Suggestions needed

CTaylorJr

CTaylorJr

Well-Known Member
A couple of years ago my father handed me 2 knives that he has had for YEARS!!! Both are case fixed blade skinners and were in BAD shape. They both have stainless blades, the handles are leather, and one came with a sheath. Not sure which, but one of these 2 knives was what he used to skin out the deer he got the last time we went deer hunting together, about 14 years ago. He no longer hunts unless something is after his chickens. :lol:

Oh, did I mention that when we found these knives they had been under water for about 2 weeks? A travel trailer on the Galveston coast lets a LOT of water in, but won't let it drain from certain storage compartments... Under SALT WATER... Glad the blades are stainless! Ike sucked in so many ways!

One is a goner from an original refurb standpoint, but the other is coming along nicely. I have got it back into decent shape so far and will work on it a bit more this week so I can present it to him this weekend for Father's Day. But, It needs a sheath. Ebay came through for me, but the sheath is really dry.

How would you go about "re-hydrating" this sheath?

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dry to the point it threatens to crack when bent.

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You can really see where the salt is still building on the handle between cleanings and buffs. Some will still be there this weekend, but it'll show what all this critter has been through.

Charlie
 
There are a lot of good oils and waxes out there but with a sheath as old and soft as this I would clean it very well with water, dry it, and lightly treat it with a good wax based product such as snow seal with fingertip application only. Like most restorations you don't want to do too much. Nice gester for your dad and will be an heirloom with that story!
 
Obenaufs-Heavy-Duty-Leather-Preservative at Cabelas (online or in the store) is a great leather treatment. I've used this product on my cowboy boots, custom knife sheaths, gun holster etc. It's an excellent product that was originally designed for firefighters. I swear by it. I'm not a big fan of neats foot oil as it does tend to soak and soften the leather more than I want. I agree with the above comment about cleaning it well first. You might try saddle soap. It's a great product too. Directions are right on the can. Good luck!!
 
Thanks for the replies to this one. I'll see what I can do with the other sheath that is in a bit worse condition than this one and then use the process that works best on the one I plan to give to pop!

Charlie
 
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