Knife storage in leather sheath

[abraves]

I have a few knives with wood scales and I've stored them in leather sheaths for couple years in my house. I pulled one out the other day and noticed the pins are high were you can definitely feel them. I checked all and I had 3 of them all with wood scales. Apparently its not good to store like that. Actually another one with micarta scales felt rough like it was flaking. I sanded lightly and waxed now its like unbuffed micarta. I'm sending 2 of them to the maker who will refurbish for cost of shipping. Haven't contacted the other maker yet but I'm sure it won't be a problem. Didn't know this and don't really know what causes this. Maybe the leather draws moisture out of the wood even though stabilized. Thoughts.

 

[killgar]

Some leather is processed with harsh chemicals. But I've never heard of a leather sheath causing handle scales to shrink. I suppose it's possible. I know that handles can shrink on their own depending on climate.

Chemically processed leather can also corrode steel, brass, etc. The best leather for knife sheaths and leather washer handles in vegetable tanned leather (no chemicals).

 

[donnord]

If the knife was made somewhere very humid or dry and you live somewhere opposite, I can see that that may happen. I made a knife in Houston and the owner took it to Wash DC and some shrinkage occurred a couple of years later.

 

[Horsewright]

I don’t believe the leather is your culprit. I say this as not only a knife maker but also a leather smith with decades of experience.
Can you tell us what woods are the handles made out of? How are they finished? Are they stabilized or not? This information would help a lot. However I have a working theory. I think the woods adjusted to the moisture in your home. Lil dryer perhaps than outside and they shrunk. Thats why your pins are proud I’m guessing. We have a Spanish style double door on the front of the house. Its made of alder. Beautiful door but it moves all over the place depending on the weather. It happens. Its wood.

Now I don’t recommend storing knives in leather sheaths but not because the wood handles are shrinking. Leather can trap mositure inside and then you can have some rusting problems. It can happen. But even that is relative. I don’t recommend it but I personally do it on occasion. I have very lil problems. On to K killgar ‘s type of leather points. There is something to that. I think the quality of tanning has more to do it with it than the type of tannage. I’ve seen cheap veg tans cause problems and I’ve seen high quality chrome tans cause none. Quien Sabe.

 

[Alberta Ed]

I seal my leather sheaths inside and out with SnowSeal so they won't absorb moisture, and use BreakFree or Vaseline to protect the blades.

 

[Steely_Gunz]

I've seen leather that was chemically treated mar blades. I've also seen scabbards that can hold humidity cause rusting.

I've never seen them damage handles. That's a new one for me.

 

[RPZIP]

I have used Renaissance Wax to seal knife sheaths and holsters inside and out, belts, shoes etc. As far as handle swelling or shrinkage I think that has more to do with storage air humidity levels, temperature, the handle material and as applicable - sealing.

I googled "most moisture resistant hardwoods" and got a bunch of interesting hits, however in the case of shrinking handles where pins become protruding I would say it is:

Type of wood

Whether the wood was properly selected and dried for the application

Sealing

Storage conditions - heat and humidity. Higher temperature and lower humidity are more likely to causes drying out and shrinkage of wood.

 

[Arathol]

Maybe the leather draws moisture out of the wood even though stabilized. Thoughts.

Stabilized wood is wood impregnated with polyurethane, acrylic or some other epoxy resin. Its done to increase dimension stability, ie it does not shrink due to loss of moisture content or expand due to moisture absorption, or it shouldn't anyhow. If the maker says its stabilized wood, you need to be asking some questions...

 

[abraves]

So apparently this isn't the case then. Who knows. Anyway the makers are fixing them at no cost. Again these were from reputable makers.

 

[Murphy Slaw]

My sheath knives are always in their sheaths unless I'm using them.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

I live in the arid southwest of the U.S. In my very dry local climate, I know that the leather work gloves I use in the yard or garage will dry out my hands in a hurry. They really pull the moisture out of my skin. I've gotten into a habit of wearing nitrile disposable gloves under those leather work gloves, just to keep my fingertips and knuckles from drying out and cracking.

If leather can do that to my hands, I'd not be surprised to see it draw moisture out of unstabilized wood (or poorly stabilized) or unfinished wood as well. I'd never even thought about it until reading this thread. But to me, it's definitely a possibility.