Neets foot oil and leather sheaths?

J

japanesegorilla

Joined
Mar 28, 2006
Messages
16
So the other day I was exploring the Kabar website and I noticed that they recommend applying Neats foot oil to your blade before storage. So I went out and bought some, but then I got to thinking... My Kabars have leather sheaths, so won't the Neats end up softening the leather? I did a few searches, and it seems like half the time people agree, and the other half they disagree.

Suggestions?

Thanks
 
Do you not want your sheath softened ? IMO neatsfoot oil stinks and I hate using it , but I do use it grudgingly.
What Ka-Bar do you own ? Mine has a black blade , I cured it with CLP when I first got it and re-cure once a year , the sheath I oiled good when I first got it and havent felt the need since.
If you only oil your blade it shouldnt affect the sheath for a while.
 
Well, I guess I could so that I don't think that I want my sheath softened (or at least I don't see any reason why I would). All I really want is something to protect my blade and sheath while they're not in use (I don't have a lot of time for outdoor activities, and so my knives tend to sit around a lot). I own the standard usmc kabar and the heavy bowie.
 
I personally would not use neats foot oil around any leather I wish to be dimensionally stagnant. Neats foot oil softens leather too much.

You can use any good oil for corosion protection. CLP, Rem-oil, etc. If it's good for guns, its good for knives. Some are better, but all can be serviceable.
 
By "age spots" you mean blotches of patana (spelling?)?

It shows up on carbon steel due to mild acid/base exposure. Only way I know to remove it is sanding or possibly a chemical conversion product (Tarn Away type stuff).

Or, you could just get the whole blade that way with an overnight mustard coating treatment. Looks rustic.
 
My fave to use for tarnish , light rust etc is this http://www.flitz.com/
I got mine at an innocuous place like Bed Bath and Beyond... hehe
Stuff works great and it's German engineering yo .

japanesegorilla

If you cure your sheath once with neats or any other leather oil (it doesnt have to be neats , in spite of what they say) and dont use it all that much I wouldnt worry about it too much , if you plan on storing your blade in it's sheath which many folks do not recommend (although I've done it for year with no consequence) you would want to put a light coat of lube such as CLP http://www.break-free.com/ and then store.
 
Alright, well it doesn't really matter to me if I store my knife it its sheath or not. Let me put it this way: I won't be using my knife for a while. Before I tuck it away, what should I coat the blade with if anything at all?

Second scenario, I take my knife outdoors and use it daily, should I wipe it down
with anything at the end of the day?

Thanks
 
There are many threads on this; quick answer:

Best to store the knife out of the sheath.

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Before tucking it away - coating the blade is important -

mineral oil is very good

(stay away from organic oils e.g. olive oil)

Sentry Tuff Cloth/Tuff Glide is excellent

CLP Breakfree is good too

there are other options, other members will let you know their choices...

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wiping it down at the end of the day depends on what you're using it for,
and what you've coated it with already.

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I wouldn't use Neatsfoot on a leather sheath

I'd use Mink Oil
and not the stuff that's just called "Mink Oil"

But the real thing, you can get it in a spray or liquid

it is a superior leather protectant/conditioner
and a much lighter oil than Neatsfoot.
 
I always clean a blade before putting it in the sheath .My knives are now all stainless steel but a wax like Renaissance Wax would be good for both steel and sheath.
 
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