# Stabilized Woods - "Plasticy" Feel



## blorp (Jul 18, 2020)

So I've held a few different stabilized wood handles so far and honestly I'm not digging the feel. I know it's resin impregnated wood, but it's waaaay to "plasticy" feeling and not good like a POM or fibrox handle.

It could have been the specific polish that was put on the knife, but I was wondering if its always this way? (Either Cactus Juice or Epoxy)


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## Kippington (Jul 18, 2020)

The POM knives have a textured surface finish which stops the slippery feeling. Nice stabilised woods are mostly chosen for their looks (as opposed to their material properties) so they often have a very smooth finish on them to bring out the best of their appearance. This doesn't correlate well to a good handle grip.

If you don't like stabilised wood handles, just don't use them. There are quite a lot of people on this forum that feel the same way.
Alternatively you can wax the smooth handle, which can make it feel very grippy.


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## LostHighway (Jul 18, 2020)

I'm typically of the anti-stabilized wood school, however, the knives I have from Kippington have stabilized wood handles that are far less plasticy feeling than some other examples I own. I don't find them at all objectionable. How the process or materials may differ I have no idea.


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## blorp (Jul 18, 2020)

Kippington said:


> The POM knives have a textured surface finish which stops the slippery feeling. Nice stabilised woods are mostly chosen for their looks (as opposed to their material properties) so they often have a very smooth finish on them to bring out the best of their appearance. This doesn't correlate well to a good handle grip.
> 
> If you don't like stabilised wood handles, just don't use them. There are quite a lot of people on this forum that feel the same way.
> Alternatively you can wax the smooth handle, which can make it feel very grippy.



So what's the best practice to treat wood that doesn't weather well? Red oak for example over a cocobolo or ebony


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## Kippington (Jul 18, 2020)

blorp said:


> So what's the best practice to treat wood that doesn't weather well? Red oak for example over a cocobolo or ebony



Probably a curing oil and some wax to finish. Just do some research online.


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## billyO (Jul 18, 2020)

blorp said:


> but it's waaaay to "plasticy" feeling


A lot of folks feel that way. 
Boiled linseed oil (BLO) has been used for years on un-stabilized wood. There is more maintenance required however. 
The old-school rule of thumb for applying BLO is apply once an hour for a day, once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year and once a year thereafter.


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## blorp (Jul 19, 2020)

billyO said:


> A lot of folks feel that way.
> Boiled linseed oil (BLO) has been used for years on un-stabilized wood. There is more maintenance required however.
> The old-school rule of thumb for applying BLO is apply once an hour for a day, once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year and once a year thereafter.



Yeah I've seen that adage as well, but I wonder if I were to sell these handles in the future if there would be a slightly quicker way to treat the wood. I kind of want there to be a semi-stabilized wood. Not sure I've ever seen that around, especially because it impregnates from the outside-in.


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## blorp (Jul 19, 2020)

Kippington said:


> Probably a curing oil and some wax to finish. Just do some research online.



Ah sorry I quick-read that as you don't stabilize your wood. I am curious about what LostHighway said though, what do you do with your knives to counter this feeling?


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## JoBone (Jul 21, 2020)

I think the finish has a greater effect than stabilizing. By default, my handles are polished and smooth. I sand to 600-800 grit and finish with a hardening oil. For people who don’t like the feel, 2 minutes with 0000 steel wool does the trick. If you want more grip, 000 steel wool.

Once you get past that, there is a difference, but I think subtle. A rosewood has a different feel than ironwood or ebony, the oils give it a warmer feel. Other woods, like a nice burn or plain magnolia provide even better grip. 

Even with stabilized wood, there are differences between the stabilizer and the wood. A stabilized mango is lighter and gripier than taz blackwood. 

Regarding who does the stabilizing, the feel will also be different. K&G will send back hard as a brick blocks, which are more stable but more plasticky. Some of the home grown rigs are more wood less plastic. Depending on the wood and desired effect , I choose different companies/people to do the work.


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## inferno (Jul 22, 2020)

i do pure tung oil on all my handles. feels like wood. look it up on here.


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## Tim Rowland (Jul 22, 2020)

Certain woods feel more plasticy after stabilizing.
Also like Jo said depending on who does the stabilizing and the type of stabilizing resin used it can have a huge effect in how the end product feels.
If you are looking for a "surface treatment" type of stabilizing that works like a penetrating oil my personal favorite is a product called Odie's Oil.....it is expensive as all hell but I really is worth the money. Also it smells amazing.






Odie's Oil - Original - Information







www.odiesoil.com


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