Is My Leather Finish Causing My Knife Handles To Expand???

SC_Knives

SC_Knives

Well-Known Member
I have ran into a problem... I recently noticed that 3 of my natural wood knife handles have expanded at least a 1/32" - 1/16" and it has started since I changed finishes on my sheaths. I have used Neatsfoot oil on all of my sheaths for 2-3 years and I liked the results, but some of my customers complained about the tacky/oily finish so I started to use Saddle Butter on my sheaths. Since then, this problem has arose. The handles were well dried and I did make other knives at the same time and the only handles that have expanded are the ones that were stored in the knife sheaths treated with Saddle Butter.

Is is possible that the finish is causing this? If so, what is a better leather finish to use?

Thanks - Cory
 
My other thought is that there is some moisture being trapped in the sheath after I stain them and wax them. I'm not sure of this, but it was pretty humid where I was doing my sheath work.
 
sounds to me like there could be some moisture in there .. I ve noticed that myself.. Id stain my sheaths and go back the following day .. They felt dry , Put the blade in there come back to them in the evening and notice a little lip at the spine , pins dont feel flush, just all in all swelling and even a bit of rust setting in on the blade , all to the sheath not being totally dry..

I guess I would guess that whatever your using ( saddle butter ) really isnt the problem , but the humidity mixed with your sheaths not being totally dry , may have something to do with it.

Maybe do what your doing , but give it an extra day or so. Put your knives and sheaths in a dryer room ( a/c room , boiler room , somewhere less humid , just to give it a good chance to dry out thouroughly )

My two cents.
 
Thank you, Mikey!

Now that you mention it, the sheaths do feel a bit damp after they sit after the staining process. I was using a dehydrator in the winter months to help dry out the sheaths and I stopped in the spring and that's when this started to happen...
 
I can finally contribute to this wonderful place! I have been doing leather self taught and know from mistakes I've made my process... cut pattern, gum tragacanth the flesh side, allowing it to get dryish,then using bone folder slicker or the such slick the flesh in one direction, do any embellishments (tooling etc...) wet mold if necessary(depends on patterns)glue, stitch, dress edges as per your method, ***force dry in oven at lowest setting*** then dye, then buff, re dye as necessary seal with 50/50 mop and glo original and water, oil with oil of choice, re dry in oven. THEN use Montana pitch blend working it in with finges...let it rest at least 1 day to allow for any moisture to get out on its own...Hope this helps...
 
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