Caring for wood scales--I'm confused

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I'm hoping someone can clarify something for me. I just received my first wood handled knife...a GEC 68 in ebony. I was going to use lemon oil on the ebony but after doing a search on this forum, I get conflicting information. Many say that mineral oil or lemon oil will do the trick. Others strongly warn against oil at all in favor of wax of even shoe polish.

I'm in the keep it simple stupid camp when it comes to knife maintenance. Who is right? Who is wrong? What should I do?

Thanks for the assist.
 
It's preference. There are some here, who consistently and vehemently warn that any oil, of any kind, will somehow degrade the wood and cause it to dissolve into mush. Only problem is, furniture makers have been using it for decades (maybe centuries) with no such issues. Lemon oil that's made for use on wood is actually light mineral oil, with some extract of lemon added, which I think helps the oil penetrate. So long as you're not soaking the wood in it for days at a time, don't worry about it. As with lubrication, if it's kept light and relatively infrequent, you'll never see any problems using oil that's formulated for wood.

If the wood is stabilized (impregnated with resin), it won't likely need anything anyway, to protect it; the oil won't penetrate it. For some extra shine on it, some wax might be used.

If you still have some doubts, ask the guys in the Traditional forum what they've been using on their wood-handled GECs. Lots of GEC fans there. :)
 
Knives are not furniture. Handles are very small compared to the amount of oil applied, so it's very easy to "soak" a knife handle in oil.
Drying oils like tung and linseed work OK, but ebony is too dense for these to penetrate well.
Use paste wax. Neutral shoe polish is paste wax.
 
Common sense applies.

"Compared to the amount of oil applied."

That's the key. And exactly what I was talking about. Sparingly. Not soaking in it. Not pouring it on. Wrap a rag or paper towel around a fingertip, dipped in just enough to moisten the fingertip, and make a light pass over the wood with it. Even a moistened Q-tip would do. Wipe off the excess with a clean, dry cloth. Maybe once a month or less. There's no way that'll ever harm any wood at all, ever.
 
The oils from your own hands can often be enough, IMO. I have an ebony fretboard on my Martin acoustic. They sell lemon oil to use on fretboards, and it is not for soaking in, it's just to help clean and maybe hydrate just a bit. It's a wipe on, wipe off and done. It leaves a light sheen and cleans up all the crud that can build up from the skin and grime.
 
I use permalyn gun stock coating, tung oil, and a pure carnauba wax to finish handles depending on the material
 
Thank you for all the replies. I appreciate all your combined expertise. I still consider myself a novice even though I've carried a knife every day of my life since I was eight.
 
2022
Believe it or not I never put oil in my ebony wa handle for 12 years and the handle is fine. No crack, no nothing. That knife is drop from counter top with handle hit the floor first and nothing happened. I just start put some knife oil last year just to moisturize the handle. Ebony is a hard wood and will last long so that you doesn't have to do re-handling your knife often. I just use knife oil for my ebony handle which I believe it's a mineral oil or something. Colorless, odorless. That oil doesn't look like penetrating the ebony so I put oil everyday together with the blade after washing the knife.
 
If its like the the Macassar ebony Buck used to use it is very dense and very stable it will last forever with no care at all.

If you send one back to Buck for repair or their spa treatment it will come back dripping with mineral oil. It doesn’t seem to hurt anything, but also doesn’t soak in, even during shipping.

My point is: ebony is different than other woods. Very dense very stable doesn’t absorb stuff.

I’d use renwax if I were you.
 
Ebony is extremely dense and shouldn't need any oil or wax. Musical instruments (violins, etc.) with ebony fingerboards have been used for centuries with no special treatment.
 
DavidABQ said:
Is there any reason to not use a polyurethane on wood scales?
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I see it as an option. Some may not like the 'plastic' character of a urethane finish, and I get that. Sometimes the natural feel of wood on a knife handle is a big part of the draw to them.

I finished three of my Opinels with 3 or 4 very thin applications of polyurethane glue (Gorilla Glue), wiped on with a clean rag (old t-shirt). I'd first drilled the handles for lanyard tubes, then reshaped & sanded them to fairly high-grit finish (600-800), then applied the urethane. I like how they turned out. The finish is very durable and resistant to the dirt/grime one's hands often leave on a knife handle. The walnut-handled Opi had previously been reshaped and finished with Watco Danish Oil, a few years ago. That was OK, but never accepted much of a polish or shine, looking kind of drab, and also seemed prone to getting dirty-looking after some handling. So, when I decided to further reshape and thin the handle on it for the 2nd time, I took the opportunity to experiment with the Gorilla Glue finish. It holds a shine very well, due in part to the high-grit sanding first, and makes the color & grain 'pop' a little more brightly.
by1eCYA.jpg
 
Obsessed with Edges said:
I see it as an option. Some may not like the 'plastic' character of a urethane finish, and I get that. Sometimes the natural feel of wood on a knife handle is a big part of the draw to them.

