# Wood finishing for handles and sayas



## Fedusa (Sep 27, 2016)

I've been reading a lot on finishing wood but very little pertains to kitchen knife handles. What's the traditional, what's preferred, and whats most durable?

It's already on the knife so I can't stabilize it, don't want to use poly since it seals the wood.
Originally I wanted to do shellac but the best way seems to be to fine grit wet sand it and wipe off, rinse, repeat, for best adhesion/penetration. 
Currently using camellia oil but it washes off each time and doesn't seem to oxidize well on the handle.

I'm looking for a one and done solution that brings out wood character best, still allows it to breathe, and is fairly durable. I want to also use it on my sayas etc and don't mind reapplying every few months, just not every use.
Is tung oil or boiled linseed my best bet here?


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## milkbaby (Sep 27, 2016)

If the main thing is to set it and forget it, I bet tung oil would be a good choice. But I'm sure one of the experienced makers here knows better and has the best suggestions.

I personally just use the same homemade mineral oil/beeswax conditioner that I use on my cutting boards, but how often depends on usage and washing.


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## Fedusa (Sep 27, 2016)

Yea, my main worry is it washing off. My handles actually start looking chapped if I don't oil after each wash/use and since they're hardwoods, the oil doesn't soak in well.

Sorry, I don't mean set and forget. Its just a lot of woodworkers have multiple products and steps to finish, usually furniture or work tools, and I don't want to buy 5 different things and 8 different stages just to finish a few handles and sayas.


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## NO ChoP! (Sep 28, 2016)

Danish oil and wax is my preferred method. It's easy to use and hardens in the wood. Tung oil is probably a notch better but not as user friendly as Danish oil. Also, some like teak oil, but I've yet to try it.


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## NO ChoP! (Sep 28, 2016)

To use Danish oil, I generously wipe it on and let it sit. Every hour I reaply until the wood wont absorb any more. Sometimes three applications, sometimes ten. I let it sit overnight. Wipe it off. Reapply once more. Let it sit overnight again. Wipe it off. Next I use a wood wax. Rub it on and let it sit an hour. Buff off and repeat a couple times.


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## Chuck (Oct 11, 2016)

All the kitchen knives I make leave the shop with a mineral oil and bees wax finish. I start with stabilized wood, so this helps, but it will work with an un-stabllized wood as well and the oil wax finish is food safe. I start with a small glass bowl with food grade mineral oil that you can get in the grocery store, they sell it as a laxative. I cut off an equal part of bees wax from a cake and put this into the microwave until the wax melts and joins with the oil. I apply several coats of this allowing it to dry on the handle and then buff on a muslin wheel. To maintain this finish, just reapply and buff with a cotton cloth by hand.


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## JayGee (Oct 12, 2016)

With most new ho-wood (or equiv) handles - knives / chisels etc - I would sand up to 400 and tung oil. But I also like the feel of fully untreated (especially for knives rather than chisels). They both go dark over time but in slightly different ways. If you really wanna polish, you could use some 00 steel wool after it dries, and then oil again (a few times).


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## JayGee (Oct 12, 2016)

PS - for hardwoods, if you cut the the oil with a bit of bio-oil (essentially orange oil) as a food safe replacement for mineral turps, you'll get better penetration - but will need to do more coats.


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