Wood sealer question

[J. Doyle]

If you guys have a wood handle that has pretty open pores or grain, like maybe walnut or hickory or something similar, what kind of sealer do you use? Is there a product available at a hardware store? I'm looking for something to minimize cracking that won't discolor the wood. And I'm thinking it's applied before buffing. Any ideas?

 

[NStricker]

Some of the muzzleloader builders rub black oil paint into the wood to fill pores, then wipe it off and apply stain. This gives an aged look.

You can also apply tung oil, rubbing it in by hand with 0000 steel wool. The sanding with the wool creates a slurry of oil and wood dust that fills the pores. You can use Tru-oil, found at Walmart.

Or try Minwax wood hardener.