Butcher,
Here is a part of the clip:
FINISHING WOOD GRIPS
Most beginners figure that a coat of good ole' linseed oil will make a decent finish for the wooden handled knife. Maybe, if it's never going to go out in the field, and you don't mind it gradually darkening until most of the woods' character and color has oxidized to a plain brown. If you don't think that wood oxidizes and changes color, just split a block of cocobolo that has been sitting around the shop for a year or two. Linseed oil oxidizes as part of the curing process, and does the same to the wood. A simple oil finish is also rather easily damaged by moisture, read sweat, on the working knife.
If you want to keep the relative brightness of a wood, and avoid a lot of the oxidation effect, the wood should be bleached with commercial wood bleach,(Jasco A-B type). This will lighten the colors so that when you darken them with a finish, you get back to about where you started. Some woods, like wenge, may be bleached into startling contrast, delivering a color that is more interesting than the original.
And here is the link:
http://www.knives.com/engnath_handles.html
You have to scroll down and read quite a bit to find it but there are some really good tips there. Please let me know how it turns out for you. I found the bleach at a specialty store similar to Sherwin Williams. WEAR GLOVES
Matt
Sorry to hijack Butcher, just couldn't help myself...