Handle Discoloration

N

NRADon

Joined
Dec 19, 2005
Messages
13
Gentlemen,
I've never used any shoe polish or similar substances on the sheath of my Model 5, yet the maple handle on the side facing the belt loop has turned brown over the years and doesn't rub off. Has anyone else had a problem of this sort? The folks at Randall had no explanation. If it was a problem with the stabilized maple, I would think the discoloration would be uniform throughout the handle. The sheath doesn't appear worn from any contact. I'm wondering if maybe the dye they use to stain the leather may be staining the handle. None of my other Randalls show this staining. Thanks for any help you can provide

Don
 
I always leave it in the sheath. When I'm not using it I store it on the top shelf of my very crowded and cramped gun safe. Keeping it in the sheath prevents the blade from scratching other items on the shelf and inadvertently falling to the floor or cutting myself looking for other items. Eventually, I'd like to buy another safe with nothing but shelves just to store knives and coins in. Then I could store my knives outside of their sheaths.

Don
 
NRADon said:
I always leave it in the sheath. When I'm not using it I store it on the top shelf of my very crowded and cramped gun safe. Keeping it in the sheath prevents the blade from scratching other items on the shelf and inadvertently falling to the floor or cutting myself looking for other items. Eventually, I'd like to buy another safe with nothing but shelves just to store knives and coins in. Then I could store my knives outside of their sheaths.

Don
Click to expand...

Hi Don,

By keeping it stored in the sheath you are inviting discoloration of the handle and rust (even stainless will stain and rust). Think about it, store a hand gun for a few years in a leather holster and you have to accept that some wear, discloration and even rust will occur.

Leather tanning often involves the use of lye. Quality gun leather will use a more "friendly" vegetable tanning method. Both will outgas residual chemicals used in the tanning process. There is the make up of the dyes to consider too.

I have an inexpensive drop point with Quince wood handle that I carry a lot. It is a working knife and my only concern is the sharpness of the blade. The finish of the wood is gone on the back and portions of the front that sit down in the holster. The color in these places is different from the nice shiney part of the handle not in direct contact with the sheath. Different woods will react differently. In my case the wood lost its sheen and lightened in color obscuring the figure and grain.

Do yourself and the knife a favor, get a zippered pouch for the knife. Place the knife in the case and leave the case partially unzippered to allow airflow. Lay your sheath next to it on the shelf.

Some care products I use when storing or after my quarterly maintenance:

Pecard's for the leather:
www.Pecard.com - You probably want the Classic Leather Care product.

Renaissance Wax for the metalwork:
Info - http://www.restorationproduct.com/
Pricing
http://secure.cartsvr.net/catalogs/catalog.asp?prodid=3375534&showprevnext=1
http://www.knifeart.com/renaissancewax1.html

Both these products are used by museum curators for the restoration and maintenance of firearms and blades and leather.

As far as getting the original color back on the handle, my guess is that it's too late to do anything short of re-finishing. If Randall can do it, you might preserve some of the collectibility of this knife.

-------- Tom
 
Its pretty hard for something to rust inside a warm dry house. my uncle has alot of carbon steel knives stored in the sheaths un wraped and just in a wooden box. no rust for over 10 years now, close to 15 years for some of them. maybe just the humidity from the leather being soaked into the wood? who knows or cares it still cuts well.
 
Don,

I'm just throwing this out for no other reason than there doesn't seem to be another logical explanation: Is it possible the color of the maple handle when you acquired it was pretty close to the same as the side against the leather, and the reason it seems "darker" than the side facing out is because the other side is a bit bleached from being exposed to light?

Regards,

Ron
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top