Knife Tarnishing - solutions?

[george wilson]

NO DOUBT there is something like LANOLIN which is in the leather. Lanolin immediately attacks brass,like in a few hours. It is commonly used as a treatment for leather. The only cure is to get a different pouch. I carry my Leatherman in a kevlar pouch. Of course,it is stainless,but kevlar won't attack anything. I made a box with brass round head tacks in it years ago. I should have used my own judgement about what to finish the leather covering with,but listened to the shoe maker instead. He recommended a product that was loaded with lanolin. The brass nails had green around them the next morning.

 

[george wilson]

You could try lacquering the pouch inside and out. Otherwise,a new pouch isn't that expensive. I carry my knives in a leather pouch that was never finished with a lanolin based product,and I never get any reaction like that. In fact,my sheath knives have been in leather scabbards for decades without reactions. I can't recall the name of that product that's full of lanolin right now. Very common leather worker's product,though.

 

[Topos]

I had this problem with my Buck Knife 30 years ago. I solved my problem with first using say Brasso to remove all contamination,
then a rouge cloth to polish. The next thing I did was to apply silicone grease inside the leather holster. To this day I need
only perform my obsessive cleaning up twice a year as I do with all my Randall Knives with brass hilts. For
example my 1959 Randall #1 is as pristine as when I first got it ... and it is not a 'safe queen' but a user.

Hope this helps.

 

[george wilson]

I believe the lanolin based stuff is LEXOL. Stay away from it if brass or other metal is in contact with the leather. When antique furniture smells moldy when you open a cabinet door,it is recommended to shellac the interior to trap the mold and stop the smell. This is good for old,19th.C. cheap furniture made of poplar,especially. This is why I suggest lacquering your scabbard. In fact,I recommend 2 or 3 coats in case the lanolin leaches past the 1st. coat. I wouldn't like grease on my knife every time I take it out.

 

[mooner1958]

Depending how old your knife and sheath are the leather could have been tanned using acid, this will also attack metals. If you like the sheath and want to keep using it. If it is lanolin it should boil out. You will have to treat the sheath after, there are some good silicon based leather preservatives. Also if you decide to boil the sheath use newspaper or cut cardboard to stuff it while it dries to keep the shape you want.

 

[johnpaulh]

For polishing your brass, if you have a buffing wheel, use ZAM, it gives a fine mirror like polish, you can get it via most jewelry supply houses. ZAM is not as abrasive as rouge, and works great on most metals (makes aluminum shine like no tomorrow!) If you use it on different metals, use a separate buff for each of the metals so you don't cross contaminate the wheels (contaminated wheels will wreak havoc on your next polishing project)

On the sheath, I would try soaking in water that has been run thru a Reverse Osmosis (RO) purifier before I would try boiling it. Boiling will remove the lanolin, but will extract other oils from the leather to the point it will shrink, stiffen, and possibly crack. Soaking in room temp or slightly warmer water that has been thru a RO unit will extract the lanolin, but will take several changes of water. H2O that has been purified via RO is an excellent solvent. If you cannot get water that has been RO'd...try distilled, that would be the next closest thing. Dry the sheath by blotting with cloth towels, then pack with paper towel to finish the job. Once it is completely dry, treat it with a little mink or neetsfoot oil to condition.

 

[mooner1958]

I have boiled a number of sheaths. I should have said that a rolling boil and only about a minute or two. I have never hears about the DI water but it sounds good. If that works please post. As for losing other oils I am not sure what oils. When the leather comes out it is very pliable and I haven't had the shrinkage. I actually have formed holsters to guns using the boil method. Using either of the treatments suggested is great.

 

[johnpaulh]

I've boiled too in the past, and you are absolutely right, it works great for forming leather. Most leather (that I have worked with) has been re-purposed leather, so came from the final manufacturer with oils worked in for pliability.

I kind of stumbled on the RO water accidentally. I had a butchers block in my kitchen, and used to use a bleach solution to clean and disinfect it. One afternoon, one of the kids had spilled a glass of RO H2O on the block, and it had been sitting on the wood for a few minutes, then I noticed a cloudy haze in the pooled water. After watching it a few minutes more I realized the water was lifting "crud" out of the grain. Putting the expensive college education my parents funded to work, I realized it was an osmotic action, the water being the solvent was lifting the matter out of the wood and attempting to reach a stasis condition.

I experimented with other materials (stains on cloth etc...) and tried it on a suede jacket my daughter had....it lifted the stain, but left the area of the stain slightly bleached, and noticeably stiffer.

Like you said, either way works well, but if you boil, just a short dip is best. Water is an exceptional solvent, and when purified by RO becomes a super solvent (chemistry? Oxygen molecules have high affinity for other molecules and readily bind to them....thus Iron (Fe) when oxygen binds to it produces Fe2O3, iron oxide...which we call rust but is really a misnomer as rust is considered hydrated ferric oxide [H2O and Fe2].....ok, enough chemistry class...I probably don't remember it perfectly anyhow...it's been 30 years since I graduated)

More coffee......