Recommendation? Product for maintenance of bone scales/handles

[MTHall720]

I am at the point where I now have an assortment of knives which have bone scales, antler, and some with wood. No clue what I should use as a cleaner, or a maintenance product. Any thoughts are much appreciated.

 

[jc57]

I like Renaissance Wax for all of my natural-handled knives. It takes *very* little on a soft cloth or paper towel to polish and protect. Makes them look great too.

 

[MTHall720]

Thanks
I was wondering about Ren wax but wasn't sure.

 

[seabil]

I am at the point where I now have an assortment of knives which have bone scales, antler, and some with wood. No clue what I should use as a cleaner, or a maintenance product. Any thoughts are much appreciated.

For me the cleaner depends on what is making it dirty. Cut an apple -wipe it off, cut a steak/grease - water and detergent, glue/goo from packing tape - wd40, etc. Then dry throughly.

On natural materials I use mineral oil and then Ren wax or other wax to protect. Movement, shrinking and swelling, from drying then readsorping moisture is what will crack natural materials. Filling pore space with oil and sealing the surface with wax slows that down. Tends also to make them look good !

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

If you ever have any issues with verdigris staining on stag or bone, from contact with brass pins, liners, etc., a polishing paste like Flitz or Simichrome works pretty well to clean it up. I think the ammonia-based suspension in the paste is advantageous for this (I've often read of ammonia solutions as a cleaner for vergigris staining). I cleaned up some verdigris staining around the pins on a 1970 stag-handled Peanut of mine, using Flitz, with good results.

BTW, the polishing paste also works very well for buffing up bone & stag handles as well. Just try to minimize overlap to adjacent metal (nickel, brass, etc), to keep the dark swarf from those areas from being rubbed into the bone or stag. It can happen, but the polishing paste can also help clean that up (I've done it, and it's fixable).

On unstabilized wood, I've occasionally used a very, very light application of mineral oil or 'lemon oil' (almost entirely mineral oil) to keep it from getting excessively dry. I've not needed to do this more than 2 or 3 times a year, often just utilizing leftover oil on a clean rag, after wiping down the blade, etc. That's enough to get it done.


David

 

[jpm2]

Rubbing alcohol to clean.
Tung oil for wood, neutral shoe polish wax on bone and antler.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

Mineral/other oil will soften bone and antler. Just use wax.