Olive Oil on Axe Handle?

[Endeavour Bushcraft]

I've been looking around trying to find out if it's a good idea to use Olive oil on my axe handle. I've been using it to oil knives and other tools for years, but what about on wood?
I seem to get mixed opinions where ever I look.

What oil do you use on your axe handle? Or do you even oil it? It would be nice to find out.

 

[Mesquite]

I oil the hafts of my axes once or twice a year with boiled linseed oil simply because that's what I've always used and don't want to start mixing two different oils.

 

[mountainm]

I use walnut.

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[Macaroon]

I too use Walnut oil on all my wooden stuff; cheap, easy, naturally friendly and local, but best of all a really good drying oil which is what I want on my handles.

 

[Tonyuk]

I use teak oil on my wooden handles, seems to work well.

Tonyuk

 

[Stew]

I've been looking around trying to find out if it's a good idea to use Olive oil on my axe handle. I've been using it to oil knives and other tools for years, but what about on wood?
I seem to get mixed opinions where ever I look.

What oil do you use on your axe handle? Or do you even oil it? It would be nice to find out.

I would suggest that olive oil isn't the best. It doesn't harden off as well as other options so can go gummy and have bits stick in it. It's thick so not going to soak into the grain as well as others.

 

[Harvestman]

The reason folk use linseed or walnut oils is it dries to a hard finish. Olive oil (and most food grade oils in fact) doesn't. I've also heard it said that olive oil can go rancid, though I've no personal experience of this.

I had a play with as many different oils as i could get a while back (rapeseed, avocado, olive oil, sunflower oil, even pumpkin oil which is green and turns the wood dark), but I found linseed and walnut gave the best results.

 

[StJon]

Boiled linseed on tools, as others have said, gives a hardened finish, olive oil on spoons and butter spreaders, never get a chance to go rancid as they are also washed regularly.

 

[broholmer]

I use Sidd from Ikea. Works good and has no color.


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[homesicksteve]

Linseed. Tool handles & Cricket Bats....

 

[Herbalist1]

Boiled linseed oil for tool handles just because it is so easy to use, won't ever go rancid and is quick drying, giving a hardened finish to the wood making it less prone to dings and scratches.

Food grade oils for items that are going to be used with food: raw linseed and walnut oils can go rancid pretty quickly esp in hot weather. Of the readily available food grade oils (ie you are likely to have some In your kitchen cupboard), olive oil is the least likely to go rancid. It can leave a stick residue if you use too much but I've used it on chopping boards, wooden bowls etc without any problem. It is a heavy oil so it doesn't easily penetrate deeply into the wood. If you need it to do so, heat the wooden item in the oven (low heat) either before or just after oiling. This opens the pores in he wood, drawing the oil in. Wipe off surplus oil. Works well if you can be bothered. Could use Camelia oil (which I use for cutting tools) for wooden eating objects but it's an expensive way to go, I'd save that blades where only a tiny amount is needed.

 

[HillBill]

Danish oil for me. Just as good as Linseed, but penetrates the wood better and dries faster as it's thinner. Don't like the smell of boiled linseed.

 

[Tank]

I have made myself some fix'n wax which i use on all my tools, blades and handles and leather goods.

just Beeswax, coconut oil. there are loads of different mixtures you can make up (I may add cod liver oil to my next batch)

 

[WoodGnome]

I'd definitely stay away of any oil that easily goes rancid (meaning olive oil in particular)... The smell can get really bad. Linseed is good, as well as any oil that is used for furniture, finish with bee's wax.

 

[dabberty]

Olive can be used without any issue. It's one of those bushycraft myths that it goes rancid on an axe handle.

I have over 80 axes hanging on my walls for many years now, all completely restored and all handles treated with olive oil.
Next to that around 25 other wooden tools, all treated with olive oil.

All my user axes are also treated with olive oil, but after that I rubbed the whole handle with beewax, to give it a bit more protection from the weather.

You just need to make sure that once the handle is saturated you wipe off the excess oil, and you're good to go.
If it is an user axe, then make sure you store it dry.

 

[Endeavour Bushcraft]

I've never actually used olive oil on wood before (other than what had gotten on knife scales by mistake) I've used it on blades for I don't know how long. I've never had a problem with it going rancid or anything like that. I just wondered if it would be any good for protecting the wood. Instead of having to order oil just for it. I use olive oil on a daily basis hence the trying to get as many uses out of it as possible.

 

[Robson Valley]

I've finished 70 spoons and 30 forks (birch) with olive oil. I don't believe that good olive oil finishes go rancid in less than 3 or 4 years.

 

[mickeyluv]

ask elton johns husband, knows all about olive oil on wood allegedly