How do you clean/disinfect your leather sheaths?

eveled

eveled

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I didn't want to highjack the other thread, but I'm wondering what you guys do to clean a leather sheath for a fixed blade knife? Seems crazy to clean a knife then stick it back into a dirty sheath, but that is what gets done. I don't mind to much on knives I've had since new, but what about used ones? Is leather anti microial, like a wooden cutting board?
 
Eh? Don’t sweat it man, cook the food properly, boil water thoroughly, stow the knife wherever. If you are eating food directly off the blade, then God help you. ;)

Otherwise... don’t sweat it, man. Be sensible, but don’t sweat it. Think about the pathway from leather sheathed knife to digestive system. What exactly are you worried about? Imagine the microbes on you kitchen work top. Or on your chopping board? OMG! ;)

TL;DR don’t sweat it. :D
 
Depending on what the knife is used for I would care as well. Is it a hunting knife that gets wiped off and resheathed in the field?

What does the knife cut when it isn't cutting food? Generally speaking I blow the leather sheath out with compressed air and make sure it's free from debris. I also don't resheath the knife in bloody or very dirty condition.

I prefer kydex for knives that get dirty or bloody and resheathed. Then I wash the knife and sheath later.
 
Men ha e been living off of carbon steel knives in leather sheaths for a pretty long time :)

Like Shiney edges said ....I don’t contaminate sheaths with body fluids etc . In the field I carry alcohol wipes and I will wipe the blade off after field dressing and than recleab and preserve with tuff glide

I’m more worried about getting the tuff glide off of a blade if I’m using it on food than the germs :)
 
colloidal silver would kill the bacteria, but would not clean stains of anything. The knife would be safe for food prep after too, after being sheathed/unsheathed. It is very safe, so no worries around food. Only trouble is some is cheap and some is spendy, so you have to look around a little before buying. I buy off amazon and get a very good price.
isopropyl alcohol(rubbing alcohol) would work as well, and it would dry quickly. Colloidal silver would be better because the silver particles would say in the leather and keep bacteria away.
 
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eveled said:
Seems crazy to clean a knife then stick it back into a dirty sheath, but that is what gets done.
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Sounds like somebody is paying attenion :thumbsup:

I leave the leather sheath in it's original packaging; everyone knows that packaging is surgically germ free . . . right . . . and I slip the knife into a washable, non glass fiber filled sheath . . . these almost always have a drain hole in the point. Sometimes I enlarge the drain hole. Sprtiz a little citrus degreaser in there; can use an engine block galley brush if you need some scrub-scrub annnnnnnnnd rinse.

I have a question : how many days does a leather sheath take to dry with a knife in it on your hip after you get caught in a rain storm or step in a hole in the creek ? I'm thinking a lot longer than one of these :

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Wowbagger said:
. . . and have been dying from infections from getting cut by said knife.
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Hey Charlie Mike kinda goes with the benefits of your chisel grind.
The double whammy.
You might want to rethink the leather sheath thing for SD.
? ?
 
Alberta Ed said:
Clean the blade before you resheath it. Don't sweat the microbes. They're probably good for you:D.
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All I know is any time I pick up a dropped bit of food off the floor and eat it I invariably get a canker sore in my mouth. And that's off the cleanish kitchen or work lunch room floor.
I routinely with my EDC cut up trash that is going into the dumpster or is already in the dumpster to make more fit.
What ever doesn't kill you makes you . . . :eek:aK gurgle . . . thud o_O.
Or not.
A coworker got cut at work on something. He said it was incredible and scary how fast the mottled looking infection traveled up his arm (hours or a day or so). They told him it was a good idea that he came into the emergency room when he did.
Of course he was probably flinging himself onto punji sticks for fun. Knock on wood I have never had to experience that.
Other additional measures include coating the sticks in poison from plants, animal venom, or even human feces[4], causing infection or poisoning in the victim after being pierced by the sticks, even if the injury itself was not life-threatening.
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eveled said:
My dad liked to make sheaths from PVC pipe.View attachment 975643
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Wow now that is one serious sheath.
I didn't realize the stuff was so workable.
Thanks for the education :thumbsup:
I think I might try that.
Some of my knives I just want to carry down in my pocket anyway (I don't need them on my belt).
That's what I used to do with this old Cold Steel edge duller :
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One of my faves for cross country hitchhiking is a buck 120(inv tang stamp “buck 120” with 4 spacers and probably from the early 70’s(don’t take a glock unless I’m riding trains) and the black leather sheath it came with is relatively maintenance free. Of course the steel is 440c so it’s never been a rust magnet.
 
Yonose said:
One of my faves for cross country hitchhiking is a buck 120
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Funny you should mention that.
This is what I had in my save for later list and was going to get it or the Mora Sheath to put my Pendleton Hunter in.
I still might get it but I wasn't sure I would like fooling with the curled leather with the snap on it. Meaning would I have to two hand it to put the knife away rather than just drop it in the Mora with one hand ?
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Wowbagger said:
Funny you should mention that.
This is what I had in my save for later list and was going to get it or the Mora Sheath to put my Pendleton Hunter in.
I still might get it but I wasn't sure I would like fooling with the curled leather with the snap on it. Meaning would I have to two hand it to put the knife away rather than just drop it in the Mora with one hand ?
View attachment 976302
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Mines got the old fold-over sheath like the old sidearm sheaths if that makes sense? It’s about 5 or 6 mm thick, have no idea if it’s the sheath knife originally came with tho. Never cleaned it with anything except dawn or a cloth also, it being stainless. My 118 in d2 has a similar sheath to the one you pictured, and it isn’t bad since once I take it out it’s usually gonna be out for at least an hour.
 
Yonose said:
No. It has a flap that completely covers the knifes handle. And it’s black. The sheath might be even older than early 70’s. Too dark to take a pic now.
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I'll look forward to a pic in the future.
Thanks
have a good evening.
 
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