Care of bone on user

J

James Y

Joined
Feb 18, 1999
Messages
6,504
Though I now own 8 Case knives, 6 of which have bone handles, my question is, are there any special care tips for knives w/bone handles besides being extra careful to avoid dropping the knife on hard surfaces? I never did carry my previous bone-handles knives as much as I probably should have, simply due to this concern. But my new mini-trapper IS being carried and used.

I know that stag supposedly can shrink (or expand?) depending on humidity, heat, etc. But I'm assuming since so many traditional knives have/had bone handles, including hunting/outdoor knives, that it should be usable in such environments.

Any info appreciated.
Jim
 
Jim,Formby's penetrating Lemon Oil Treatment.This was recommended to me(by The Man!) & it is good stuff on bone,stag & wood scales
-Vince
 
I carried a case 63032 for about 15 years . Must have dropped it at least half a dozen times.Never had a problem with cracks or anything except wear. They look good with some age.I'm always more carefule with single bolstered knives.

P1010041-2.jpg
 
VCM3 said:
Jim,Formby's penetrating Lemon Oil Treatment.This was recommended to me(by The Man!) & it is good stuff on bone,stag & wood scales
-Vince
Click to expand...

Who is this mystery man??
Will it darken bone or stag?
Thank You,
Dave
 
Dave,it can definitely turn stag a darker color & some guys love to bath thier stag scales in it monthly or weekly,even.
I started a thread once in the trad forum,& Tony Bose and some other fella's suggested the lemon oil.
Tony said one of it's uses was to moisturize bone scales with it,prior to knife repairs,keeping the scales more pliable,helps to not crack them or break them when you're working on them.
I think Tony can look at a picture of a slipjoint & tell you just from the picture,"needs a little lemon oil".I may be wrong,I've been known to be sometimes,but he is probably one of a few who frequent the trad forum here,who could answer just about any question on slipjoints,vintage cutlery,etc,therefore,I referred to him,as ,"The Man",handle one of his knives,and you'll see what I'm talkin' about,that's all,
-Vince
 
Dave,I dug these pics up,notice how on the shorter knife with the knarly stag scales has a real white look to it,when it was brand new
DSCF3729.jpg

Now,here in this picture,same knife,but probably had lemon oil "painted" on it a few times,and as I remember it really absorbed it,it turns translucent,and eventually will even out
DSCF3760.jpg


Notice how the stag looks on the knife all the way to the right.That stag is VERY old,hand oil,oils & time,give it it's own unique look,almost like plastic and very translucent
DSCF3360.jpg
 
When these knives came to me,every one was new in box,and the bone was DRY.Lemon oil immediately soaked in & brought out color and added character
HPIM0016.jpg
 
with bone and stag handled knives, i wipe them clean (dry cloth if new, cloth lightly dipped in paint thinner if handle has dirt/grease), then put them upright in a jar of mineral oil (with a little lemon oil for "flavor", it's basically the same stuff), so that they are completely covered, for 24 hours, or more, then take them out, wipe off as much oil as i can. then they are ready for storage or use. my own "system"; seems to work. roland
 
I've heard about this lemon oil gear,but can't get it in the EU!Or can't find a dealer who doesn't charge the earth in shipping charges.....

Would very much like to try it out as my town place is an extremely dry environment due to the ferocious heating and arctic cold.I've notice that a Bark River knife I have with bocote wood scales appears to be shrinking back FAST and it's only a few months old.Maybe I should take it to the country house as it's well damp and humid there.

I'm concerned about my pocket knives in stag&bone because of this, thanks for bringing up this point.That darkened stag looks top!
 
willgoy said:
I've heard about this lemon oil gear,but can't get it in the EU!Or can't find a dealer who doesn't charge the earth in shipping charges.....

Would very much like to try it out as my town place is an extremely dry environment due to the ferocious heating and arctic cold.I've notice that a Bark River knife I have with bocote wood scales appears to be shrinking back FAST and it's only a few months old.Maybe I should take it to the country house as it's well damp and humid there.

I'm concerned about my pocket knives in stag&bone because of this, thanks for bringing up this point.That darkened stag looks top!
Click to expand...

Willgoy it is just a combination of mineral and light petroleum disstillates (with a hint of lemon oil). You should be able to mix your own or find a similar product. :)

http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/household/brands?tbl=brands&id=20008001

Chemical CAS No / Unique ID Percent
Mineral oil, white 008042-47-5 20-30
Distillates, petroleum, hydrotreated light 064742-47-8 70-80
 
I'm just hazarding a somewhat educated guess here, but any type of oil you use on wood (boiled linseed, tung) or mineral oil, should work. The object is to prevent the natural oils from drying up (or if it has dried up, replace it). Much like wood, you don't want moisture to get in the bone or stag, allowing it to expand and contract w/ changes in humidity.

All that long-winded stuff being said, I use mineral oil, honing oil, or boiled linseed - whatever I have on hand at the time.
 
VCM3 said:
Dave,I dug these pics up,notice how on the shorter knife with the knarly stag scales has a real white look to it,when it was brand new
DSCF3729.jpg

Now,here in this picture,same knife,but probably had lemon oil "painted" on it a few times,and as I remember it really absorbed it,it turns translucent,and eventually will even out
DSCF3760.jpg


Notice how the stag looks on the knife all the way to the right.That stag is VERY old,hand oil,oils & time,give it it's own unique look,almost like plastic and very translucent
DSCF3360.jpg
Click to expand...

GREAT illustrations Vince!!
That's what I love about the folks here, willingness to go the extra mile to share their expert knowledge or acquired skills.
Thank You,
Dave
 
Once in a great while, I remember dad rubbing a little oil into his peanuts bone handle. It was a drop on his finger of whatever mom was using for cooking oil. Corn oil, peanut oil (appropriate), olive oil. It survived well for 40 plus years exept for the crack in one scale when it was dropped on a concrete floor.

These days I use a little lemon oil on the bone and stag knives. They seem to have a new luster to them.
 
Well, I really wouldn't recommend any oil that might turn rancid -- so avoid most of the vegetable oils. I think peanut oil will work though -- I think Tony Bose rubs it into ivory handles right before they go out the door.
 
Mineral oil for the handles and it does darken them. I think it makes them look better.

3 in 1 oil for the joints. Don't forget the joints if it is a user.
 
Just a quick comment re: people looking for lemon oil. Lemon oil is the treatment of choice for guitar necks and acoustic guitar bodies. Music stores nearly always carry lemon oil of some variety for this reason.

P.S. Most probably already know this, but your run of the mill "baby oil" is mostly just mineral oil with fragrance. I won't say whether any of my bone-handled slipjoints smell like babies or not, but with 3 kids and a fourth on the way, I am familiar with baby oil. :-)
 
This is all great info! I had no idea that bone handles could be too dry. I'm learning even more about this than I expected.
Jim
 
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