Preserving knives in storage

Cryogenic freezing, anyone who stores their knives another way is a damn fool.

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Low humidity, not in direct sunlight, someplace with a relatively steady temperature. Safe from rodents and insects, kids, and pets. Not in an airtight container that can trap in moisture and chemicals (deteriorating celluloid, for example). Reasonably secure from theft.
 
For me to clarify,,Fish boy,,"i get ya" however i am not using my TiLT, i just cant so that....And Bob,,what about the bubble wrap,,,leave that or chuck it..box only?
 
I think bubble wrap would be OK, but I wouldn't zip lock bags or sealed containers. Also, don't store the knives within leather sheathes, especially in the handle has brass rivets or hardware. Acid-free tissue paper, like what comes in clothing gift boxes, would be a good choice if you're worried about the knives banging around in the boxes. Lots of knives are sold packed in wax paper too, so that should be OK.
 
Open air, out of the sun, in your home should be fine. Light coat of mineral oil on carbon steel, if you want "museum grade," coat it with Renaissance Wax.

Really though, you are kind of over thinking it.
 
If one is inclined to store away a collection,
Only remember to have a routine check on tthem
Make that Ever so often.
As one would with a prized car in a garage.
Believe me, the unexpected has a neck of popping up when unattended.
What better way to store knives than in their original boxes.
Or in cardbox boxes of your own
With wax coated and acid free paper.
Yup. Away from heat and sunlight.
In a constant stable temp.
Watch for brass fitting and especially leather which is food to micro organism...
Bones or horn too.
 
My pocket is great storage. Knives seems to function much better after being stored in pocket. Not sure what it is, but I think it must be the warmth.
 
marcinek said:
Open air, out of the sun, in your home should be fine. Light coat of mineral oil on carbon steel, if you want "museum grade," coat it with Renaissance Wax.
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Nailed it. Mineral oil and wax are my go-to preservatives. Best not to store knives in leather over long periods, but if you just must, wax the blades.
 
If you want to store em in your house, just toss em in the top of your closet, or in a safe. Coat with wax or oil, and leave em out of sealed containers like has been said.
If you want long term storage, get a piece of 3" PVC pipe and 2 end caps. Coat the knives in cosmoline. Put pipe dope on one end cap and put it on. Put the coated knives in the pipe. Dope the other end and put it on. Bury the pipe and forget about it for as long as you want to. When you dig it up, clean the knives off and they'll be fine. Hey - it works! I've bought WWI era firearms that were packed in cosmoline in crates that cleaned up like they were new.
 
My pocket has been storing a PM2 for at least 4 years,,,of course others were rotated in to that storage,,but the PM2 was the majority of it
Jasonsdman said:
My pocket is great storage. Knives seems to function much better after being stored in pocket. Not sure what it is, but I think it must be the warmth.
Click to expand...
 
Assuming that "store" means putting a knife away for months perhaps years my routine is as follows;
Location of storage should be a "comforatable" environment, no excess humidity, high temperatures,
any place that you would store a gun. All my knives are removed from the sheath. Leather sheaths react with brass guards and will destroy carbon steel knives. I can't tell you the number of nice carbon steel knives I've seen ruined and pitted.
All blades are in a handmade paper sleeve. Currenty I use Marine Tuff Cloth as a protectant on the blade. Previously I was using Tsubaki oil (traditional Japanese Camelia oil) and Mineral Oil. Leather sheaths and stacked leather handles are treated with a beeswax based protectant/conditioner. Leather needs care as too much humitidy and mold will try to grow on it, and too little humidity will cause
it to dry, crack and warp. Finally, I store my knives either individually or in groups in carboard shipment boxes.
 
I'll second (third?) marcinek and Guyon Renaissance Wax and store out of leather, I use Ren Wax on the leather as well but it's really difficult to apply to the inside of leather sheaths so just the outside.
I have a Japanese traditional Tanto that has lived in it's wooden Saya for a number of years and is still fresh as new.
The rule I go by is probably overkill but it's the same, I think, as using Camellia oil. -
Once a day for the first week.
Once a week for the first month.
Once a month for the first year, then once a year.
I did the Tanto twice before storing, along with other knives put back in their original boxes where possible and they are all still good, as are all the others I've got stored.
The more run of the mill SanRenMus, Enlans, Ganzos etc just get put back in their boxes and rotated in and out of my EDC then cleaned, oiled pivots then blade and scales Renaissance Waxed before storage
 
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