vintage Abercrombie Fitch knife set in wooden box

Tools seemed the closest category....

This set was at a church sale late summer, I realize one knife is missing and have found similar vintage Abercrombie sets online so don't have any questions on that end.

As you can clearly see from photo 2, there is some odd thing going on. At first I thought "verdigris" but it is not powdery, it is waxy. You can just wipe it off but it smears and sticks like soft wax would.

What is going on with this? Verdigris maybe mixed with some kind of coating that was put on to preserve the wood?

 

poor humid storage ....wood took in moisture and the copper rivets started to decay.

Or so I'd think....

 

If the wood is oak you are suffering tannic acid attack. It's called nail rot in oak ships with iron nails. Copper and copper based alloys are more resistant but not perfect. Teak can also have a similar effect. Because the corroded copper salts are larger in volume than the original material they ooze out. It's a slow process so a set in use and regularly cleaned should not be a noticeable defect, leave it for years and you get the effect you see.

As noted, an overly humid environment will help the process along. If water were not what we were mostly made of it would be classed as a dangerous chemical.

 

Thanks Komokwa and AF.

I suspect these have been in storage for years.

This waxy stuff easily cleans off an looks good as new, but I don't want to pass a potential problem off to a buyer. If a set in regular use is okay, maybe that means I can sell them without concern, or?? I could note that there was what looked like a humidity issue, but with regular use they should be fine, maybe something like that? What do you think? Otherwise I'll recycle them. Thanks!

 

It's common on copper or brass rivets in leather too.

Just clean it off. It's normal.

 

Thanks, Terry.

 

Terry's right....I get that on some of my Buck knife leather sheaths & it was prevalent on a 1962 Jet Fighter pilots survival knife sheath I had.

 

What do you clean it with? I have some old hunting knives from my uncle and they have this problem.

 

i use spit and a rough cloth....

 

Actually....
In the disaster restoration class I had for a previous business it was termed just that because it can carry almost anything.

 

'Spit' from a camel?

 

Just scrape off what you can with your fingernail or credit card. If you want to clean further lighter fluid or white gas will do more.

 

now where the hell am I going to find a camel ???

 

You will if you're dedicated to the solution.

 

Ha...found one on a ship !!!!
Jest....for you !



This one is spitting.....



Interesting that a church going plane would spit !!

 

Oh Sop with all that will you.

 

I can't......I'm Bi-Planer.....!

 

Well......
It's said you're 90% to your goal once you face up to the issue...

 

it's been a while since i heard that......but they seem to play it alot around christmas...