Green gunk in my old LB7 sheath.

[akula83]

Have a new/old stock LB7 that sat in it's sheath for 30 years, any body have tips for cleaning the green gunk out of the inside of the leather sheath? The search function hasn't turned anything up that looks helpful. Thanks!

 

[Saddlebum]

I have pondered that question myself and the only thing I could think of is to cut the stitching, open it up and scrub the heck out of it. Then stitch it back together. If I store a knife in a leather sheath, I wrap them in acid free paper to protect them from the 'green scurge'. I don't trust plastic bags.

My long winded rant on the subject of leather sheath storage and paper wrapping from another thread;
That is a good example of why I started wrapping all my leather sheath knives in paper if they are stored in the sheath. Especially the petroleum tanned, oily smelling leather. It eats brass and nickel bolsters. I use acid free sketch paper from a sketch pad I bought at Walmart. It's a heavy weight paper and makes a nice wrapper to store the knife in while in the sheath. Leave one end folded and un-taped so it will slide out when you want it. I have that green oxidation gew on the outside of some of my knife wrappers, but the knife inside is fine and the brass doesn't tarnish near as fast while wrapped. I'm on my last page in the sketch pad and need to find another soon. Last time I looked at Walmart, I couldn't find one. 9"X12" Mead ACADEMIE, medium weight paper. Acid and legnin free. I also started wrapping loose knives too. Keeps them from getting dings and dust scratches on the bolsters and labeled with a pen on the outside.

I had to do something. I have a couple of knives that the green stuff etched out some pretty bad pits in both nickel and brass bolsters. It's a shame when otherwise the knives are perfect. BTW, I tried some other kind of paper, like notebook paper or something, and the brass on the knife tarnished quickly, turning color pretty fast. I polished it up again and wrapped it in the acid free sketch paper and now it's fine. They make that stuff so as to preserve the potential art on it, like they do with picture matting.

I have since found the the same paper in a red UCREATE brand sketch pad at Shopco. 9" x 12", medium weight paper, acid and lignin free. Whatever the heck a 'lignin' is...........I don't want it on my knife!

 

[koldgold]

Verdigris is the common name for a green pigment obtained through the application of acetic acid.
If you mix water and Bi-Carb Soda (Baking Soda for making cakes)
This solution is a harmless acid, that will eat that green Verdigris - after it is removed rinse with water and dry in the Sun.

 

[delmas2nd]

not sure here but the soda is probably an alkali which is the opposite of acid and neutralizes it. making it go to neutral.

 

[thawk]

Have a new/old stock LB7 that sat in it's sheath for 30 years, any body have tips for cleaning the green gunk out of the inside of the leather sheath? The search function hasn't turned anything up that looks helpful. Thanks!

If all else fails, clean the knife and replace the sheath.