# Best way to protect/condition/seal wa handles?



## sac36555 (Jan 2, 2018)

I got my first J-knife last week and I notice the handles are really susceptible to draining compared to western handles. I figured their probably is a trick to protect them from this or a product. Let me know what you recommend


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## Drosophil (Jan 2, 2018)

http://www.kitchenknifefhttp://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/showthread.php/24673-wa-handle-maintenance


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## RDalman (Jan 2, 2018)

Boiled linseed oil, danish, or tru-oil works well to make it more water resistant. I like tru-oil best.


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## LucasFur (Jan 2, 2018)

I don't know about those posts about oils. But I use Clear nail polish from the wife, works for me, though I'm not in a pro environment. 
My main goal is that moisture of any sort does not get into the end grain of the wood and expand, causing the collar to crack. The but end is not too big of a worry because its not likely to get wet, and there is no collar to crack. 

Added benefit is Nail polish remover can be used to un-do the application. 

Stole the idea when I purchased a takeda, and it had an epoxy/glue on at the machi between the blade and handle.


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## JaVa (Jan 3, 2018)

I like to play around with different ways to finish untreated wa handles. 

What I like to do the most is dip the handle in boiled linseed oil for a few days. Then let it dry for a few days to a week. When it's dry I'll buff. It'll darken the colour a bit, but I like the protection it provides. The long oil bath helps the oil to really seep in and helps to treat the wood and prevents it from drying. There are some stuff that start to wear it off like fish oils and acidic juices. When the surface starts to feel dry just repeat the process. 

You can also just apply a few layers of oil and buff in between. It works OK, but the protection is a bit weaker. The colour of the handle will stay lighter this way.

Sometimes I'll add on top of the oil treatment a couple of layers of beeswax and buff, let dry and buff again to a high shine. 

You can also just apply the beeswax without the oil treatment. It will change the colour the least. It'll hold for a good while, but can slowly wear off. Acidic stuff and fish oils will afflict it's ability to protect the wood.

The already mentioned tru oil works in a similar way to boiled linseed oil. So does tung oil. 

On one handle I put on a crazy glue finish. It works similarly to a lacquer, it just makes a harder surface. The glue won't dry when applied as long as you don't let it sit so keep it moving. after few layers I sanded it with a couple of high grit sand paper and buffed it to super high shine. It's held on really well for about three years now and still is as good as the day I did it.


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## zeus241129 (Jan 3, 2018)

JaVa said:


> I like to play around with different ways to finish untreated wa handles.
> 
> What I like to do the most is dip the handle in boiled linseed oil for a few days. Then let it dry for a few days to a week. When it's dry I'll buff. It'll darken the colour a bit, but I like the protection it provides. The long oil bath helps the oil to really seep in and helps to treat the wood and prevents it from drying. There are some stuff that start to wear it off like fish oils and acidic juices. When the surface starts to feel dry just repeat the process.
> 
> ...



Excellent explanation Sir ... thank you and I will apply your 2 cents to mine this afternoon after work. Once again thank you so very much


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## Meesterleester (Jan 3, 2018)

Beeswax works well in my experience


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## Keith Sinclair (Jan 6, 2018)

50/50 mix of Tung oil & clear Bulls Eye Shellac. Coat handle using a rag & let it dry. 0000 very fine steel wool go over entire handle. Repeat for 2 or 3 coats always using steel wool after dry. Then buff.

Treat handles & saya's this way quite a bit. Helps keep them from attracting dirt & easy to clean. Can always buff up again no need any more treatment.


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## bookgeek97 (Jan 7, 2018)

Pretty much the same as @Java's suggestion above, but the off the shelf solution I use is this thing http://www.howardproducts.com/product/butcher-block-conditioner/ . 

Just apply, rest for 30 min, wipe off access, and the handle will start to bead water real nicely.


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## zitangy (Jan 7, 2018)

on western handles with high carbon steel, i rub a thin layer of clear epoxy all over to seal the rustable steel on handle and also the wood scales... more so on handles that has gaps...duly filled with the wood dust to even it out

On wa handles... after sanding to a high polish with just sand paper... no oil.. I just seal it with epoxy for a longer protection. Waxes calls for reapplication.

hv fun..


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## Tanalasta (Apr 3, 2019)

Has anyone tried car products (e.g. Nanolex) sealants on wood handles? Just wondering! They work great for sealing fabric but I don’t know if they would prevent rust or adequately bond with wood.


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## lowercasebill (Apr 3, 2019)

seems we have 2 similar threads going .
I soak the handle in Behlen's salad bowl finish for an hour and suspend the knife upside down to drip and cure .


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## Paraffin (Apr 3, 2019)

Am I the only one who doesn't do anything to a ho wood handle? I don't care about appearance as much as I do having a handle that doesn't slip when it's wet, or when I'm cutting something slippery like trimming chicken or fish. 

I just make sure to rinse the handle as well as the blade and wipe it off before putting the knife away. Water raises the surface fiber in unprotected wood, and that leaves a nice textured, grippy finish on ho wood handles. Even the couple of knives I have with hardwood handles like rosewood or ebony will dry out and roughen up just slightly on the surface, when only rinsed with water and no protective finish applied.


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## parbaked (Apr 3, 2019)

I "condition" my handles after I oil and condition my cutting board.
I just wipe them with the residual oil on whatever cloth I used on the cutting board.


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## gman (Apr 3, 2019)

i don't do anything fancy. i've tried using "board butter" which is just a mix of mineral oil and bees wax. gives a nice finish but wears off quickly. now i just use straight mineral oil. causes the wood to darken some, but it takes no time at all to reapply once in a while.


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## Boynutman (Apr 3, 2019)

Paraffin said:


> Am I the only one who doesn't do anything to a ho wood handle? I don't care about appearance as much as I do having a handle that doesn't slip when it's wet, or when I'm cutting something slippery like trimming chicken or fish.
> 
> I just make sure to rinse the handle as well as the blade and wipe it off before putting the knife away. Water raises the surface fiber in unprotected wood, and that leaves a nice textured, grippy finish on ho wood handles. Even the couple of knives I have with hardwood handles like rosewood or ebony will dry out and roughen up just slightly on the surface, when only rinsed with water and no protective finish applied.



+1
But I am a home user, not the worst of environments.


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## dsk (Apr 3, 2019)

Cured treatments definitely add that nice woodworking finish, but I like my ho wood simply treated with mineral oil and beeswax mixtures.


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## bahamaroot (Apr 3, 2019)

Have Tru-Oil on all my handles, love that stuff.


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## TB_London (Apr 3, 2019)

For knives treated as tools leaving them bare means the grain rises when they’re damp giving better grip, scrubbing them with a powdered cleaner keeps them clean and when they wear out knock them off and put a fresh one on.

Gluing on fancy wood handles and polishing them up to be super smooth, and slick when wet is a different approach, that is more form than function


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## TB_London (Apr 3, 2019)

Chef Morimoto’s knives show this well


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## bahamaroot (Apr 4, 2019)

TB_London said:


> For knives treated as tools leaving them bare means the grain rises when they’re damp giving better grip, scrubbing them with a powdered cleaner keeps them clean and when they wear out knock them off and put a fresh one on.
> 
> Gluing on fancy wood handles and polishing them up to be super smooth, and slick when wet is a different approach, that is more form than function


My hands get plenty wet and nasty at times and my handles with Tru-Oil on them never get slick. They stay cleaner and much nicer for a much longer time too rather they are stock handles or one of the few customs I have.


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