Handle Care???

BloodGroove4570

BloodGroove4570

Joined
Jul 25, 2010
Messages
1,691
What is the best ingredient to use for care of wood scales?
For cleaning and keepin'em looking good.
I think i read mineral oil, but wanted to check here and ask the professionals...;)

Thanks for your help.:thumbup:
 
I took a piece of 2" PVC about 6-7" long and put a flat cap on one end. I put a wooden handled knife in, handle down of course, and fill with mineral oil to cover the scales. I let it soak for a while then put the knife in a funnel which drains back into the mineral oil bottle. Wipe it off with a rag to get any oil that didn't soak in or drain off. Repeat as needed which isn't very often, this will keep the wood from drying out. I do it maybe once a year, and in between I wipe them down with mineral oil and the aforementioned wipe down rag.
 
When the mineral oiled handle gets wet does it make it slippery at all. ?
I figure not being eveyone agrees to use it, but just asking to be on the safe side...
 
I use mineral oil on all horn and wooden handles, and actually on micarta and g-10 too. Its foodsafe, it never goes rancid, and it is thick and sticks to the material. What I do is to submerge the handle and soak it in mineral oil. I use a stadium cup. I take it out and lay it on a towel after a good soak. 2-24 hours. After its thick and stickey, I buff it. Its not slippery after its nice and dry.
 
Thanks everyone for the responses,
I just went and got me some mineral oil, now to give them a bath and buff.
 
gomle said:
will this help shrinkage?
Click to expand...

I think most makers would say 'somewhat' or something. I say no. Wood is going to move with moisture and temperature changes. This is a fact. I have seen where makers say they guarantee ther handles won't move. I guarantee they will. Ever seen a 100 year old knife with solid glue joints? Oil subdues this somewhat, but is certainly not a solution. Neither is any finish you can apply, and neither is stabalization for that matter. Heat, for example, really makes stabalized woods move. You can watch it happen. Even the warmth achieved during a tablesaw cut is enough to warp stabalized woods. I flatten my stabalized woods each morning for three days to get them to stop warping after ripping them on a sharp tablesaw. I had micarta handles shrink when my wife and I did the first Vegas Gathering. Micarta. Wood is going to move. Care for it as best you can. Repair any damage if you can. If its too difficult, I can usually fix about anything on a knife. ;-)
 
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