How do you store your sheath knives?

[medxam]

I have a modest collection of sheath knives including a number of Randalls. I have been told not to store them in the sheaths, much like not storing guns in holsters. I have also been told not to store them in oak cases. I hate to buy another safe just for knives, but many of the Randalls are worth more than some of the Smiths that I own. Do you wax the blades with Ren or another wax. I use many of these and I want them available when ever I need them. Some are newer special models that I would like to keep "NIB". I am just looking for help in what others do. The people on the knife forums are a bit anal retentive.

medxam

 

[pownal55]

Keeping them in a sheath is a definite no-no. I leave them on the top shelf of my safe along side the sheaths and they do just fine.

 

[sophie]

My collection doesn't include a lot of fixed blade knives, but I also believe you need to store them separate from the sheaths and I do just as a precaution. For what its worth.

__________
James

 

[DeathGrip]

I left a new Buck 110 in the sheath and forgot about it.

New Leather + brass =

 

[medxam]

I agree about not storing them in their sheaths, but what about the other questions that I posed. Unfortunately or fortunately, the top shelves are cover with Smiths!

medxam

 

[jimNeb]

Keeping them in a sheath is a definite no-no. I leave them on the top shelf of my safe along side the sheaths and they do just fine.

I also wipe them down with a gun and reel cloth every so often.

 

[Biginge]

Traded all my Randalls for Smiths awhile back for this very reason. Storage of fixed blades is an issue.

Regards

Bill

 

[GKC]

Well, I only have a couple of knives that really matter to me. One I just bought, and it is a M1911. I keep that in the gun safe, and up to now, in the nylon sheath that came with it. I assume the sheath storage warnings are about leather sheaths? Any issues with nylon sheaths? I can put it in a gun sock, I guess.

The other knife is a Case pocket knife that I've had for as long as I can remember. It has stag grips, and it's in my desk drawer at home. I suppose I should move it to the safe too...I never carry it.

Then I have a couple of other pocket knives, a multi-blade Schrade and a Swiss Army knife, that are in my desk drawer. I have a multiblade stainless steel Navy knife in the console of my car. (I very seldom carry a pocket knife in my pocket.)

 

[harleyvato]

I store my knives seperate from the sheaths. For my Randall's I bought some of the knife cases that say Randall on the outside(eBay), my other knives get wrapped in old socks that I have sprayed lightly with sheath rust preventative. Lots of time in the safe, no issues as of yet.

 

[BearBio]

Oil them lightly and put them on a display rack for most of the good ones.

But, few of mine are safe queens.

 

[rburg]

I don't think there is a good answer. Maybe if you've got 3 or 4, you can store them where you can see them. As the number goes up, its even more difficult than storing your handguns. At least guns won't poke holes in anything you put them in.

We moved 2 1/2 years ago, so I didn't like the idea of keeping them separate from the sheaths. Mating them back together was a time consuming pain, one I didn't have time for. So I ended up putting them in knife rolls as a temporary expedient. Then when I finally retrieved them from my son's house, I decided to try to reunite them with the correct sheaves. It was a real pain.

Randall does make a knife sheath (in different sizes) that allows you to put the knife inside and on the back (or the front depending on how you're holding it) it has two elastic straps. Those are for putting the sheath in and holding it with its knife.

With Randalls, its sometimes kind of easy because the sheath often has a model and a length stamped on the back (like 4 6 for a model 4 6"). But it only works if you got the right sheath with the knife.

So as I progressed I discovered that my buying style didn't include me paying proper attention to what I was getting. I ended up with what looked to me like having 4 extra 7-4 sheaths. I do have an orphaned Trout and Bird, but its a very old grind, unlike todays and I'm certain it didn't come with a sheath. I does fit in a 7 4 sheath, but I'm certain I bought the sheaths from a knife purveyor with my 6 4 steak knifes.

So after all this discussion, and my experiences, I'd advise keeping the knife and its sheath together, not separate. What happens is you think your memory is good enough to keep 2 knives and 2 sheaths straight. But as the numbers grow and your remembering power fades, you wind up with a mess. Besides, its nice to be able to look at your knives and pick the one you want. Without digging and looking for hours to find "its" sheath.

The other rules that apply. If you've used the knife, wash it well, in hot water. Hot enough to evaporate the water as it dries. Its OK to use wax or gun oil, but sparingly. And depending on the handle material, you might be better off going slow. Wax in cracks or places like stag or leather washers is bad.

