Will tung oil work with the wood I have chosen for knife handles?

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Dutchmichael

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Apr 12, 2015
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I have just finished machining my first handles for my knives and have started looking into how I should be finishing them. From reading on the forum it seems like tung oil is a good way to go, however I have heard that on some oily woods that it does not work as well as it leaves a very oily film when finished. I have made my handles out of Ambonyna Burl, Black and White Ebony, Gaboon Ebony, Bocote, Thuya Burl, stabilized Oak, Maple and Apricote. I do not really have to much experience if any finishing wood, so if anyone has found tung oil to not work well for one of these woods please let me know, and what you think would be better to use in its place. Thank
you!

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Gaboon and amboyna burl DO NOT need oil. It will never cure. Just buff them. Bocote and B/W ebony can have tung oil treatment, but be aware it will amke the lighter parts of both woods darker. On black and white I dont like oil as it weakens that contrast, and bocote is a case by case. Some people love oiled bocote some people hate it. The domestics could and probably should all be oiled with tung.
 
hellspawn415 said:
Gaboon and amboyna burl DO NOT need oil. It will never cure. Just buff them. Bocote and B/W ebony can have tung oil treatment, but be aware it will amke the lighter parts of both woods darker. On black and white I dont like oil as it weakens that contrast, and bocote is a case by case. Some people love oiled bocote some people hate it. The domestics could and probably should all be oiled with tung.
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Thank you for your reply its very helpful! With the Bocote and B/W ebony how would you normally finish it? Would you just buff the wood and that would be good enough for those two species as well?
 
Just what the man said - he beat me to it and I could not have said it better myself. Bacote is surely a case by case, and Thuya Burl surely won't need tung oil - don't you just love the smell of that stuff while grinding? {g}
 
I have not used all those woods so can't speak to all of them. The bocote does not need any finish. Hand sand to 600 grit and then buff with pink scratchless. I use alot of it. Its one of those woods that has the finish built in. I have used teak ol extensively on oily type woods (different rosewoods) with very good results and also on the oak. I have used Tru Oil on Amboyna. I used Thuya years ago but don't remember how I finished it. I havn't used the ebonies or the maple. Nice set of handles you've got there.
 
Ken H> said:
Just what the man said - he beat me to it and I could not have said it better myself. Bacote is surely a case by case, and Thuya Burl surely won't need tung oil - don't you just love the smell of that stuff while grinding? {g}
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Thanks Ken, I appreciate the input. I quite enjoyed machining the different types of wood they all had very unique fragrances and characteristics.
 
Horsewright said:
I have not used all those woods so can't speak to all of them. The bocote does not need any finish. Hand sand to 600 grit and then buff with pink scratchless. I use alot of it. Its one of those woods that has the finish built in. I have used teak ol extensively on oily type woods (different rosewoods) with very good results and also on the oak. I have used Tru Oil on Amboyna. I used Thuya years ago but don't remember how I finished it. I havn't used the ebonies or the maple. Nice set of handles you've got there.
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Thanks Horsewright, I think I will try and leave the bocote as is and see how it looks as I really like the coloring as it is now. Thank you for the complement!
 
B/W does well with a fine sanding and buff. Be careful though, the dark and light parts sand away at such different rates you HAVE to go slow and steady or you will have an uneven texture.
 
Stabilizing impregnates the wood with acrylic so no finish need be applied , just polish a bit if wanted.
 
read the can for tung oil , If I am correct it says for interior use only . Teak oil is for exterior use .
 
mete said:
Stabilizing impregnates the wood with acrylic so no finish need be applied , just polish a bit if wanted.
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Thanks that's good to know, for the woods that are not suited for the tung oil is it a good idea to put something like clear briwax on it? And when polishing is there a particular compound that I should be using?
 
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