Leather sheaths: should I just throw them out?

C

Carl64

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Apr 3, 2005
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In another thread, someone mentioned leather sheaths ruining brass. I have a Buck 112 which was in a drawer NEXT TO it's sheath, and the brass was a dark orange color. I tried polishing the brass, but the corrosion was really thick and there are also deeper pits.

I guess I could put the sheath in a seperate bag. It seems like a waste to throw it out, but it's like knife kryptonite.
 
Must be your climate. In Southern California I had knives with brass guards or fittings that sat in leather sheaths for years without hurting the metal. Discoloration? Maybe a little. Pitting? No way. I generally don't store knives in leather sheaths anymore, but sometimes I forget and I've never seen anything worse than some staining that came out with a bit of polish.
 
I am in Texas. Sometimes it gets humid, but very rarely. No salt in the air. I have other brass knives that don't have this problem, they just get a little darker but still feel smooth.

This particular knife/sheath has always been trouble. The knife used to get that green crap on it after just a few days in the sheath, so I took it out, polished it, and left it out of the sheath for storage. No green this time, but the orange color was almost like rust.
 
Carl,

Interesting point. My 20+ year old puma hunters pal suffered the "green scourge" around the brass bolsters. I read that same thread with some interest. Can't say I've noticed any pitting to be honest. Cleaned up fairly easily though.

Have now separated them .. I think it may be due to a latent moisture content in the leather(?) - just a wild guess though.

Joe
 
I've had the orange brass + green sludge issue as well, with a bit of pitting thrown in for good measure. I've even had some green around the brass button on the sheath! It happens. It's worth noting that it gets humid here during the summer.

I wouldn't throw out a sheath. Just store the sheath and knife separately as you suggest.

I've used Brasso for this problem but unfortunately the results do not last long.
 
I've bought knives that had pretty bad tarnish on the brass. I use my buffer with red rouge to take it off and then I hand polish it with Mother's mag wheel and aluminum polish. I have found this tends to keep the brass clean and shiny longer than other products I've tried.
Bob
 
I've read that some leather tanning chemicals can remain in the leather and thus cause corrosion. Same article, indicated that quality sheaths are made with leather that is processed by methods that don't contribute to corrosion. With my knives in both humid and arid climates, both new and old sheaths, the leather discolors the brass, but its easy to clean. The brass also discolors w/o being in the sheath. I do use mineral oil for protection.
 
A little brasso, or semi-chrome, metal-glo, or jewelers rouge, etc. should take that right out. It does not damage the brass, the corrosion that is.
 
The climate here is quite dry, so aside from a bit of tarnish, none of the green stuff. My 110th Anniversary 110 was the demo, so I stuck it in the sheath and then on my collection shelf and it does tarnish, but no pitting or the green stuff. Same with my 112.

- gord
 
brownshoe said:
I've read that some leather tanning chemicals can remain in the leather and thus cause corrosion. Same article, indicated that quality sheaths are made with leather that is processed by methods that don't contribute to corrosion.
Click to expand...

Brownshoe is correct. I do leatherwork as a hobby, and while I won't pretend to be an expert, I know that there are two major methods for tanning leather for mass-produced products.

Chromium-tanned leather is usually used for thinner and/or cheaper leathers that won't be handled or moistened, such as decorative trim on clothing or purses/bags. The chromium can react with certain metals, such as brass, causing discoloration. I've never heard of the pitting described above, but it sounds plausible.

Vegetable-tanned leather is usually used for thicker 'working' leathers - leather materials that are going to have a lot of handling, such as belts, sheaths, animal harness, etc. Vegetable-based dyes, rather than chromium-based dyes, are used to color the leather. I've seen (and done) bad vegetable dye jobs that discolor stuff, but you're much less likely to have a chemical reaction with metals.
 
Correct. Chemically-tanned leather (most leather products are tanned chemically -- it's cheaper) will f*ck up metal more/faster than vegetable tanned leather.

Try treating the sheath with mineral spirits or some other oil (linseed oil will work). Then, your leather will most likely have less (if any) tarnishing effect on the metal involved. It's worked for me.

Peace.
 
I like leather sheathes for 'traditional' blades in high carbon steel (CS, Marble's) and Kydex/Concealex for stainless -- Normark made a Concealex sheath for my F1 that is a perfect companion. A few of my leather sheathes have plastic inserts, an excellent idea -- my Bark River Woodland sliced through its sheath right after I got it.

I take all of my leather sheathes apart and treat them with SnowSeal, well melted in, then re-stitch them. It makes the leather impervious to moisture and i've never had a problem with a leather sheath so treated causing any corrision. If left untreated, any leather will sop up moisture and an unprotected bladed will be easily pitted.

Oh, yeah -- I also wipe down all my blades, carbon and stainless, with BreakFree before storing them. End of worry...
 
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