All About Pocket Knives

I had these two sitting next to each other in one of my knife racks, is this what is known as gassing out?

I believe your Winchester 45-70 has celluloid handles that do have the potential to outgas. The 11-87 Auto 870 Pump knife looks to have delrin handles that will not outgas so I don't know what has happened to the delrin handles. It is possible that the 45-70 knife or another celluloid knife nearby contributed to the damage of the other knife. Have you tried to clean the damaged knife? The tail end bolster does look to have discoloration that could be from nearby celluloid outgassing. Outgassing of a celluloid handled knives can definitely affect other nearby non-celluloid knives.

I would agree that the Winchester seems to be gassing out. It looks like discoloration on the shield and some on the bottom bolster.

Those delrin like on your hunter don't usually gas out, they are very stable

I've never seen outgassing celluloid affect delrin. Not saying it can't, just that it's a new one for me. I'd drop a drop or two of 3 in 1 oil on the damaged area of the delrin and let it soak in.

These two were laying on their back edges touching, the Delrin on the Remmy is gouged out deep, like rotted away maybe half way through.
The Winchester had flash rust on the touching side of the blade I was able to polish off, bolsters were ugly also.

lentuk wrote: ↑Wed Aug 27, 2025 12:52 pm These two were laying on their back edges touching, the Delrin on the Remmy is gouged out deep, like rotted away maybe half way through.
The Winchester had flash rust on the touching side of the blade I was able to polish off, bolsters were ugly also.

That is a shame to see that kind of damage to two such fine knives. If the one with celluloid handles, the one on the left, is not rusted, then if I were you I would remove those handles immediately to keep it from corroding.

Strange that the Delrin looks worse than the celluloid. I had no clue that proximity to outgassing celluloid could affect Delrin in that manner. I suppose that if the gasses from Celluloid can corrode steel and brass, it should not surprise me that it can corrode Delrin: but I have never seen it before.

The Remington could have heat or chemical damage. I rehandled a delrin knife that a fella carried as he was working with farm chemicals. Damage looked very similar. They need to be rehandled.

The reason the coke bottle doesnt look damaged is the celluloid is outgassing on the underside of the covers. It will eventually eat through the liners and completely destroy the knife. Get those covers off now!