Tanning salts and oils/waxes. Leather is polished.

I think Lofty has the answer.
BlackRock has Carnuba Wax.
It hasn't changed the color on my sheaths. It is not recommended for rough or natural leather, so I use a circular motion with my fingers using just the natural oils from my skin on the roughback side of the sheath.
With the dry Colorado air, it seems to be the best solution.

I use Dr. Jackson’s Hide Rejuvenator. Superb for leather, obtainable at Tandy

To be more specific, waxes and oils migrate, and lift salts with them. The heavier and deeper the additives, including waxes, the more shows on the surface as volatiles evaporate, leaving crystalline paraffin or waxes, along with salts lifted from leather.

I once had the super genius brainstorm of super-saturating the leather to remove all vegetable tan acid salts (ie oak tanning), but all I received for effort were sheaths which turned even whiter and brighter sooner, along with petrified forever leather...still corroded the snot out of rivets and knives.

If you want acid free, you use heavy oil tanned (actually mostly done with an alum salt) which has between very little and zero reaction to metals. Eventually, the acids left in leather will destroy the fibers, no matter what you do, when using vegetable tanning.

Welcome to white sheath land. Wipe it off or rub it in, makes no difference, treat as salt stained boots.

un touched....as far as I know.....nothing
the keeper strap LEATHER still "squeaks" when snapped down...
:-)Rocky

yep, there is still magic, or, perhaps they used oil tanned. For sure, stuff from late 50s on can be rough on fasteners and brass and etc.,on mine. Some is also going to be influenced by humidity. Corrosion needs an electrolyte, to include humidity, AND even the waxes and oils, plus any salts from many tanning processes.

Was not very clear in an above post, but it seems my leather-forever preservation efforts succeeded in one area, the leather, BUT, the oils/waxes magnified corrosive effects on fasteners and knives by providing a current flow path on the vegetable tanned leather, as well as lifting out more salts to surface.

And all of the leather commentary is not mine, but lifted from commentary by museum curators in their often fruitless attempts to prevent leather from deteriorating, as the destructive effects of salts on the fiber bundles is an attack on the inside, which no surface treatment can effect.

That sheath sure is a keeper if a knife to match.

Ruana has a sheath wax with bee's wax and pine pitch. That's what I use on my users.

Pap

Thanks guys!

Appreciate the input. Really have never touched the sheaths since the day I got them; guess that will change. Something else to do!

Tom Flynn

The dreaded white stuff. I have it on some of my sheaths that were in the safe separate. Wipes off easy but looks strange. Most of my sheaths are stored together in gym bags they are all fine. Weird stuff. I also use the Ruana pine pitch on my users works great.

Before you do anything just get a soft cloth towel and pour some alcohol on it and wipe the sheath down. The stuff will come off. Be careful what leather preservative you use. Some will turn the leather a darker color.