Cleaning wooden handle after skinning

C

Chignecto Woodsman

Joined
Aug 2, 2014
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What do you use for traditional wooden handled knives after hunting? I use a little natural soap and water, dry well with paper towel, and then oil the handle.

But I'm sure some of you know a better way. Any suggestions? (And yes, probably better off getting a micarta/G10 for this. But I'm stubborn when it comes to wood.)
 
I have cleaned mine like that for years. I use mineral oil on the handle and blade after it has dried.
 
You might want to give it a dip in a bleach solution too, just to kill off any pathogens, but then just rinse, dry, oil, and be set for your next deer.


Stitchawl
 
I'd be very careful using bleach on it or around it. A good soaping will kill 99% of most anything. DM
 
David Martin said:
I'd be very careful using bleach on it or around it. A good soaping will kill 99% of most anything. DM
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With all due respect, David, soaping doesn't really 'kill' anything. It just 'removes' surface material. If it did, surgeons wouldn't need rubber gloves after scrubbing their hands for six to eight minutes with betadine/soap solution and a stiff brush.

These days, virtually every Health Department in the U.S. requires bleach be used on all cooking surfaces. An 18% solution is recommended, and it should remain on the surface for at least 10 minutes before rinsing off (according to the Health Department.) If you don't like bleach (and the chlorine after-smell) you can use a vinegar (acetic acid) rinse followed by 3% Hydrogen Peroxide. Personally, I just make a weak bleach solution mostly to use on my wooden cutting boards, and only occasionally use on my knives if I've been cutting up wild game.


Stitchawl
 
stitchawl said:
With all due respect, David, soaping doesn't really 'kill' anything. It just 'removes' surface material. If it did, surgeons wouldn't need rubber gloves after scrubbing their hands for six to eight minutes with betadine/soap solution and a stiff brush.

These days, virtually every Health Department in the U.S. requires bleach be used on all cooking surfaces. An 18% solution is recommended, and it should remain on the surface for at least 10 minutes before rinsing off (according to the Health Department.) If you don't like bleach (and the chlorine after-smell) you can use a vinegar (acetic acid) rinse followed by 3% Hydrogen Peroxide. Personally, I just make a weak bleach solution mostly to use on my wooden cutting boards, and only occasionally use on my knives if I've been cutting up wild game.


Stitchawl
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This is interesting. What I think with cleaning is vinegar whenever possible and bleach for the hard stuff. My worry is with the effect on the wood. I know vinegar can cause rot, and bleach I can't imagine would be easy.

However, if the handle is well taken care of perhaps a spray solution of bleach wouldn't be too bad. If the wood is well oiled maybe there wouldn't be much penetration and you could dry it really thoroughly. But I don't know much about this stuff, and that's why I asked. I was also worried about discolouration.
 
Chignecto Woodsman said:
This is interesting. What I think with cleaning is vinegar whenever possible and bleach for the hard stuff. My worry is with the effect on the wood. I know vinegar can cause rot, and bleach I can't imagine would be easy.

However, if the handle is well taken care of perhaps a spray solution of bleach wouldn't be too bad. If the wood is well oiled maybe there wouldn't be much penetration and you could dry it really thoroughly. But I don't know much about this stuff, and that's why I asked. I was also worried about discolouration.
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As you say, if the wood was properly treated, there is virtually no penetration. 'Bare' wood exposed to bleach is going to deteriorate... over time. But other than perhaps Opinel, I don't think I've seen many well-made knives that use bare wood for handles. And actually, as my Opinel is basically a 'food knife' that I use for outdoor eating, it's been dipped in straight bleach hundreds of times over the past 30+ years that I've had it, not a weak bleach solution, and although the wood looks its age these days, it's still in fine shape. I doubt that wiping down a 'finished' handle with an 18% bleach solution is going to have much effect on the wood itself.

But as I said before, especially if you use vinegar now, just finish with a Hydrogen Peroxide wipe down afterwards for 'just about' the same sterilization. After all, Hydrogen Peroxide is a 'bleach' too. It uses oxygen rather than chlorine to do the work.

However, if you are worried about it, why not try an experiment on some wood yourself? Not the most difficult experiment to set up, right? A couple of pieces of different woods, one of each wiped down with oil, wax, or other finishing material and one bare. Different woods with different grain and color patterns, and a dip in pure bleach just to speed up the process!


Stitchawl
 
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I think your out of your area or miss read. I do work for the dept. of Agriculture and our recommendations are 1-2 fl.oz. of bleach per gallon of water. This will kill, Hanatvirus,
rabies, anything on 'meat science lab cutting boards, ect..(agree with you on Hydrogen Peroxide) I went and read the label on our Hydrogen Peroxide bottle and it says it contains 3% and will kill grems at wound or gargled orally. DM
 
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