Gransfors bruks handle treatment..Deep rich color?

O

olybears57

Joined
Aug 25, 2013
Messages
658
Hey guys, Wondering if anybody knew what treatment to use to get your hickory handles to turn out the rich, dark color that Gransfors Bruks produces?
Here is a pic to showcase the color, taken from the internet.
 
Mine came that way...almost exactly what the pic shows. I'm pretty sure they use beeswax as a final coat over their linseed oil treatment. I would think some BLO and natural (not bleached) beeswax would probably do it.
 
@legion 12, what made it a darker color the Aqua Fortis or the wax? Is Aqua Fortis a darker BLO than others?
 
newsasquatch said:
@legion 12, what made it a darker color the Aqua Fortis or the wax? Is Aqua Fortis a darker BLO than others?
Click to expand...

The Aqua Fortis is a stain the BLO brings out the grain and highlights the color. The wax protects everything and gives it a sheen.
 
I tried other ways but the Aqua Fortis is my favorite. I think it could of used one more coat. But I'm happy with it.
 
newsasquatch said:
Is there a particular kind of color that you use from the Aqua Fortis?
Click to expand...

Not sure what you mean there is only one kind . You adjust the color by how many coats and how much heat you apply. It's a very old process used to be how rifles were finished. Not really a lot of information on how to use it around. But if you follow the directions the results are nicer than most modern stains. I did get some great advice from someone who used it before here . Any questions just ask.
 
I just saw a youtube video on how to use this. Wow! I always wondered how these guys get their tomahawk handles so nice, and now I know! I'll definitely bw using this
 
If you do use regular stain, make sure it's water based...I experimented with using oil-based minwax (thinking I could still add BLO after) and it sealed the wood so it wouldn't take any BLO, and it left the handle with an unpleasant (to me) finish. My BLO handles are all slowly getting darker both with heat in the garage and time. I've been meaning to leave them in the sun for a while to make the grain pop a bit more with some UV exposure.
 
Just wait for ol' Pat and Tina to show up. They come around with use. They comes around quicker with more use. Or perform the conventional practice of darkening wood by using stain. Or- even more Scandi- use repeated exposure to coffee ;)
 
SC T100 said:
If you do use regular stain, make sure it's water based...I experimented with using oil-based minwax (thinking I could still add BLO after) and it sealed the wood so it wouldn't take any BLO, and it left the handle with an unpleasant (to me) finish. My BLO handles are all slowly getting darker both with heat in the garage and time. I've been meaning to leave them in the sun for a while to make the grain pop a bit more with some UV exposure.
Click to expand...

The first few hafts I did I made the same mistake using oil-based stains . And yep the BLO will not soak in and never dry. The ones I used the Aqua Fortis on the BLO soaks right in that and the combination of the heat a lot gets in.
 
As far as your original question about the color of the GB axe I believe that axe handle has all heartwood. The heartwood is a darker reddish brown and I've seen GB's with lighter sapwood as well as some with each color.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top