Leather sheaths bad for storage?

I

icy27

Joined
Aug 2, 2006
Messages
25
I have often heard that a good knife should never be stored in a leather sheath. :eek: I have three questions:

1. Is this true? If so, why?
2. Is this also true for kydex and other synthetic sheaths?
3. What is the best alternative to storing a knife in its sheath?

I appreciate any responses. Thanks. :D
 
the best way to store a knife is well oiled or greased and wrapped in wax paper or plastic wrap. stainless blades will rust but not as easily as carbon steel. i have kept all my customs which are all stainless in their sheaths ever since i had them and none have shown any signs of rust but i keep them upstairs in my room.
 
I have an old Gerber Mark II that I've kept in a drawer in its leather sheath for 35 years. It's made from something like 440C stainless. I do keep a thin coat of 3-in-1 oil on the blade. Aside from an occasional tiny and shallow spot, easily rubbed out, it's never had a problem with rust or corrosion. Carbon steel would have been more of a problem, but in a synthetic or plastic sheath, no trouble at all.

For me the storage question came to this:
1) take a chance on corrosion, or
2) take a chance on dinging or nicking the edge, or
3) like a museum, spend time and money on some elaborate storage system

I don't run a museum.
 
Depends on a few things - the type of steel, the way the leather has been tanned and the climate.

As a general rule it is best not to store them in sheaths but having said that I often do. Stainless blades in most leather sheaths do ok, particularly if you use them regularly and wipe them down before putting them away. I find that brass (bolsters and guards etc) does worst of all when in constant contact with leather. Some makers like Buck now put synthetic liners in their fixed blade sheaths and the blade doesn't really make contact with the leather. What all this means I guess is that there is no hard and fast rule. For long term storage I would not store in the sheath, particularly if the knife is not stainless or has brass parts. For a regular user, especially if stainless, it should do no harm.
 
icy27, yes they are all leather sheaths that i made from veggie tanned leather. i have 2 stainless blades that had rust on them when my friend art gave them to me. for years they hung on a nail driven into a concrete block in his shop. they went through all kinds of temprature and humidity changes and had some surface rust which he removed by bead blasting the blades. since then i havent had a single bit of rust show up on either one of these knives or any of the others i have which vary from 440c to 154cm and ats34. the only problem i have is with the brass tarnishing but thats expected.
 
Thanks for the responses!

I have some very pretty leather sheaths for some of my knives, which has kept me from taking those knives on canoe trips. I will probably have kydex sheaths made for them, which will also solve the storage problem.

Speaking of which, any suggestions where to get custom kydex sheaths made?
 
Leather absorbs moisture like a sponge, so I seal mine with a good double coat of SnowSeal melted in. This both stiffens and waterproofs the sheath, so no problems in storage. Water or snow can get into the sheath outdoors, so just dry the blade and sheath before putting them away and you should be fine. I also put a coat of BreakFree on knives that I'm not going to be using for a while.
 
icy27 said:
... any suggestions where to get custom kydex sheaths made?
Click to expand...

Unless your knives are carbon steel and very seriously expensive, Alberta Ed's advice is absolutely best ... just treat the steel and the leather ... custom anything costs a fortune.
 
Quick question about the Sno Seal - does it absorb into the leather and feel dry, or will the sheath maintain a greasy coating?
 
In my experience using Sno Seal on leather boots, it's well absorbed and doesn't feel greasy or tacky, unlike mink oil, etc. I'm gonna try some on my sheaths. Thanks for that idea, Alberta Ed!
 
icy27 said:
Quick question about the Sno Seal - does it absorb into the leather and feel dry, or will the sheath maintain a greasy coating?
Click to expand...
Regarding Sno Seal, best to warm up the leather, apply the s/s liberally, then hit it with the hair dryer once again. The s/s will saturate into the leather. Wipe the residual off with a clean cloth and you will be left with a non tacky surface.
 
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