Are wood handles on kuks sealed or raw?

[uluapark]

on the models that have wooden handles, is the wood sealed or left raw? my newest aquisition has arrived and i want to take care of it, and it is my first wood handled kuk. i dont want to change the pattern/color of the wood.

 

[philllll]

They aren't sealed with any sort of varnish or anything. Just highly polished.

 

[Dirtbiker]

Some are others arent. I dip all my wood handles in boiled linseed oil.

 

[Brogan]

Some are others arent. I dip all my wood handles in boiled linseed oil.

I know linseed oil is great for wood handles but what does boiling do?

 

[philllll]

Most boiled linseed oil isn't actually boiled. It's the common name for a concoction of linseed oil, solvents and drying agents.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boiled_linseed_oil#Boiled_linseed_oil

 

[Brogan]

philllll thanks for the input. I was going to say, I've used linseed oil on ax handles before, good grief is that stuff flammable.

 

[philllll]

The stuff that is actually just pure linseed oil that is boiled, has to be boiled carefully in an oxygen-free environment. You're not kidding about flammable. That article listed a bunch of accidents that have been caused by piles of linseed oil rags spontaneously combusting, and the most recent was from 2014!

 

[Howard Wallace]

Linseed oil that polymerizes easily is called boiled. If you want a plastic-like varnish finish that seals the wood boiled is the kind to use.

 

[ndoghouse]

Heres a 20" AK with a BLO finish on neem wood.

This is the same knife before treatment. Notice the difference in color. It tends to darken. Just a consideration you may want to account for.

 

[Gehazi]

BLO really makes wood niiiiice

 

[uluapark]

Heres a 20" AK with a BLO finish on neem wood.

This is the same knife before treatment. Notice the difference in color. It tends to darken. Just a consideration you may want to account for.

kool, thanks. that kuk looks shorter than 20" looks like a beefy 15"

 

[Radrunner]

That is a beautiful job. I need to get some of that oil!

 

[Dirtbiker]

Wow, that neem wood looks a lot like horn after you BLOed it.

 

[ndoghouse]

I did sand it lightly but it really brings out the colors of the neem. Satisal is already dark so it is not so dramatic of a change. Just depends on the wood type but it does work well.

 

[pk977]

ndog, BLO finish step and procedure please!

 

[sawgrass]

I use medical grade or food grade Mineral Oil on wood, bone and stag handles. I don't like m handles drying out and cracking so taking care of your handles should be done from time to time. They all soak up this oil and it works for me.