How do you maintain a leather sheath?

Fixed knives often come with a leather sheath. But how do you make sure that the leather stays in great shape? How do you make sure it won’t dry out and tear?

Better safe than sorry

Step one in taking care of your leather sheaths is making sure the leather does not wear out excessively. So better be safe than sorry, as we say. It is, for instance, not a good idea to scrape a leather sheath alongside a concrete or stone wall. After all, it will quickly wear out the leather. Also something you shouldn’t do: leaving your leather sheath out in the sun for a long period of time. The sun will ‘bake’ the leather dry, and the result is that you have to say goodbye to the suppleness of the leather. Conversely the same applies: long-term exposure to water is also not recommended. So if you start with preventing any damages you won’t have as much to fix in the long run.

How does the leather sheath remain supple?

With the Dovo leather balm you will keep your leather sheath nice and supple. You apply it with a clean cloth and let it set for fifteen minutes. Afterwards you get another clean cloth to rub the leather. This removes the excess cream and will make the leather nice and shiny.

You can do the same with Ballistol. This is a maintenance oil that will nicely be absorbed by the leather. It will make the leather nice and supple and prevents tears.

Practical about Ballistol is that you can also rub it on the blade to prevent rust. In addition, Ballistol will help you remove any remaining tape from, for instance, steel. Although Ballistol doesn’t mention it on the package we know that Ballistol is food safe. This means that you can even use it on your kitchen knives.

How can you make your sheath waterproof?

Are you taking your knife out in the rain? Dealing with tropical humidity? Sea fishing? If you are it could be a good idea to make sure your sheath won’t absorb any of the water you get in touch with. Fortunately there is a way for you to make your sheath waterproof. It also won’t absorb any more oil or cream but that is, fortunately, no longer necessary.

To waterproof a sheath or case you use beeswax or a product that is similar to beeswax such as Sno Seal. To apply it properly you can preheat the sheath in a 40 degree Celsius oven. Subsequently you rub some beeswax or Sno Seal on the sheath. Heat the sheath again to let the sheath absorb the wax. Afterwards rub it down for a glossy finish and your sheath is waterproof!

Conclusion

As you can see, it is easy to take care of a leather sheath. A beautiful natural product you can definitely show off with. Stylish and practical at the same time. And if you keep up the maintenance you will enjoy your sheath for years to come.