recommendations for finishing knife handle?

[tinkerer]

hello guys i recently got a shiny new enzo trapper (scandi) with holm oak handle( what a sweet blade ) it was a kit so i need to finish the handles myself not being a woodwork person(im a heating engineer) i was wondering if anyone had some recommendations for finishing the handle ? there are so many oils stains varnishes potions creams liquids for finishing wood im confused any help on the best thing to use greatly appreciated in advance..

 

[g4ghb]

I use danish oil - diluted 50:50 with meths for an overnight soak (ensures it is well adsorbed) wiped off and leave to dry. Then a couple of coats put on with a cotton (shirt) cloth alowing to dry between each

As you say there are loads of ways but this produces a great result for me

 

[Ogri the trog]

Sealed - as in painted or varnished finishes - tend to give you blisters when you use a knife hard.
Go with one of the easily accessible oils, linseed, tung etc wipe a small amount on with a cloth and then almost immediately wipe it off to give it a nice sheen and a protective coat.
When making a new knife handle there is a saying about how often to treat it - "Once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year and once a year for life!"

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[JonathanD]

Another vote for Danish oil. I've used this on all of my wood handled knives and have just done my antler knife too with excellent results. I've never diluted it though, but I do wrap a heated pad around the container to make the oil warm and less viscose. This allows it to penetrate 100%.

 

[tinkerer]

ok cheers guys i'll let you know how i get on

 

[jojo]

I use oils too.. I use Danish and Tung oils, but I prefer Linseed oil personally, used with pure turpentine. It oxidises rather than drying. That means linseed absorbs oxygen and produces heat, which is why rags can spontaneously ignite.

From Wikipedia:

When used as a wood finish, linseed oil dries slowly and shrinks little upon hardening. Linseed oil does not cover the surface as varnish does, but soaks into the (visible and microscopic) pores, leaving a shiny but not glossy surface that shows off the grain of the wood. Wood treated with linseed oil is resistant to denting and scratches and is easily repaired, but the surface is not as hard as a modern varnish, and the wood will slowly absorb moisture if allowed to stay wet. Soft wood is protected from denting, but requires numerous applications and even more drying time than harder wood. Garden furniture treated with linseed oil may develop mildew. Oiled wood can be yellowish and can darken with age.

Linseed oil is a traditional finish for gun stocks. A very fine finish may require months to obtain. Several coats of linseed oil is the traditional protective coating for the raw willow wood of cricket bats. Linseed oil is also often used by billiards or pool cue-makers cue shafts, as a lubricant/protectant for wooden recorders, and used in place of epoxy to seal modern wooden surfboards.

Additionally, a luthier may use linseed oil when reconditioning a guitar, mandolin, or other stringed instrument's fret board. It is desirable, after cleaning a fret board, to apply a light amount of linseed oil to seal and protect it from moisture, skin oils, etc. that might otherwise result in accelerated deterioration of the wood. Also, it does not "expand" the wood when it soaks into the pores.

As you probably can tell, I like the stuff!