Comments (4)

• 6

  Mr. Vincent - February 25, 2019

  Well reasoned and common sense based without being overly technical or dogmatic. Thank you for another great article.

   
• 5

  Rachel Kring - January 31, 2020

  [comment deleted]

   
  • 8

    hikermor - January 29, 2021

    Just a comment on leather sheaths.  I purchased a Buck 105 (Pathfinder) in 1972.  The original leather sheath has worn out and has been replaced with a second.  The knife is routinely kept in the sheath in a stable environment. Not a speck of rust that I can recall…Does the finish and treatment of the leather have anything to do with the occurrence of rust??

     
  • 1

    Jon StokesStaff - January 31, 2021

    Yes, the tanning of the leather and the finish do matter.  Chrome tanned is the worst on knives. Vegetable tanned can be ok, especially if the blade is stainless.

    In this regard, a lot depends on the blade and the blade’s finish, as well. For instance, I made a small leather sheath from vegetable tanned leather for my Case Winkler Skinner in 80CrV2, which is a high-carbon steel knife with a cold Caswell finish. If I store the knife in the leather sheath and it’s not well coated with silicon, I’ll see some corrosion after a while. So when I’m not wearing it, I leave it out of the sheath on a high shelf.