shrinkage - wood scales

C

candlelight001

Joined
Jun 3, 2008
Messages
764
The wood scales on a number of my knives appear to be shrinking, exposing some metal around the tang, and in some cases also pulling back from the tank. I live in LA where it's hot and dry. Would soaking them in oil cause them to swell back up? How long would they stay that way? In general, an oily handle seems like a slippery handle... Any advice?

Thx!
 
No, oils will not swell the wood. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) will, and unlike water, it evaporates extremely slowly, practically never. Museums use PEG to stabilize old waterlogged wooden artifacts, gradually displacing the water with the PEG to maintain dimension.
 
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