Leather mask??

F

Flyrod444

Joined
Jan 7, 2018
Messages
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I've made several leather mask for some of my axes I use and find that some of the axes rust from touching the leather for long periods of time. Is there any thing that I can do to the leather to prevent this? I've thought of putting oil or grease inside the mask just thought someone here would know of something better. Rust on the cutting edge is never a good thing.
 
Flyrod444 said:
I've made several leather mask for some of my axes I use and find that some of the axes rust from touching the leather for long periods of time. Is there any thing that I can do to the leather to prevent this? I've thought of putting oil or grease inside the mask just thought someone here would know of something better. Rust on the cutting edge is never a good thing.
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That's interesting... 80% of my axes have masks and I haven't had that happen.
I use ballistol and keep a light coat of that on them. Perhaps that's the difference.
Do you oil or coat the axe heads at all?
 
I haven’t had that happen but I have noticed that leather can soak up the oil where it touches an axe. I bet oiling the leather with something like Obenauf’s Leather Oil will work.
 
Fmont may be right. I have no direct experience, as I only use veg tan (chrome just reminds me of photography chemistry which has no place in my leather) but everything I have read leads me to believe that chrome tanned leather should not be used where it will come in contact with silver, nickel, brass or carbon steel (anything that will rust or tarnish) for a prolonged time. Vegetable tanned leather is preferred for this application by all accounts. I leave my axes and knives in the sheaths I make for them for months on end and not a speck of rust.

Edited to add: You might try coating the axe with beeswax and BLO. It may create something of a barrier that will help prevent this. Also, check the Sheaths & Such subforum. It's a goldmine of information and helpful folks.
 
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Thanks everyone, I bought the leather off amazon which was listed as sheath and holster leather. Can't find how it was tanned. I have coated the leather with some neatsfoot oil and oiled axe head since and will try it out.
Thanks again,
 
Yeah, that's the trouble with Amazon. Particularly with items like this. A vague description of what it can be used for and almost nothing about where it came from or how it was made. I've been getting 1'x2' panels from Weaver Leather and it has been pretty great stuff (Hermann Oak). And the tanning method is clearly stated. It is worth a few dollars more to know what it is you got in the box.
 
DB_Cruiser said:
I've been getting 1'x2' panels from Weaver Leather and it has been pretty great stuff (Hermann Oak).
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That sounds great! I've been getting 5lb bags of veg tan 8-10oz scraps from Leather Unlimited. I can get anywhere from 15-25 masks per 5lbs.
What weight(s) leather does Weaver offer? And are they pretty reasonable price wise?
Only reason I'm debating switching is due to all the waste. Still not a bad deal at around 25 bucks shipped per bag. Roughly $1.50 per mask or a little less.
 
Full grain, if I am not mistaken. There can be some imperfections in the surface. Here is a mask I just finished yesterday from 7/8oz I received last week. This is for an old beater axe that my brother loves. I am rehanging it and and figured why not? But you can see some marks on the surface of the leather that came with the leather (I didn't make all of the marks).
IMG-6719.jpg

And my apologies to the OP for hijacking his thread.
 
DB_Cruiser said:
Full grain, if I am not mistaken. There can be some imperfections in the surface. Here is a mask I just finished yesterday from 7/8oz I received last week. This is for an old beater axe that my brother loves. I am rehanging it and and figured why not? But you can see some marks on the surface of the leather that came with the leather (I didn't make all of the marks).
IMG-6719.jpg

And my apologies to the OP for hijacking his thread.
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Gorgeous! Full mark's man!
 
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