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I had a bad experience with knives kept in the leather sheaths. The humidity here was extremely high this summer. When the time came to check the knives (they were all kept in a wooden box in my finished basement) the sheaths had ended up with a bad case of mold & mildew. The knives were spared, however it took a lot of cleaning & neatsfoot oil to bring the sheaths back. What would anyone recommend...the best way to store the leather sheaths & knife boxes. I am thinking about plastic totes with several desiccant packs in each tote. I will be using a 6 drawer display case for the knives.
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I have been using Frog Lube for a while now Glen, seems to work okay. It's pretty damp in the UK so I check my knives often good job I don't have a lot. I decided I would only buy stainless knives in the future, then I bought a stack of carbon razors guess I will never learn. I don't use any oil on the razors just use them and dry them well.
As I only have the one fixed blade it's not too difficult keeping an eye on the sheath ,I know you aren't supposed to store a knife in the sheath but as I say I only have the one.
keeping mildew out of your safe
Storing knives in leather sheaths
Glenn,
When we moved to GA a visitor left a window open in the basement and by the time we realized it, we had a mildew issue. We successfully cleaned everything up and then opened the safe. Thankfully we had a ton of the silicone packets in there along with well over 1K knives. The packets were stacked in with the knife boxes and tubes so they were fine but the carpet in the safe was not!
We cleaned every knife in that safe over a three day period. Bought new silicone packets and added a light strip that keeps it clear of moisture. The hardest part both in the safe and out was getting all those leather sheaths clean and reconditioned. Each one went through being lightly sprayed with vinegar, wiped out and the let to dry in front of a dehumidifier for a week. At that time we reconditioned the leather inside and out and again got them in front of a dehumidifier. No knives were stored in them, nor are they now. I like the frog lube for the knives and I like another one that is used by many museums renaissance oil
Thanks for the info. I have always used a regular gun oil for all my knives. should I change it up & invest in some Frog Lube for my knives?
We used Rem Oil for 40 years with no issues. These knives had no issue and it was all that we ever used on them. You should be fine
Since leather over time and or humidity will attract moisture, leather sheaths should be stored separately from your knives. Keeping oil on the blades, and desiccant with your knives and sheaths should keep the evil moisture away. I would recommend the rechargeable desiccant containers that turn from blue to pink inside. Bake in the oven to recharge.
I'm actually due to bake mine so, thank you for the unintended reminder. I also keep other moisture collection products around my storage of knives as a backup, which does help. Also a dehumidifier for that particular room is a good idea. Check your collection every few weeks, enjoy the "playtime" and inspect. I have found if air is moving around or near your storage area, its a good thing. No air movement, good chance moisture will build up.
Makes me want to inspect it all right now! ha, but I need the sleep. Enjoy and keep a watchful eye out!
Do you think RIce bags may help with this too?
Sue,
Possibly, I just never thought of it. If your noticing moisture you could put a rice bag in for a few days maybe even a week to wick moisture out of a sheath
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