All About Pocket Knives

I was in need of a additonal Hickory Hills knife roll. Being the tightwod that I am, I didn't want to spend $40+ for a new one. Found a used one on ebay for $23 with shipping. I thought I had a super deal.... NOT!
Not only did it come out of a smokers home, but it must have been stored in a musty, damp basement.
I thought airing it outside for a few days would take care of the problem.... NOT!
Next thought, I would spray it with Fabreze and let sit outside a few more days.
Now it smells like musty stale smoke with cheap perfume added!
Should I cut my loses, toss into the garbage and move on with life, or does anyone have some ideas on creating a salvageable situation.

Paul

KN, why not try a good old bath by hand with soap and water then let it air dry? Use an old tooth brush to scrub it good. Add some Downy or some other smell good thing that is used in washing cloths and scrub it good with that after you rinse the soap out of it. It's worth a try. Whatcha got to lose?

Aimus

after spraying with fabreze id never use it for knives of any value,id use it the trunk of car now for a tool set or in the garage screwdrivers or something

Smoke is horrible to get out or off anything, then ad mildew on top. I say cut your losses.

If you can wait until the weather really gets warm, lay it out in the hot sun for a few days. The UV rays have disinfecting properties and may clean it up.

Bring it to a Dry Cleaner, their cleaning agent will get it out.

Soak it in Bud Lite, that stuff has got to be good for something.

Seriously,
I would try the soak method, say water/vinigar for a few times. And I like tjs idea.

Use charcole brickets in it. I had a piece of furniture that came out of a heavy smokers house and lined all the drawers with these.. Keep changing them and the smell should go away. Dont know if this helps musty smell though.. John

You didn't mention whether it is made of leather or vinyl.Is the inside velour or canvas?If it is leather/canvas I would use a regular leather cleaner and then preservative on the outside and scrub the inside with a good vinegar-based cleanser(Massengil Douche is good) and let it air dry for several days open.Then roll it up with several dessicant bags inside to completely remocve the moisture.

If it is vinyl/velour I would use a good vinyl cleanser and the same procedure as the other for the inside.

Don't use a protectant on the vinyl such as Armor-All or the like as this may attack any synthetic handles on the knives.

throw it in the washing machine..regardless of the material..cold wash...
if leather...spread..(not spreak).. the leather out on a clean beach towel...square it off nice...smooth it out...grumble about stupid hippies...put in refridgerator...give it it's own shelf..come back in the morning...it will be all nice and dry, if not..walk away...wait..
then...let it air for a few days to let the leather let off the rest of the moisture...now it is all nice...promise...this works any leather item.
do not put it in the sun/apply heat of any form, to quicken the process...

knife nut,......You couldn't buy this education. Let us know how it turns out; and what is it made of anyway?

Paul, try this one. I also collect books and mold and mildew can be a killer on those. I simply take a grocery paper bag and put up to a third of a bag of kitty litter on and in the goul smelling object, fold the top closed 3 or 4 folds and staple the top shut. Place the bag in the man's room or spare office, but away from direct heat. Forget about it for about a month. Be sure to put some litter inside the roll as well. After a month or so ,open the bag ,take a vacum to it and get rid of all the litter. Odor should be gone. Has worked well for me. Dale P.S. In the event the odor is still a bit there, try the process over again, but perhaps for a bit shorter time. Good luck!

Bought a used truck last summer that had belonged to a serious smoker. I was instructed to put an open bowl of vinegar in the cab and let it set. After 2-3 days the odor of cigarette smoke was gone. The knife roll could be put in a sealed container with a bowl of vinegar and see what happens. If it doesn't work you have only lost a few cents worth of vinegar. Good luck!

Wow, guys, thanks for all the suggestions. Someone asked what the material was. It's described as furniture grade vinyl with heavy cloth lining and leather straps.
I let you know how things turn out.

Paul

Original dawn dish washing detergent and some warm water. Give it a light scrub with a tooth brush a short soak and hang dry in a good breeze.

soap an' water are the best thing humans ever invented.

FRJ wrote:Soak it in Bud Lite, that stuff has got to be good for something.

Seriously,
I would try the soak method, say water/vinigar for a few times. And I like tjs idea.

LMAO!

Update on getting ordor out of my knife roll:
I got a spray bottle, filled it with half vinegar and half water. Sprayed a fine mist over both sides let it dry then repeated. At that point it was 90% better.
However, in thinking back to my high school chemistry, I remembered that vinegar is acidic. I was hesitant to put any knives into a cloth roll that now had a possible low pH in the fabric.
To make a long story short, I went to the local grocery store and rented a Rug Doctor with an upholstery attachment. After about an hour's work the knife roll no longer has an odor.
BUT.........
After all this, I'm still hesitant to put knives worth several hundred dollars into a knife roll with this past history of cleaning steps!!

Paul

FOR SALE:


Hickory Hills knife roll......gently used.....have $68.23 in it.....will let go to the first person for $60.





Moral to the story: You pay for what you get. Therefore, don't be a tightwod like me!!


Paul

I wouldn't worry about the acidity of vinegar;a lot of people use it to remove rust from vintage automobiles.Water should neutralize it.