Lets talk GEC!

“Food safe” and “would I feel safe to ingest it” are usually the route I’ll go with choosing a protectant. I’ll definitely use stuff like wicked wax for storage, but if it’s a knife I know will cut a sandwich I always use mineral oil.
 
There's a lot of conflicting advice out there about this. I've read that oil (even the oils naturally occurring in a leather slip) will promote verdigris, and I've read the best cure/prevention for verdigris is soaking in a bath of oil for 24 hours! Who to believe? It developed on two of my beloved stag GECs before I learned what it was, and I hate it so much that I'm taking no chances. All seem to agree that RenWax is a good idea (it would certainly form a barrier of sorts to the salts on our hands reaching the handle), so I regularly slather with that.
Some slips aren’t good for storing knives because they have chemicals left over in them from the tanning process. Leftover chemicals from the tanning process can be corrosive. Conversely, I have many slips that I have stored user knives in year after year with out any issues. I would never keep a precious or new knife in an unknown sheath. Another issue would be that unless a knife was put into a sheath completely dry and free of contamination then the enclosure of the sheath itself would be a humid environment which would promote corrosion.

GEC content: I have never had a problem storing knives in GEC sheaths. I probably have a dozen GEC knives with sheaths. The tanning process used for their leather appears to be harmless to pocket knives.
 
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I know it's more a general than a GEC issue, but could somebody explain how to use the Hydrogen Peroxide method of removing verdigris from stag? I've bought a bottle of the stuff (3% concentration) and some Sodium Bicarbonate (which I believe you're supposed to mix it with?), but unsure exactly what to do next.
 
I know it's more a general than a GEC issue, but could somebody explain how to use the Hydrogen Peroxide method of removing verdigris from stag? I've bought a bottle of the stuff (3% concentration) and some Sodium Bicarbonate (which I believe you're supposed to mix it with?), but unsure exactly what to do next.
Just so I can understand, are you talking about the brass pins or liner in the stag developing verdigris?
 
Some slips aren’t good for storing knives because they have chemicals left over in them from the tanning process. Leftover chemicals from the tanning process can be corrosive. Conversely, I have many slips that I have stored user knives in year after year with out any issues. I would never keep a precious or new knife in an unknown sheath. Another issue would be that unless a knife was put into a sheath completely dry and free of contamination then the enclosure of the sheath itself would be a humid environment which would promote corrosion.

GEC content: I have never had a problem storing knives in GEC sheaths. I probably have a dozen GEC knives with sheaths. The tanning process used for their leather appears to be harmless to pocket knives.
I've noticed this same thing with the GEC slips and sheaths. Never had any issues storing knives in them. I hadn't really thought about it before but I wonder if their slips use a specific tanning process than is safer than others.
 
I've noticed this same thing with the GEC slips and sheaths. Never had any issues storing knives in them. I hadn't really thought about it before but I wonder if their slips use a specific tanning process than is safer than others.
I've read that as long as the leather is 'Vegetable Tanned', then it should be okay. I've no idea what that means though.
 
...I've no idea what that means though.
Me either so I cheated and went to Google... "made from vegetable-based oils and waxes applied to rawhide, or other animal hides for the purpose of making a soft, supple finish." I guess it makes sense that natural vegetable based products could be less harmful than other harsh chemicals that might be used in the tanning process.
 
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