Mink Oil for leather handles?

[Triquetra]

Anyone know if using mink oil is safe for leather handles. I was mainly wondering if you had to use a knife with the handle treated with it for food prep, skinning, etc. if it would have anything toxic. Any other suggestions for safe treatment. I've just finished thinning down the blade profile, contouring the handle a little more, and taking the top guard off of my AFSK. Now after a good sharpening I am really beginning to like it. Just need to treat the handle with something without any toxic components.

 

[elvenbladesmith07]

i use cosmo, just cause its what i got lying around from my surplus rifles. personally i love cosmo, i just hate it when i try to scrape it out of a nice shinny action when its 50 years old, and crudded with dirt and dust. like my AFSK, i covered the whole thing in cosmo when i got it, leather and metal, and the handle now looks like a ka-bar, instead of suede!

 

[elvenbladesmith07]

oh and petroleum jelly is good too. i use cosmo on extirior surfaces, and jelly in the moving parts. even though there arent any moving parts on an AFSK (exept the guard after a couple years hard use!) jelly works good on the handle and to protect the metal.

 

[Triquetra]

Never heard of Cosmo. I'll have to give it a try. I did think of petroleum jelly but didn't have any around so I just used mineral oil after I sanded the handle a little. Thought that it was better than nothing. I may try heating the handle a little like when using Sno-seal and see it the petroleum jelly soaks in a little.