Storing your knives

[silenthunterstudios]

Okay, we all have at least one or two knives, we probably use at least two daily, but what do we do with the other ones? Up until about three years ago, I stored mine in a Rubbermaid tub. Then, when I started buying good stuff, I put them in a knife roll. Now, for some of my knives, I store them in zippered pouches. Right now, I've got a Buck 110 damascus stag custom in a zippered pouch, and a Scott Gossman Razorback Knives fixed blade in a zippered pouch, before I had it in a padded pistol zippered pouch. The folders that I don't use daily go in a Smokey Mountain Knife Works knife roll, and most of my fixed blades are stored in the sheaths. I know, I know, that isn't good for them.

I have some pieces that are in heavy rotation, like my Spyderco Military and Manix, and my Benchmade 551 Griptilian, but I also have pieces like my Queen Mountain Man that pretty much live in my kniferoll.

In the past year, I've bought, sold and traded more knives than ever before, and I would like to take the best care of knives that I will keep for the duration of my lifetime. I was debating whether or not I should store my knives in their original boxes, and just keep the ones that I bought secondhand without boxes in the roll, or just leave them alone. Should I buy zippered pouches for all the fixed blades? Am I worrying too much about tools?

 

[sodak]

If they come oiled or greased from the factory, I'd leave them in their boxes. I leave all of my fixed blades in their leather sheaths, and haven't had one rust yet, although I live in a dry climate. I have one bowie (Western W49) that I got in 1985, been in it's sheath the whole time, no problem. A light coat of mineral oil will go a long ways to protecting your blades.