Sheath leather types and rust.

I have a Green River knife in a homemade sheath that was made by a dear departed friend. I'm getting some light rust on the blade between infrequent uses. Could this be because of the type of leather in the sheath?

How can I avoid rust when storing between uses?

The leather can be at least part of the cause and especially if it is modern chrome tanned leather.

It can also happen due to perspiration on your hands or humidity.

It can also happen if you don't wipe the blade with an oil rag before putting it in the sheath. The 18th century British Army had instructions to do this every day with their bayonets to prevent rust, BTW and they were not using modern chrome tanned leather scabbards.

Finally, it is best not to store a knife, bayonet or sword in it's sheath/scabbard, to prevent rust. That is even for a few weeks in between times you may be using them. Wipe the blade with an oiled rag and store the knife outside the sheath and it is far less likely to rust.

Gus

I may have to make a box or saya for storage and keep the sheath for carrying only.

Thank you

it is best not to store a knife, bayonet or sword in it's sheath/scabbard, to prevent rust. That is even for a few weeks in between times you may be using them. Wipe the blade with an oiled rag and store the knife outside the sheath and it is far less likely to rust.

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Good advice. :applause:

Oil the sheath well with mineral oil. Give it a try. Vegetable tanned leather will not promote rust if oiled. Even if chrome tanned, the oil will retard rust.

When I was about 12, I asked my Grandpa if I could again see the original Model 1850 Foot Officers Sword that was presented to my ancestor after he blew the owner out of the saddle in the UnCivil War.

It had been hanging on the wall by a chain attached to the rings on the throat and middle mount of the Leather bodied scabbard for decades. The blade was horribly rusted from so many years being stored in the leather scabbard. I cleaned the rust off as best I could at the time, used Rig Grease (an excellent long term Anti-Rust Grease) on the blade and gave it back to Grandpa.

Another twenty or more years went by and when Grandpa passed, he left it to me as I was the only Grandson who had gone in the military. Unfortunately from hanging in the scabbard another two decades, it had badly rusted again, though not as bad as earlier.

This time I got instructions from the Marine Corps Museum and a couple other museums on how to clean it up and make it look similar to when my ancestor was awarded it. From then on, I have stored the Sword outside the Leather Scabbard and with a light coat of Rig Grease.

I have worn the sword in uniform from time to time, but always cleaned and greased the blade afterwards and stored it separately. No more rusting for the last 33 years.

Gus

Wick Ellerbe said:

Oil the sheath well with mineral oil.

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I was going to post that, but I don't have your depth and breadth of experience with leather. It's always worked for me, and it's nice to see it reach a whole lot further across the spectrum.

The only real trouble I've had with leather sheaths was some leather I got out of Mexico a long time ago. Dunno if it was tanned with donkey urine or what, but that stuff was death on brass, and no matter what I oiled it with. Even so, it never affected the steel.

I oiled the inside of the leather part of the M1850 Foot Officers Scabbard with Lexol, but I don't know if it keeps the blade from rusting in the scabbard because I don't store it in the scabbard. The only time it goes into the scabbard is when I wear it in uniform - either reproduction period or modern uniform.

Gus

I never have this problem as I ALWAYS dry my knives before I put them back in their sheaths. That is key, keeping them dry. I never oil my blades and I still don't get rust. Damp knives or sheaths is why I do get rust sometimes, even then it is because my kids or wife put them way damp.

MOwoodsman said:

I never have this problem as I ALWAYS dry my knives before I put them back in their sheaths. That is key, keeping them dry. I never oil my blades and I still don't get rust. Damp knives or sheaths is why I do get rust sometimes, even then it is because my kids or wife put them way damp.

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I agree, very important to make sure that blade is dry. My liners are all made from rawhide and not greased nor oiled obviously. Placing a damp blade back into any liner/ sheath is a bad habbit. However many variables can come into play, one reason I shy away from commercially tanned leathers.

Oiling the leather is a great tip but I'll toss out another idea that you may want to use along with treating the leather.....I tend use paste wax on all my equipment, wood, metal, etc. A tub of Johnson's is cheap, will last forever and does a good job of protection.

Beeswax or other natural waxes on the smooth side of the leather does a good job of repelling water, but that is why it should not be used on the inside of the scabbard - where the flesh side is normally exposed.

One needs to occasionally add some oil on the flesh side of the leather/inside of the leather sheath, or it will dry rot and be ruined much sooner than it normally would. Wax on the inside of the scabbard would keep one from being able to oil the flesh side of the leather, when it should.

Gus

Wick Ellerbe said:

Oil the sheath well with mineral oil. Give it a try. Vegetable tanned leather will not promote rust if oiled. Even if chrome tanned, the oil will retard rust.

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:hmm: Not an inaccurate statement. But....BUT...confinement in any sheath, leather or synthetic, will trap moisture and promote rust. I am careless about this :redface: and learned the hard way. Knives should never be stored for any length of time in their sheath.

I’ve made my sheaths for my knife sheaths out of veggie tanned leather painted with bees wax after making and not had a problem with rusting.

I have kept a blued.44 Ruger in the California Slim Jim holster with a toe plug, I made for it, for about 10 years now. Not even a spec of rust on it. This was 8/9 oz. vege-tan from Tandy. After it dried from a rubbing alcohol wet molding, I gave it a generous dose of mineral oil. I live about 30' from the St. Johns river in FL. A very humid atmosphere most all the time. I will not recommend others to do as I do, but it has worked well for me. I have left knives in my oiled sheaths for months at a time with no rust showing on them either. The only sheaths that have shown any adverse reactions, were a few of those with a vinegaroon black finish. Even this only amounted to a few black splotches on the blades, that cleaned up easily, and never returned. I probably did not allow those to air out long enough.

I live about 30' from the St. Johns river in FL.

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It is well known that St. Johns river water humidity does not cause rust.
:shocked2: :rotf:

:rotf: :thumbsup:

Rather than use beeswax, which can be acid or contain sugars, I would tend to use a proper museum grade conservation wax such as Renaissance for preservation. This wax was manufactured specifically to protect wood and metal and to produce a finish that will not attract dust, which is a real killer if allowed to accumulate.

I now use Renaissance wax for protecting the underside of barrels after stocking rather than water pump grease and for finishing rust browned barrels. I think you can get it from Midway in the states..

I started using TOW's mink oil tallow on all my bags. Had such great luck with it, I'm now using it on belts and sheaths. Only got a couple of years on the one sheath (center seam), but so far I'm really impressed. Zero issues with steel or brass, while the leather stays in great shape in our wet climate.

Brown Bear,

I really enjoy reading about what you use, because if it works in your environment, it should be pretty darn good in the rest of the U.S.

Gus