Care of bone on user

James Y said:
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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Ya gotta remember what bone goes thru before it gets on a knife -- it gets cleaned all kinda ways - most with heat - degreased, bleached, dried, dyed, flattened (hot), cut, jigged, drilled, ground (often getting very hot), buffed (hot again). It's just a thin section of bone - it can use a bit of help to be as strong as it can be.

-- Dwight
 
As regards Baby Oil, you can get oil without any fragrance for the hyper-allergic. Some of my bones,horns&antler are enjoying a smell-free dip right now....
 
Even at my age, I always learn a little something when I surf through this forum.

Thanks for the tips, gentlemen.

Baby oil. Hmmm. I bet grandbaby oil will work just as well. :D
 
My favorite oil for this purpose (and practically any other knife and firearms-related purpose) is Ballistol. This great old stuff does a fine job as a handle preservative and as a lubricant and as a rust preventer. It is non-toxic, too.

Ballistol will darken antler, a bit, and it can "fade" new dyed jigged bone. However, IMHO, this tendency is more than offset by the advantages that Ballistol offers.
 
John Schedel said:
My favorite oil for this purpose (and practically any other knife and firearms-related purpose) is Ballistol. This great old stuff does a fine job as a handle preservative and as a lubricant and as a rust preventer. It is non-toxic, too.

Ballistol will darken antler, a bit, and it can "fade" new dyed jigged bone. However, IMHO, this tendency is more than offset by the advantages that Ballistol offers.
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John,

Have you any experience with Ballistol on mammoth ivory? Ballistol is my favorite too since it is fine for most handles and good for leather as well. It is really nice to be able to just wipe down the whole knife and not worry about getting some on the handle or the sheath.
 
On a related note, for those who EDC bone for working purposes, when is a crack in the bone serious enough to consider repair or replacement? Can/should a bone handle with a hairline crack be used? Will treating a handle that already has a crack help to prevent it from fracturing more? Thanks.
 
After reading this post I bought some mineral oil and gave my moore maker a dip for almost two days. The knife looked really dry when I got it and the difference is unbelievable. There were some lighter spots on the knife and now the color is very even. looks great.
 
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