Hello,
You probably won't get a lot of advice on this issue because there is a lot of controversy. Primarily its because the stabilization technique is not something that can really be replicated at home. If you go to
www.stabilizedwood.com you can find out more about it and get an idea of pricing for the pro stuff.
There are a lot of previous threads on this, so if you go to the first page on the 'makers' forum and click search up on the right, you'll find a lot about it, and what others are trying.
A lot of people have had good results using a vacuum and various wood treatments, anything from minwax to professional acrylics that cost several hundred dollars per gallon. The important thing is, though you are treating the wood, you're really not 'stabilizing' it. Its not the same. Personally I'm preparing to do some experiments and comparisons and see where the value really lies, because stabilizing is pretty expensive. Micarta is much cheaper, plus it all depends on your philosophy. Stabilized wood is pretty much plastic, so its great for dependable, heavily used items, but then its not really 'wood' anymore, it just looks like wood. So why not put micarta on that camp knife and save some $$$? I guess at that point its more of an aesthetics issue.
Anyway, that's just the conclusion I've reached, so it doesn't mean much until you educate yourself and decide what you think.
-Jeramy