 

[JayCeeNC]

I use Renaissance Wax on my knives as well at my guns.
I don't have many high-end knives right now, just a couple of Randalls. I keep the knife in the zippered case along with the sheath, but not inside the sheath.

 

[kennyb]

ren.wax on my good ones....like my guns

 

[The Tourist]

I might have some oddball advice here, but I'd ask you to consider it. This stance is based on my job and some advice my FIL gave to me.

One, he told me that a man spends half of his life accumulating things, and the other half getting rid of them. As I got older I saw the wisdom in this belief.

The second belief comes from my job in the knife industry. Knives might not mean as much to me as they do for you. Oh, I love knives, but when you can get just about knife made in the world that "urgency" drops off. A knife you cannot use--or are afraid to scratch--is just a paper weight.

I had lots of expensive knives, lots of Tussey Customs and a Bren Ten. Over the past few years I sold them all. Not some, I sold them all. You cannot believe how freeing that feeling is. If nothing else, I ride my motorcycles more--and even the big fancy one is starting to become hard to justify.

We enter hobbies for 'fun.' When that hobby then becomes tiring because of moving stuff, cleaning it, and insuring it only to find you cannot play with it, then you do not have a hobby, you have a job.

If your 'hobby' is rusting, tarnishing, sitting un-used or some form of burden, then I advise you reconsider your involvement. I have an expensive Zero Tolerance knife (sometimes two of them) in my pocket. You have no idea great it is to cut up a banana or a sandwich with them!

Use the good stuff, or your heirs will.

 

[Beemerguy53]

Thanks for a thought-provoking thread...

I have a modest collection of US and British military bayonets, to go along with my military rifles. I must confess I keep all of them in their sheaths, and have never had an issue with rust or corrosion.

I wipe them down periodically with an oily rag, and they are kept on a shelf in my Goldenrod-protected safe.

 

[Texas Star]

I have a cedar chest of drawers that used to belong to a seaman. I stash most knives there, out of the sheaths. Others go in a cabinet in another room.

I check the oil occasionally, Break-Free. Most blades are high quality stainless and don't rust easily. But I check them.

Half a dozen lockblade folders live in the top dresser drawer, with most of the Swiss Army knives. Other pocketknives are in a wooden jewelry box with a highly detailed pewter trout by Sid Bell on the lid.

I had not heard that oak storage was bad for knives. I'll remember that. Anyone know why? My cedar chest has caused no problems, and it's been in use for maybe 15 years.

The storage is the same for a Swiss Army knife as for an expensive Fallkniven or Puma product. Never see rust.

 

[Bell Charter Oak Holsters]

I suppose I'm also in the minority. I do store my fixed blade knives in their sheath, for much the same reasons already stated. I've never had any issues with stainless blades stored in a vegetable tanned leather sheath. Those with carbon blades get a periodic wipe down with a modest amount of oil and are stored in a safe. Folders get the same treatment, except they are stored in their original box if I have one. Others are piled in trays, mostly older less expensive pocket knives.

I don't consider it a chore to go through them every few months. It's an opportunity to admire them, handle them...just like anything else one might collect. Many of them trigger happy memories, gifts from friends or family no longer with us, hunting and fishing trips, camp tales. Some conjur up childhood experiences. I think as I reflect upon their significance, that some are merely tools and others may be much more than that because of the recollection of good times they provoke.

Cheers;
Lefty

 

[CajunBass]

I've only got one sheath knife, a custom built Shelor (I know, nobody else ever heard of him, but he built a good knife.). I've stored it in it's sheath for about 40 years, and never had a problem. All the rest of my knives have nylon sheaths, but they're just cheap Bucks.

But I also stored handguns in leather holsters for years before I heard you shouldn't do it. Never had a problem with them either.

 

[gunblade]

I have four Randalls left and they are all users, so I leave them in the sheath inside the gun safe. Two have stainless blades so I don't worry about them much anyway and the other two with carbon blades seem to do OK with a wipe down every so often. I've stored these knives this way for years and have had no issues with rust, however I don't live in a very humid climate so that probably helps.

 

[chief38]

The sheath knives I own are Carbon Steel and subject to rust, so I wipe them down with some RIG Grease (thin coat) and put them in waxed paper. I store them out of the sheath and have never had any issues. I really only use them once or twice a year when Hunting or in the woods and just wipe them clean before sticking it in the sheath.

Chief38