A celluloid question

[edge213]

I had no idea that anyone was still using celluloid. I knew that some German knives were using it far more recently than logic would dictate, but CASE?

I'm not aware of any celluloid production from Case in the past 30 or so years but I could be wrong. Some Case Classics had celluloid covers but as has been discussed here in other threads those were made by Queen as one of Jim Parker's many (sometimes controversial) marketing schemes when he owned Case.

To my knowledge more recent Case synthetics have used acrylic, G10 and perhaps other modern materials. If I'm wrong I'm sure someone will correct me.

Ken

I believe the Case Select candy stripe knives of the early 2000s was celluloid.

[Jacknifeben]

All Cattaraugus.

[kenb]

I had no idea that anyone was still using celluloid. I knew that some German knives were using it far more recently than logic would dictate, but CASE?

I'm not aware of any celluloid production from Case in the past 30 or so years but I could be wrong. Some Case Classics had celluloid covers but as has been discussed here in other threads those were made by Queen as one of Jim Parker's many (sometimes controversial) marketing schemes when he owned Case.

To my knowledge more recent Case synthetics have used acrylic, G10 and perhaps other modern materials. If I'm wrong I'm sure someone will correct me.

Ken

I have a few Christmas tree handled knives and they are definitely celluloid. I really love the look of them. One that is starting to give trouble is a Winchester seahorse whittler blade dated at 1995 that has just started to show a fine deterioration on the blade. The case cheetah that I was referring to in my initial post is 1995 manufacture as well. Both knives appear to have the same exact handle material. So I would have to say case used celluloid in 1995, and probably on some newer knives as well. After some thought, and some wrestling with my inner frustrations, I think I'm going to pass on this knife as it was a good, but (not jumping up and down) great deal, and move on to finding a nice abalone cheetah instead. Which someone here not long ago said is poisonous and dangerous to handle. But at least it won't disintegrate (I hope).

This the Winchester.

Ken

[Mumbleypeg]

The current "Gold Sparkle" material is Kirinite, according to SHC site http://www.casexx.com/Handle/DisplayHan ... AutoID=663

According to the learned folks over on the CCC forum the last celluloids produced by Case were in the early 2000s and had a warning label on the box.

Ken

[tongueriver]

Hmm, so it sounds like putting some desiccant with the celluloid knife, in a well-sealed bag, inside a box away from the light, might be a good idea.

In a "well-sealed bag" is NOT a good idea. If celluloid degrades, even if it is imperceptible for quite some time, the result is nitric acid fumes. This material needs to breathe, in my opinion.

[Mumbleypeg]

Hmm, so it sounds like putting some desiccant with the celluloid knife, in a well-sealed bag, inside a box away from the light, might be a good idea.

In a "well-sealed bag" is NOT a good idea. If celluloid degrades, even if it is imperceptible for quite some time, the result is nitric acid fumes. This material needs to breathe, in my opinion.

I agree. My totally unscientific, anecdotal experience has been that celluloids stored in an enclosed environment are the ones that go goofy. The ones left sitting out, in a climate controlled room on an open shelf away from bright light, seem stable. That's my experience anyway. The ones I've had go bad were either in an enclosed knife roll or behind glass in a small display case. In both cases they took some others along with them, even non-celluloids.

Ken

[kenb]

All my celluloid are out in the open away from my other knives. If I see corrosion starting it's off to the workshop where it can sit on a shelf by itself. I hate that this stuff is so unstable because there are so many attractive celluloid out there.

Ken

[TwoFlowersLuggage]

Hmm - well, I suppose you can't have it both ways - you can't create a moisture-free environment for the material AND also let the material "breathe". Or, at least you can't do that without some serious environmental controls that put air dryers on the input air and also a way to keep the air moving and exhaust it.

I think we're talking about a couple of different things:

1) Prevention of the out-gassing
2) Prevention of damage to the celluloid knife after out-gassing has begun
3) Prevention of damage to other knives after out-gassing of the celluloid knife has begun

If you can do #1, then #2 & #3 are not required. If it is impossible to prevent #1, then you must prepare for #2 & #3. Unfortunately, if the things you do to prepare for for #2 & #3 help create the conditions that allow #1, then you're screwed if you do and screwed if you don't...