Oil will generally darken the cocobola, and the cocobola will naturally darken with age.
if you want it to hold its color, and give it a nice sheen, try Fixit from Texas Knifemakers supply. I posted on this about a week ago, but will re cap-
get handle to 400-800 grit, then start hand rubbing with 0000 steel wool until any grain is gone. Raise the grain with acetone (ive found cocobola not to raise badly) and hit with 0000 steel wool again. Repeat the acetone/steel wool until no grain raises back after the acetone.
Clean with a NEW (NOT OILY) rag and acetone. This will remove any steel wool and wood particles left behind.
Let dry well. Spray nice, even, thorough coat of Fixit on. Let dry at least 4 hours.
buff of with grey then green compound. It will take alot of buffing and compound, you will think youve ruined it, but keep at it and the wood will eventually start to glow. The fixit kinda "smears" off. i always keep a rag nearby to help the process along.
After all the fixit is gone, the handle will have a nice warm glow, but not too shiny. At this point take some regular johnson paste wax or reinasance wax or birchwood casey stock wax, give it a few rub downs and your done. The wax isnt really necassary, but ive found that it helps me search out any buffing compound that might be hiding.
hope this helps,
Matt.
------------------
"Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty"
Thomas Jefferson
www.lameyknives.com
