Care of Fiddleback wooden scales

M

Mazamaparker

Joined
Dec 14, 2014
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11
I'm the new proud owner of a great Hunter with Osage scales. I find the wood to be beautiful and I'd like to keep it that way. How do you care for wooden scales? Do you periodically oil them? Anything unique in caring for Osage?
 
Osage will get darker and lose it's vibrant yellow hue if left exposed to the sun. The natural light renders it an almost walnut color, it takes a while though. I think it looks better with age. Enjoy it and congratulations.
 
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Just beware that parts of the handle covered by for instance a sheath will not darken.
Used mine for 2 years with no issue. Wipe if wet and keep clean.
 
Anyone use frog lube?
A friend swears by it, brought me a small tub to try. Smells similar to badger balm hard working hands which is what I am using currently.
 
I've used frog lube on firearms with great success. Have never tried it on knife handles though. I do like Badger balm quite a bit as it is so versatile.
 
I use mineral oil on the blade and handle. Yes, the laxative at the drugstore. It never goes rancid, and it is food safe. Slather knife and blade heavily. Leave it on a paper towel overnight, wipe thoroughly in the morning with a rag. While your hands are still a little greasy, but not too heavy, pick up the sheath and rub the sheath with your hands. Good stuff.
 
Ren. Wax is best...I've read a great deal about the use of oil not being a good idea...Jay Fisher goes into great detail regarding the disadvantages of using oil and the advantages of wax...
 
I have been using Ballistol on rifle stocks and knives for several years now with great results! It's a food safe product that works well on the handle and blade.
 
Fiddleback said:
I use mineral oil on the blade and handle. Yes, the laxative at the drugstore. It never goes rancid, and it is food safe. Slather knife and blade heavily. Leave it on a paper towel overnight, wipe thoroughly in the morning with a rag. While your hands are still a little greasy, but not too heavy, pick up the sheath and rub the sheath with your hands. Good stuff.
Click to expand...

Oh good I just also picked up a bottle of butcher block and knife mineral oil.
Going to use my lueku just want to care for it properly along the way.
 
$2 walmart USP mineral oil is my go to for wooden scales. If you want to spend the money, you can buy 100% tung oil (Hope's) from amazon for about $12, but I have noticed very little difference in performance between the two. I have not had any experience with any of the wax / paste based products, however USP mineral oil is cheap, easy to come by and does a good job of protecting both the wood scales and the blade.

YMMV
 
Hey Andy and Guys,
I always used Gun oil, just figured if it works in nice gun stocks why not knife handles and didn't know about the mineral oil in the Pharmacies. Now I have a couple of wood handles FBs that seem to have shrunk. I can now feel slightly the lanyard tube and the pins. I live in a desert so I'm sure that has something to do with it, we have no humidity. If I just leave them in the oil over night would that make them expand back to their old state or would there be a chance they would expand too much?
 
Your environment is going to be hard on wood Red Bird. There is no getting around that. I wouldn't try to solve the issue with one dunking and soaking. I would slather the scales heavily and let it sit overnight, and then repeat that a few times and very often. Your environment is not conducive to wood handled knives.
 
Last year was an extremely harsh winter here in Michigan. It sucked every bit of moisture out of the air. Every natural handle I had shrunk slightly. Even my stag handles receded. They all came back to normal about mid summer but it's still annoying. That said, I would never give up my natural handles. I just live with that characteristic.

This year after I married we moved into our new condo that has a humidifier on the furnace. I keep its at 60%. I also bought a small 1 room cool vapor humidifier to see if that helps. I keep it in my man room where my knives are stored. So far I've only had a single handle shrink slightly but this winter isn't nearly as harsh yet. I have no way of knowing what is working. My assumption it's a collective effort.

I have often considered using an inexpensive cigar humidor and storing my most cherished natural handled knives in that. I keep my cigar humidor at 73% but I wouldn't keep one with knives in it more around the 50% range. I have an extra humidifier at home. This has inspired me to try it with the one knife that I have that has receded this winter. (it's not a Fiddleback) I can let everyone know how it goes. There shouldn't be any rust issues since I store my blades with light coat mineral oil. I also don't see why 50% humidity in a humidor is any more aggressive than 50% humidity in a room .... Thoughts??
 
Thanks Andy for the help! I know with a couple of my guitars I had to keep them humidified for a few years when I first got them, they would flex and bow with the temps but I've had them so long now they are use to the humidity so they don't need as much now and don't change much at all anymore. Do knives handles work the same?

MajorD I would like to know how that cigar humidor works! That might be the solution to some of us stuck in the desert hahahaha. Always envious of you guys in greener parts of the country, but one good thing about the desert is the West Texas Sky, it's huge!

Thanks,
 
Redbird, since they are both wood I would assume so. No real world experience here though. Since I'm in a humid area, the wood is going to have to ajust. It will also continually ajust as it ages.
 
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