Why no Polyurethane?

Fletch Helical

Fletch Helical

Joined
Sep 29, 2009
Messages
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I'm sure there is a perfectly logical explanation for this but I really don't know it should someone ask me. With all the wood handles that get used why is it no one ever finishes a set of scales with polyurethane? In just about every other form of wood working it's a fairly common finishing product, why is it never talked about in using on a knife handle?
 
I'd see it as a surface finish that's difficult to do well. It doesn't wear well and usually you need to strip the whole piece to repair the finish. Craig
 
Polyurethane is a surface coating. For handles you want a penetrating finish, like tung oil and other similar oils. I use woods that will polish, or stabilized wood, and use no finish at all.
Stacy
 
I agree, it's ugly and difficult to use. I think it's only advantage is the way it fills up scratches. This shouldn't be an issue on a knife handle because there shouldn't be any scratches.

I want to be able to see and feel the grain on my handles.
 
I've used the UV outdoor type before, but wasn't worth the effort. Mainly used it on a couple of kitchen knives, got the wood to finished size and sanded to 600 grit then stuck the knife and handle all in it to soak for about a week. Seemed to penitrate well, and finished up nice, and has held up to kitchen duty well over the last 5-6 years, but stabilized is the way to do, lots easier and tougher to boot.

I know of one maker that used polyurithane with a vacume chamber to stabilize wood and bone and it seemed to work well.
 
PU is a plastic coating. I don't like the way it feels, especially when wet. And, when it chips or scratches you're down to bare wood. A penetrating hardening oil based finish looks, feels and works better for most applications on things like knife scales and gun stocks.

I've never tried it in a long soak like Will is talking about.
 
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