maintaining leather sheath and grip

[mickb]

Hi fellas, just got my 2nd ever Kabar USMC knife, this one the first leather furnished one I have owned. Wondered about best treatments for the leather sheath and grip ? This will see some field use and get wet occasionally.

Also can anyone tell me the idea behind stacked leather? Or was it just the best option in the pre-synthetic days?

 

[Redmeadow Knives]

You'll find a ton of opinions on this. There's a lot of leather conditioners on the market. There are also oils that will soak in deeper. In my experience they'll absorb as much as you give them and won't bleed.

I'm convinced that doing the maintenance is more important than what you use to do it with.

I carry a stacked leather knife daily and wipe it down with Skidmores Leather cream every few months or so. The key is not letting it dry out, though that would take a lot of time and neglect.

You'll find leather makes a really warm handle with good grip in any condition.

 

[Horsewright]

I too am a big fan of Skidmore's. In fact many years a go I was a dealer for them. I will yield to my friend Redmeadow on the handle treatment as he has more expertise than me in that regard. I've only made a couple of knives with stacked leather handles and that was so long ago digital photography hadn't been invented yet. Fact not sure photography had been invented yet.

On the sheaths I advise folks to stay away form oils and to use a paste like Skidmore's. The problem with oils is that it is too easy to do too much and get your leather too soft. Seen it time and time again and did it to a pair of saddlebags my self eons ago. On your sheath I might use Oakwood. It too is a paste and seems like it has a hair more water resistance than Skidmore's. Skidmore's is the better conditioner in my opinion though and nothing takes away scratches and scuffs on leather as well. If you've got some stiff dry older leather you are trying to bring back Skidmore's is the thing. As far as water resistance ya can't make leather waterproof and have it remain leather. You'll lose some of its attributes if you do. The big problem with leather getting wet is folks letting it dry out and sitting with out reconditioning it. Then leather has a tendency to crack and its toast. If your leather gets wet, recondition it as its drying or just after and it will give ya a lifetime of service. I actually have quite a bit of experience with wet leather. If you follow the old dictum of head west young man, head west, there is a logical conclusion in these parts:

Stuff gets wet:

Just condition it.

 

[Alberta Ed]

I treat all my leather gear with SnowSeal. I take the factory sheaths apart, melt in a couple of coats of SnowSeal inside and out and re-stitch with waxed nylon thread using a saddler's stitch (you use two needles, much stronger than machine stitching). I wipe down stacked leather grips with SnowSeal as well -- no other treatment is needed. SnowSeal seals against moisture penetration and slightly stiffens the leather.