Magnetism affects leather?

[SUP]

I just attached a new magnetic strip and stuck 2 scissors on it - both in their sheaths. When I take off the larger scissors, it comes off with the sheath. The smaller one however, the sheath sticks to the magnetic strip. It remains there when I move away the scissors. 

The magnetic strip is brand new and shiny but I cleaned it anyway; cleaned the sheath as well; no difference. I tried in a different section of the strip but it still happens. Does not happen with any of the knives. 

The sheath is made of the same leather as several other sheaths. It is dyed with pro-dye and then Neatsfoot oil.  Same technique as with several others. Thread is the same used on several others as well.

The scissors are an old Wiss brand.

Does anyone have an idea why this is happening?

[fredk]

That is verily mostest unusual

[SUP]

Yes it is, isn't it? 

Now that I think of it, it was one of the first I made, so from a bag of Tandy scraps, if I remember right. Wonder if it is something about the scrap I used. The rest of the treatment was the same as for other knife sheaths.

One thing I noticed - if I take the sheath off the strip and re-attach it with the scissors, it does not remain stuck immediately; only after a long while. Several hours or overnight. So the effect comes on slowly.

Weirder and weirder.

 

[fredk]

The only explanation I think I can come with;  (Its my theory because it belongs to me) is that there was some sort of ferrous salts used in the tanning. All that leather has a small amount of it through the leather but its only this small sheath because it is so light weight that the magnetism is strong enough to hold it. The bigger sheath would stick as well but its weight overcomes the magnetic grip

edit to add; I just had an idea. Have you got a university or senior college near you? Take it to their science section get them to investigate it. It might interest them to do so and students can learn testing & analysis by doing so

Edited July 12, 2023 by fredk

[dikman]

Maybe that piece of leather came off a cow that was abducted by aliens and experimented on?

[Gezzer]

Could just be the tip of a piece of barbed wire that broke off and healed over ..........

[Handstitched]

3 hours ago, dikman said:

Maybe that piece of leather came off a cow that was abducted by aliens and experimented on?

It was also probed, and it was the only cow with a smile on its face...it also ' jumped over the moon ' . So thats where that came from  

HS

[SUP]

@dikman and I have a piece of that cow! My fortune is made. 

@fredk @Gezzer, some form of soft iron maybe, or metals like Aluminium or nickel or lead.

@fredk, that is a good idea. There should be a college somewhere close by with a Physics department where I can show them this. It is such an  oddity! 

 

[fredk]

17 minutes ago, SUP said:

 

@fredk @Gezzer, some form of soft iron maybe, or metals like Aluminium or nickel or lead.

umm. no, just low grade ferrous metal is magnetic. Stainless steel has very little attraction to magnetism. Other metals are not magnetic

[SUP]

I thought the same thing but  it appear some metals do become temporarily magnetic in presence of strong magnets and these wall magnets are strong. Might be wrong, of course or the effect might not be enough to hold up even a small sheath like this one. 

Half the time when I read articles online, I am not sure if they can be relied upon; even the ones that seem to be from what should be reliable sources. 

[dikman]

Have you got any fine iron filings handy? See if they're attracted to any part of the leather.

[Wepster]

I would consider a piece of plastic wrap (ie saran wrap) between the leather and the magnet. It would confirm magnatism and not some surface tension/ stickyness from the finish or conditioning of the leather.

[SUP]

I don't have any iron filings. Will have to see how I can get some.

The plastic wrap is a good idea although I have thoroughly cleaned the leather and the conditioner is the same I use for all the other knife sheaths.

Let's see. A mystery to solve.

[chuck123wapati]

could be a staple in it check it with a metal detector.

[ArkieNewbie]

You sure you're not really living in a sideways alternate dimension where your shop it laid over on its side?

[TonyV]

22 hours ago, fredk said:

The only explanation I think I can come with;  (Its my theory because it belongs to me) is that there was some sort of ferrous salts used in the tanning. All that leather has a small amount of it through the leather but its only this small sheath because it is so light weight that the magnetism is strong enough to hold it. The bigger sheath would stick as well but its weight overcomes the magnetic grip

My thought as well.   My 1st idea was vinegarroon, until I read the OP  Pro Dye and NFO.   Does pro dyed in the  use some ferrous compound?  So if not that, is there some stray piece of steel embeded in the leather?  Anything ferrous in the thread?

[SUP]

@TonyVCan' feel any metal in the leather - of course it might be too small to feel with bare fingers. The thread is the same spool that I have used for all the other things I have stitched. The  Pro-dye was used for other things as well. This was in the earliest days when I was trying to learn how to use dyes and antiquing, so used both on most things. I have been racking my brain trying to find something different that I did with this piece of leather.

@ArkieNewbie you may have a point there..an alternate dimension might end up being the explanation!

@Handstitched , missed your comment there... leather from the cow that jumped over the moon.. moon dust! 

[Trox]

Some black dye are containing iron, that is an early method of making black leather dye. Or some tanning chemicals may be magnetic. As mentioned before a piece of steel could be inside the leather. Some steel rubbed off inside the holster, like the black on the stropping board after polishing. Or its just the surface stats sticking to  it.

[JerryKilian]

On 7/13/2023 at 12:57 AM, fredk said:

The only explanation I think I can come with;  (Its my theory because it belongs to me) is that there was some sort of ferrous salts used in the tanning. All that leather has a small amount of it through the leather but its only this small sheath because it is so light weight that the magnetism is strong enough to hold it. The bigger sheath would stick as well but its weight overcomes the magnetic grip

edit to add; I just had an idea. Have you got a university or senior college near you? Take it to their science section get them to investigate it. It might interest them to do so and students can learn testing & analysis by doing so

That’s an interesting theory about the ferrous salts in the leather! It makes sense that a lighter sheath could be more easily affected by any magnetic properties. Getting a local university or college to check it out is a great idea. Science departments love unique cases like this, and it could give students a real-world example for testing and analysis. Definitely worth exploring!

 

[SUP]

I would really like to know but I made the grave error of keeping the scissors and sheath 'very safely'. which means I now cannot find it anywhere.  As a large roll of paper, similar kept safely, is not to be found either, my family does not hold out much hope for this much smaller item. 

[DieselTech]

I am just curious as you why it sticks. But the sheath that sticks to magnetic strip. Is it by chance a chrome tan leather? 

Or is the brown leather dyed with a ferrous solution to achieve the rust red/ brown leather?

[SUP]

Ordinary veg tanned leather, dyed brown with Fiebing's  Pro dye. Same as several other knife sheaths that I made at that time. I used the same vey tanned leather side from which to cut out the different sheaths. Made them the same way and dyed several of them different shades of brown - light, medium or dark. But other items have been dyed with the same brown as this sheath and they are not magnetic.

[dikman]

So it's obviously something in the leather itself. It would be interesting to carry out a few tests on it but it's all become mere conjecture now as it's now in a place so safe that it it can't be found.

[TomE]

Regarding paranormal phenomena related to cows, my brother-in-law is a retired veterinarian who used to do a lot of work at dairies.  When they were implanting embryos in cows he would hold his vet tech's wedding ring on a thread over the petri dish containing the embryo.  They would predict the sex of the embryo based on the direction that the ring rotated.  Had to be his tech's ring to get an accurate reading.  Probably another case of cow magnetism.  He is a bit of a magician and story teller, which his clients enjoyed.