Kabar handle mold help?

[Sitcomdad83]

Had this stored in basement wrapped in grocery bags.Put light coat of kiwi leather conditioner on handle then a coat of beeswax over that. I stored it in my basement for a month.
Took it out today and handle looked like this. I wiped handle off with a paper towel and it looked dry but It's still solid.
What do I do from here other than not store it in basement anymore?

https://imgur.com/a/FQS9F9P

 

[Alberta Ed]

Store it in in open air in a dry area.

 

[jbmonkey]

Had this stored in basement wrapped in grocery bags.Put light coat of kiwi leather conditioner on handle then a coat of beeswax over that. I stored it in my basement for a month.
Took it out today and handle looked like this. I wiped handle off with a paper towel and it looked dry but It's still solid.
What do I do from here other than not store it in basement anymore?

https://imgur.com/a/FQS9F9P

keep where rh is below 60%...preferably mid 50s to 40%. that rh won't allow mold to grow. as for cleaning mold off leather safely, ill let others give their recommendations.

 

[oldmanwilly]

Maybe rub the leather down with white vinegar to kill the mold, then let it dry. Then rub down the leather with saddle soap or neatsfoot oil several times to properly hydrate the leather and help seal it from moisture.

Somebody around here probably has better advice.

 

[jfk1110]

Obenaufs....... Cleans n protects........Leave the knife out in open air......You trapped moisture when you wrapped it up in plastic

 

[brianv]

Obenaufs is great stuff! Don't wrap in plastic.

 

[l1ranger]

it looks like you got it pretty clean.
if it was me, I'd keep it somewhere in then open air and see if the mold comes back. if it does, I'd go with vinegar or something similar to kill the mold and let it air out some more.
then apply Obenaufs or some other leather conditioner to help keep it in good shape

 

[Sitcomdad83]

Thanks for everyone's reply I let it dry and after a bit of saddle soap and drying handle out I applied a light coat of conditioner and it looks great. Theres no smell or visual evidence of mold so I think it's good to go. Nice leather smell has returned to.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

Neatsfoot oil, while a traditional leather oil, will eventually oxidize and harden, causing leather to harden and crack. It's not as bad of a choice as something like olive oil would be, but there are better options out there these days.

 

[Unicorn161]

I'm going to make some heads pop but this is already moldy, and it's Kabar, it's a knife meant to be used not looked at lovingly like a piece of art.

Scrub it with a soft nylon brush and some saddle soap, then wipe with vinegar, and rinse thoroughly.

If it's rough, you can sand it smooth going from say 220 to 1000 grit sandpaper.
Apply a coating of Obenaouf's leather oil, then soak it in melted beeswax for a few minutes. Or brush it on, or melt it on with a heatgun.
Wipe off the excess wax and after it cools, buff it with a rag or two until all the wax is off and it's nice and smooth.

Store it someplace with less moisture, or if you absolutely must, store it in a sealed container with a large desiccant pack to absorb moisture from the container.