Kukri blade sticking in sheath

[Silent Raven]

Hello all, I have a handmade Kukri that i purchased in about 2007 or 2008 and i havent used ti much since then. when i found it recently i found it almost impossible to remove the blade from the sheath, having to pull with all my might to remove it. I was wondering what type of oil i could use in the sheath / on the blade to help lubricate it. the sheath is wooden and wrapped in buffalo hide, and there is no way of removing the wrap to sand down the wood on the inside. any help would be great. it looks almost identical to the one on the wiki page, and i would guess its made of the same materials. here are a few pictures, since the pics have been taken i have cleaned up the blade and sharpened it.

 

[Unicorn161]

I'd try wax before oil. Something like Johnson Paste Wax. Has the sheath been stored in a damp place that could have caused the wood to swell? And what is on the blade in your picture? It looks kind of like rust in the picture.

 

[not2sharp]

The wood underlay has expanded due to humidity. Try to dry it off or file it down until the blade fits. As for the blade, you can apply chrome polish to take off some of the rust and follow up with a light coat of mineral oil (baby oil)..
.
n2s

 

[Bigfattyt]

Also, avoid long term storage in the sheath. The steel will rust and stick in the sheath.

As you learned.

 

[ArchAngel]

Something that I have done for a few of my khuks that were too tight in the sheath. First make a wooden wedge slightly thicker than your khuk that can be used to stretch/spread your sheath. Next soak your sheath in slightly warm water until the leather is nice and saturated. Then place the wedge into the sheath (slowly) stretching the saturated leather and spreading the wooden core. Be careful not to go too fast and rip the leather. Once you have it in where you want it set it aside and let it dry slowly and completely. At least a week. After it has dried test out the fit. You will notice that the wooden core halves have been pushed away from each other. If it is where you want it and fits good, you can stop there, (or) as I did, mix up some clear epoxy, thin it slightly with acetone, and inject or place in with thin probe between the two wooden halves so the wood can not come back together. It works great and has lasted on the first one I did it to for over 10 years.
Good Luck