BK62 Kephart Wood Handle Maintenance

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kenk

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Oct 5, 2004
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Is there anything that I should be doing to maintain the wood on my BK62 Kephart handle?
 
Originally I finish wood with danish oil, and you can 1-2 a year, if needed.

but I generally wipe my nonstainless knives with mineral oil (food grade) and I just wipe it on the handles too. Both wood and micarta.
 
I vote mineral oil, too.

I've had vintage kitchen knives with wood handles. Dried and almost turning grey. Smearing the handle down with mineral oil and waiting until the wood absorbs the oil. Then buffing the handle until it doesn't feel oily.

I use the thick mineral oil that's for a laxative. Located in the medicine section at the grocery store.
 
All that will do. If you want something a bit slower, but lower-maintenance, give it some Boiled Linseed Oil. Give it a couple coats and let it soak in overnight. Then again. Then maybe again in 6mo and then forget about it for awhile.
 
I use 100% pure tung oil. That’s my go to on unfinished wooden scales. It’s food safe too.
 
I *think* too much mineral oil can soften wood, but you'd have to be pretty sloppy with it pretty often. But I've used a mineral-oil/beeswax/carnuba combo for years. (Howard's Butcher Block treatment)
 
Soak it in linseed oil for up to a week for best results. Linseed oil takes several weeks to complete its process.

A quick method is to massage the linseed oil into the wood with a finger and let it soak in, do this two or three times over a day sanding down any raised fibers. let it dry thoroughly over two-three weeks. Linseed oil slowly soaks into the wood and protects it from the inside. On reacting with air linseed oil oxidizes to form linoxyn which is quite hard and gives a beautiful weather resistant finish, protecting the wood from the inside out enhancing any chatoyance without determent to the natural aging process.
I treat my wood handles Annually, whether they need it or not.
 
Way-Barney said:
Soak it in linseed oil for up to a week for best results. Linseed oil takes several weeks to complete its process.

A quick method is to massage the linseed oil into the wood with a finger and let it soak in, do this two or three times over a day sanding down any raised fibers. let it dry thoroughly over two-three weeks. Linseed oil slowly soaks into the wood and protects it from the inside. On reacting with air linseed oil oxidizes to form linoxyn which is quite hard and gives a beautiful weather resistant finish, protecting the wood from the inside out enhancing any chatoyance without determent to the natural aging process.
I treat my wood handles Annually, whether they need it or not.
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Exactly. BLO polymerizes (solidifies) deep inside the wood fibers eventually and doesn't come back out. It's sort of like a thin, slow stabilization. Mineral oil does not do that. I like to get the BLO down in there immediately upon completing the knife, and then use whatever is quick and convenient for surface maintenance over it's lifetime.
 
kenk said:
Is there anything that I should be doing to maintain the wood on my BK62 Kephart handle?
Click to expand...
Danish Oil will sink in deep to a warmed handle But Tung Oil will give you a glassy looking finish if you preferer that look. On old dry handles I use apply a heavy coat of Danish Oil first and let it sink in over night then I warm it in front of my woodstove so it sweats out any extra oil. Then I wipe it down and apply Tung Oil Only because I like that smooth glassy look.
 
daizee said:
All that will do. If you want something a bit slower, but lower-maintenance, give it some Boiled Linseed Oil. Give it a couple coats and let it soak in overnight. Then again. Then maybe again in 6mo and then forget about it for awhile.
Click to expand...
I used to slow boil (heated actually, not really boiling) Linseed Oil for gun stocks back when all I could afford was a cheap Savage 311 with a very basic wood stock. Those were the days!
Way-Barney said:
Soak it in linseed oil for up to a week for best results. Linseed oil takes several weeks to complete its process.

A quick method is to massage the linseed oil into the wood with a finger and let it soak in, do this two or three times over a day sanding down any raised fibers. let it dry thoroughly over two-three weeks. Linseed oil slowly soaks into the wood and protects it from the inside. On reacting with air linseed oil oxidizes to form linoxyn which is quite hard and gives a beautiful weather resistant finish, protecting the wood from the inside out enhancing any chatoyance without determent to the natural aging process.
I treat my wood handles Annually, whether they need it or not.
Click to expand...

Warmed Linseed Oil, if you are patient works fine. Way-Barney's procedure is a love-making affair with your knife handles; not something to be disagreed with.
 
This BK 62 just came out of three days soaking in a quart jar of BLO. Followed up with a rubdown of 00 then 0000 steel wool. It's had several previous coats of BLO rubbed on/in. Final coat is minwax finishing wax then rubbed with a soft cloth. While it was out I gave it a few strokes on 1000 grit diamond stone. It's ready for duty.

View attachment 2406042
 
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Boattale said:
This BK 62 just came out of three days soaking in a quart jar of BLO. Followed up with a rubdown of 00 then 0000 steel wool. It's had several previous coats of BLO rubbed on/in. Final coat is minwax finishing wax then rubbed with a soft cloth. While it was out I gave it a few strokes on 1000 grit diamond stone. It's ready for duty.

View attachment 2406042
Click to expand...
Do you like the results of your hard work?
Try not to handle it too much for a couple of weeks, after that it will be impervious to dirt and grime from use.
 
Way-Barney said:
Do you like the results of your hard work?
Try not to handle it too much for a couple of weeks, after that it will be impervious to dirt and grime from use.
Click to expand...
I do. Feels very smooth and pleasant in the hand. It's sitting on the dresser for a while to cure. Out of the sheath. I'll probably wax it again when I think the BLO is truly done.
 
So, after reading a lot of online stuff I've seen concerns about mineral oil making the handle mushy (ahh!), modern boiled linseed oil having non food safe chemicals (yuk!), and linseed oil possible going rancid (ahh!), I've decided to go with walnut oil that from what I've read is food safe, does not go rancid, and is a drying oil. 😁
 
kenk said:
So, after reading a lot of online stuff I've seen concerns about mineral oil making the handle mushy (ahh!), modern boiled linseed oil having non food safe chemicals (yuk!), and linseed oil possible going rancid (ahh!), I've decided to go with walnut oil that from what I've read is food safe, does not go rancid, and is a drying oil. 😁
Click to expand...
Yes! For all those reasons, that’s why I use 100% tung oil.
 
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