Handle finish

I usually use tru-oil. It's easy to use, drys quickly, can be made to have a high shine or be satin and it's not expensive. Get the small bottle and just pierce a small hole in the foil under the cap to dispense.
 
I use boiled linseed oil. I'm pretty happy with it. It doesn't stay tacky for long and is easy to work with.
 
Another vote for Tru-Oil. You can rub in 3-4 coats and hit it with some steel wool for a satin finish or take it up to 12-16 coats and it will look like it's been dipped in glass.
 
I like and use Tru-oil but a one time when I applied it to an unknown exotic wood it would not solidify. Apparently some woods have compounds in them that stops Tru-oil (and maybe other oil based finishes???) from setting properly.
- Paul Meske, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
 
Could be a reaction with the oil but you also need to burnish oil finishes. Take a strip of cotton rag (old t-shirt) and sprinkle a few drops of the oil on it. Cover your blade with thick leather and firmly secure it in your vice. Take the strip of cloth and vigorously shoe shine your handle to remove the tacky surface. Let the handle sit for a day, reapply oil and let it tack off, shoe shine again. Do this a couple more times and you will have sealed the timber and have a finish that does not show scratches easily. Hope this helps.
 
In my opinion, this question is a lot like the question: what's the best steel for a knife? Answer: it depends.

The "best" steel for a knife depends on the style and type of knife and how it will be used. I think the best finish for wooden handles depends on the wood, and that there probably isn't any one size fits all solution.
 
Del Raso Knives said:
Could be a reaction with the oil but you also need to burnish oil finishes. Take a strip of cotton rag (old t-shirt) and sprinkle a few drops of the oil on it. Cover your blade with thick leather and firmly secure it in your vice. Take the strip of cloth and vigorously shoe shine your handle to remove the tacky surface. Let the handle sit for a day, reapply oil and let it tack off, shoe shine again. Do this a couple more times and you will have sealed the timber and have a finish that does not show scratches easily. Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Awesome. Thank you
Del Raso Knives said:
Could be a reaction with the oil but you also need to burnish oil finishes. Take a strip of cotton rag (old t-shirt) and sprinkle a few drops of the oil on it. Cover your blade with thick leather and firmly secure it in your vice. Take the strip of cloth and vigorously shoe shine your handle to remove the tacky surface. Let the handle sit for a day, reapply oil and let it tack off, shoe shine again. Do this a couple more times and you will have sealed the timber and have a finish that does not show scratches easily. Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
 
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