I finished three of my Opinels with 3 or 4 very thin applications of polyurethane glue (Gorilla Glue), wiped on with a clean rag (old t-shirt). I'd first drilled the handles for lanyard tubes, then reshaped & sanded them to fairly high-grit finish (600-800), then applied the urethane. I like how they turned out. The finish is very durable and resistant to the dirt/grime one's hands often leave on a knife handle. The walnut-handled Opi had previously been reshaped and finished with Watco Danish Oil, a few years ago. That was OK, but never accepted much of a polish or shine, looking kind of drab, and also seemed prone to getting dirty-looking after some handling. So, when I decided to further reshape and thin the handle on it for the 2nd time, I took the opportunity to experiment with the Gorilla Glue finish. It holds a shine very well, due in part to the high-grit sanding first, and makes the color & grain 'pop' a little more brightly.
by1eCYA.jpg
Click to expand...
Gorilla glue as a wood finish? I have never heard of that before. Hmmm, I was thinking of a Minwax wipe on poly product but I will have try the Gorilla glue on a scalp piece of oak that I have sitting around.
 
DavidABQ said:
Gorilla glue as a wood finish? I have never heard of that before. Hmmm, I was thinking of a Minwax wipe on poly product but I will have try the Gorilla glue on a scalp piece of oak that I have sitting around.
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It was pretty much unheard of to me, too, at the time. I'd first seen it used in this manner on a craft/art type project in an episode of 'Ask This Old House' on PBS, around the time I was considering this Opinel project. And I just happened to have some at home. So I gave it a go.

The glue is a water-curing product, meaning it reacts with moisture to harden. When used as a glue in woodworking, the norm is to first wet the joint surfaces being glued together. It'll cure in reaction to moisture in the air as well. So, in using it as a finish, it isn't necessary to wet the surfaces first. If applied too heavily, it'll tend to bubble & foam as it reacts with moisture. So, it needs to be applied in very light & thin coats to minimize that. I just used a drop or so at a time applied to the clean t-shirt/rag and rubbed it onto the wood. Then just left it alone for a few hours (or overnight) to let it cure & harden. If any bubbles formed, I'd lightly sand those out with some high-grit sandpaper, and then apply an even lighter, thinner coat - just enough to make the surface look wet. Then let it cure out again. Since it's water-cured by chemical reaction, that means it'll be impervious to moisture after it cures, which is one of the big selling points for this type of glue when used for joinery. I DID actually use the same glue to secure the brass lanyard tubes in the holes I drilled into the handles, and I did lightly moisten the wood for that, before applying the glue to the brass tubing (sanded to rough up the surface for a better hold).
 
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Ebony is so dense and your hands are going to be oily enough that the only thing you might need/want to do is wipe the scales down with a clean soft cloth.
 
DavidABQ said:
Is there any reason to not use a polyurethane on wood scales?
Click to expand...
Other than it's an obimination unto nature you mean?

That and it will scratch and wear and look funky and need to be redone.

As opposed to an oil finish which can be refreshed easily if ever needed.
 
Obsessed with Edges said:
I took the opportunity to experiment with the Gorilla Glue finish.
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Can you elaborate, i like the idea and have some Gorilla glue. when using it you have to wet one side of what you are gluing together. How does your application work.
Sorry just saw your previous post.
 
cudgee said:
Can you elaborate, i like the idea and have some Gorilla glue. when using it you have to wet one side of what you are gluing together. How does your application work.
Sorry just saw your previous post.
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When I tried it, I found the finish will cure/harden without any extra liquid moisture applied, because the surface is openly exposed to humidity in the air.

In the case of using it for gluing joints in woodworking, the main difference is the assumption the joint will be tight and essentially closed off from any air exposure. Thus, in that application, it's better to moisten the interior mating surfaces of the joint before applying the glue. If the joint doesn't get enough moisture to react with the glue, the joint will be weak because the glue doesn't cure fully.

And the reaction of the glue to moisture is much more vigorous with more moisture available. This means the glue gets foamy & bubbly in the reaction. So, in use as a finish, that's a disadvantage and requires a lot of cleanup/sanding to correct, after the finish dries. So, in using it for finishing purposes, keeping the glue application very, very light and thin and not adding any extra moisture is better for results. It'll still cure fully that way.
 
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If this hasn't been mentioned yet, try Renaissance Wax. Chris Reeve recommends it on their wood inlays. I think it was develped and used by museums. I have been using it and would definitely recommend. A small container will last you a long long time.
 
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