[jbmonkey]

if you live in a humid area the leather can absorb moisture and hold it against your blade.

good point, and i do though. i live in the deep south in the swamps. of course i have air conditioning which removes allot of the humidity down to about 50% inside my home. so this may be my blessing in my particular case? as it was stored inside, not in my unconditioned garage.

 

[Charlie Mike]

I haven't had any advers effects on my 5160 small bowie or the brass guard.

 

[Apec]

Interesting. My Bark River Rogue develops a patina when left in the sheath. Which isn't a bad thing, but any sort of mild/surface corrosion can kill a fine edge.

 

[neuron]

Echoing the previous responses, all else being equal, storing your knife in the sheath will increase the probability of prolonged exposure to moisture and, with it, corrosion. That doesn't mean that it'll happen every time (or even most of the time), just that it's more likely than if you were to store the knife out of the sheath.

 

[Alberta Ed]

I treat my leather sheathes inside and out with SnowSeal, well melted in. It keeps the leather from absorbing moisture and I've never had a problem with carbon steel blades rusting. I take the sheathes apart and re-stitch them with waxed nylon thread after treating them.

 

[jbmonkey]

Interesting. My Bark River Rogue develops a patina when left in the sheath. Which isn't a bad thing, but any sort of mild/surface corrosion can kill a fine edge.

exactly what i was always told, but i put that ka-bar short/mini away sharp as i sharpened it up and it performed on paper the same when i pulled it back down a couple days ago. in this case which isn't science and a proper experiment by any means, that chinese made leather, i assume, had no detrimental affect on the edge....but i have always heard just what you said. maybe it takes humidity and a long time to have that affect? what you say?

 

[SuzukiGS750EZ]

I have an 01 fixed blade i keep in sheath year round. Haven't had any issues. The inside of the sheath is just straight leather, not dyed or anything. I also coat the blade in oil, so maybe that makes a difference. My buck 110 also stays in sheath year round, no issues with that either.