Unstabilized wood for kitchen knife

H

Hulkie

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Oct 22, 2012
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Cheerio, I want to use mesquite for a kitchen knife, it will get wet .Do I need to coat it with CA or would a compound ( ( carnuba)) polish suffice. Thank you.. I'm refering to dense wood that does not need to be stabilized.
 
Mesquite stabilizes very well. Why not have it professionally stabilized and eliminate the concerns?
 
Listen carefullly to Chuck ! If anything can survive a woman's kitchen , it can survive anything ---& it better be stabilized !

Joe
 
Wood handles have been used for a long time in the kitchen, I stabilize most of mine now just so the customer cannot mess up and I dont have to worry about shrinkage. A good hard wood like cocobolo or desert iron wood can use about any oil, I make sure I soak it good and put on several coats. I was just looking at a knife that I make for the kitchen several years ago and I was really suprised how good the handle has held up, it was walnut. I typically use a hardening oil such as boiled linseed. I typically put a wax over the oil, I have not tried a wax by itself
 
I use a self made kitchen knife here with a unstabilised cocobolo handle without a problem.
I handsanded the handle to 2500, no oil or wax.
I've been using it for app. 6months.
I do try and keep the handle dry, but it does see some water now and then.
 
As the above folks have said, stabilized wood is a good choice for a kitchen handle, but it isn't the only choice.

Rosewood handles have been put on kitchen knives for centuries....with many of those old knives still going strong. Other non-stabilized woods that are used in the kitchen are hickory, walnut, and persimmon. Cocobola is another popular choice. For a classic look, ebony and African blackwood do well, also.

These woods work well with just fine sanding and at most a good rubbed in oil finish. If a finish is used, the goal is to fill the wood pores, and penetrate the surface a bit, but not build up any layer over the wood surface. Do this by flooding the handle and then working the oil in with fine steel wool for five to ten minutes. Wipe off any excess, and let dry for a day. Repeat until no more will absorb. A final sanding with 1000 grit paper or 4/0 steel wool is all that is needed after that.
 
I have also used Teak and Mahogany in woods that see moisture. The oil I use is a 4 part mix, with 30% tung oil, 30% mineral oil, 30% polyurethane (oil based of course) and 10% bees wax. It takes about 10 days to polish the oil in, then wax it with bees wax until I am happy with the look and feel. Steel wool is absolutely needed to get a good polish, especially on the end grain. Sandpaper won't cut it.
 
I have to plug both Zircote and Bocote also for the kitchen environment. Just like some of the other woods mentioned above they serve very well in the kitchen environment and the damp/wet conditions do not bother them. I have used just a waxed finish on them and it seems to hold up very well. These are woods like cocobolo where the finish is already in the wood.
 
Depending on a the level of care that you are capable of mustering, any unstabilized hardwood should do OK in a home kitchen if finished and cared for correctly. As much as I prefer stabilized wood, cutlers got along without it until the last few decades (barring other synthetic materials). Depending on the mesquite itself, it can range from very hard and tightly grain to nearly porous, the latter benefiting from stabilizing a bit more. If you're going to use a stainless material, I'd suggest going stabilized or synthetic to further remove the need for constant vigilance, but if you're going with carbon, you should be fine as the typical regime that works to keep your blade clean transfers over well to keeping your handle looking good (ambient moisture aside).
 
If one was to stain then apply several coats of polyurethane over that, would that not allow water to penetrate?
 
A couple, or even several coats of poly will wear quickly in a kitchen environment. Think about how often you have to reseal a wooden deck, or furniture. And that's just being out side. In the kitchen with the detergents used during washing, the abrasiveness of the sponge and the much and gunk from your hands and what ever else it comes in contact with will surely make quick work of your finish.

That aside, my first few knife kits were made with unstablized woods. They didn't last too long, and those weren't really users either, more pocket candy than anything...
 
I agree -- send the material off to be stabilized if you can.

If you can't stabilize, I have gone the CA route - one handle has lasted about 1 year in the kitchen so far with no issues. I do strongly recommend applying CA to the back in order to seal it prior to gluing and pinning the scales.
 
I have found floor grade polyurethane works well for handles. It has higher solid content than regular and is designed for high traffic walking areas. It has a water base and can be recoated in about 1 hour. Oil, water, or food uck will not stain or damage the surface. the finish will also seal any small cracks, scratches, or gaps on the handle. you can put 5 hand rubbed coats of finish on your handle in about 6 hours, about the time it would take to cut the wood, find a box to ship in, pack it, drive to post office, wait, pay to ship(about what 1 quart of poly costs) then drive home.
another finish i have tried is mineral oil and beeswax. works ok, but you have to recoat.

the old sailor
 
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Being a wood worker first and foremost, I like the idea of sanding wood to a high grit, doing two or three coats of flake shellac (mix your own) and then a good poly finish. The shellac helps the top coat adhere better, whether it be CA, Poly or Sparthane. Remember to do a light sanding in between coats.
 
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