Strange Green Material on Handle Fasteners

Szilard

Szilard

Joined
Mar 5, 2012
Messages
363
I had some green stuff develop on the handle fasteners of my TGLB - which I promptly cleaned with WD40 but I was wondering if anyone had any insight into what it was? It doesn't seem to be rust and I think that the fasteners are stainless anyway? I think I have to go chop something so that the TGLB stays happier.
 
Hmmmmmm......

Theory one,
You inadvertently wiped your nose with it......... And don't remember doing so

Yup, that's all I got
 
If it is brass tubes they will develop the green corrosion. Easy enough to clean off and not much you can do to stop it from happening.
 
I wonder what the white metal tubes are made from. I am guessing Alum. or maybe some type Zinc,brass,copper or nickel silver allow.
 
Brass tubing, bolsters, and handles all get the stuff eventually as the acids from your skin oils acts on it.

ver·di·gris
noun \ˈvər-də-ˌgrēs, -ˌgris, -grəs also -ˌgrē\
Definition of VERDIGRIS
1
a : a green or greenish-blue poisonous pigment resulting from the action of acetic acid on copper and consisting of one or more basic copper acetates
b : normal copper acetate Cu(C2H3O2)2·H2O
2
: a green or bluish deposit especially of copper carbonates formed on copper, brass, or bronze surfaces
 
I get that on the brass on my Buck 112. Some form of corrosion, as others say too.
But it only forms when it is in its leather pouch.

Cleans right off.
 
Yeah seems leather really fires it up. I have heard that when you clean it really well that a coat of car wax will help it stay clear.
 
yep, a nice coat of wax keeps the metal clean. Its not just leather but anything in close contact with the brass and a little moisture. I've had it grow when the knife is wrapped in oil cloth.

Cheap leather on the other hand acts like a catalyst, I found an old Buck 112 in its original sheath stored for many years. The mess inside was "interesting" to say the least. :p
 
I had always thought leather cause it to be worse because of holding moisture against the brass. No telling what chemicals are in that cheap leather either. I had a very cheap holster for a stainless Ruger .22. The pistol would start to discolor after one day whereas no effect at all after weeks of storage in a triple K holster.
 
Yep, the really cheap leather a lot of mass producers use to cut costs is tanned very, er, for lack of a better word "economically" and processed very "economically" cutting corners where there honestly aren't any corners to cut off. They tend to leave a certain amount of tanning chemicals in the leather.

Unfortunately this is the norm in manufacturers that produce hundreds of sheaths a week, in order to make the process economically feasible they have to purchase the least expensive material possible. Those in or around the military know this well, "The tool you stake your life and/or livelihood upon was made by the lowest bidder"
 
It's called Verdigris and it forms when acid comes in contact with copper - brass being a copper alloy.
So acidic sweat residue can produce it as well as tannin in leather.
Also some leather conditioners and metal polishes that are acidic AKA not PH neutral can cause it to form also.
It's usually fairly easy to clean off.
 
The tube oxidation just means it is becoming well seasoned. Just like grandmas cast iron pan, you should never clean it off unless you want to loose the way it performs.
 
I found the same thing on my NMSFNO fasteners, looks like some sort of patina. Im not sure what alloy are those fasteners made of but they are certainly not stainless steels, stainless would be too hard to be compressed without breaking, I guess they must be some soft metals like copper-nickel alloy.
 
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