Old Leather Storage

[Cooter Brown]

I've got a couple of very old and valuable leather sheaths/holsters, as well as a leather handled knife.

Would it be OK to store them in my safe outfitted with a Golden Rod? Would it tend to dry them out too much?

Thanks for any insight on the best way to store this stuff.

 

[moosedog]

I've got a bunch of WWII holsters and others in my vault for over 30 years now. The Golden Rod won't dry them out.
What's more important is no extremes in temperatures or humidity levels. If they are in a basement, you should have a dehumidifier if humidity levels get higher than normal.
You can Google up what constitutes normal humidity levels for certain times of the year temperatures. Anyone with some bucks tied up in firearms should heed the same advise.

 

[Jessie]

Be careful at least with the knife. I had one of my grandfathers leather handled knifes in my safe and put a golden rod in. A few weeks later I discovered the knife handle had become dried out and shattered.
Maybe putting a good wax on it, which I did not, may help.
Some of the leather smiths will probably give you some expert advice here soon.

 

[Cooter Brown]

Thanks guys. It's a pretty valuable knife and sheath.

 

[chief38]

A dry environment (not too hot) would seem the best to me. I've stored my leather goods for over 40 years that way and have had no problems (with the exception of a little Verdigris on the ones with brass rivets).

Do NOT store any knife in its sheath and I wrap the knife blade in VOC paper after wiping it down with some RIG Universal Grease. Never had any pitting or rust issues.

 

[MichiganScott]

I don't collect holsters, but I do have a collection of knives and bayonets. It's extremely humid during summer where I live and I was getting mold on the sheaths and leather handles. I had to do something and I could not find a waterproof/airproof storage box at a reasonable price.

I purchased a plastic under-bed box and made a gasket from closed cell foam. I tossed in a couple of desiccant packages purchased from Cabela's.

Seems to work very well. This is the third summer since I made it and have no signs of mold or mildew. There is no signs of the handles drying out either.

 

[Cooter Brown]

Thanks, gents.

I'm still a little leery of putting the knife in the safe with the goldenrod.

It's valuable enough to require secure storage so I might try to figure something else out.

 

[Jonzim]

Do you have a food saver? Seal it in a bag, or one of the pistol pouches designed for long term storage before putting in the safe.

 

[Cooter Brown]

Do you have a food saver? Seal it in a bag, or one of the pistol pouches designed for long term storage before putting in the safe.

That sound like an idea worth thinking about. Thanks.

 

[gabbyh75]

Leather Storage, Particularly in High Humidity

I worked in the tropics; Central America, West Africa and Southeast Asia for eight years, much of it in relatively primitive environments. The electronic gear that I used in the 60s and 70s generally had short life spans.

When I had electricity available, putting a low power light bulb in a box, cardboard or other wise, and keeping it turned on 24/7, kept the humidity low enough so that my leatherwear; footwear, belts, holsters didn't turn green too quickly. Also, it seemed like saddle soap or shoe polish helped to protect the leather.