Handle finish advice?

[Salvatore Moretto]

Another option might be CA glue. You can use a hardener to speed things up drastically, it evens out and fills the grain, and produces an amazing shine when polished. Apply, harden, sand, and repeat until you get the thickness you want, then sand through the grits and buff to a high shine
Just thought I'd throw another option out there

 

[Taz575]

Hello to a fellow CT guy! If you need some Tung Oil, let me know. I have the 100% pure stuff if you want to give it a try and not have to buy a whole bottle of it. I am in Central CT, near Middletown!

 

[Seemore]

Hello to a fellow CT guy! If you need some Tung Oil, let me know. I have the 100% pure stuff if you want to give it a try and not have to buy a whole bottle of it. I am in Central CT, near Middletown!

Hi - thanks, that’s really kind of you. I’ll be getting some tung oil to coat a bbq prep table when things warm up. I’ve finished the knife handle, but I’ll give it a try next opportunity.

 

[Keith Sinclair]

Since you have Tung oil as long if it's pure stuff I'll give you Stefan's mix. Don't know where he got it maybe Fish another handle maker in Hawaii. Both have passed away.

50/50 mix pure Tung oil & Clear Bullseye Shellac. I put in small squeeze bottle must shake before use they do separate.

It is a little labor intensive, but does put on a coating that lasts even in production kitchen. You can buff them up to nice finish if get a little funky from use. I have only recoated a handle that I used at work had almost 20 years.

Apply coat on handle with cloth or paper towel don't need much little goes a long way. Wipe of excess as long as have even thin coat. Let dry here if trades are blowing can put two coats a day. If raining takes longer.

After dry 0000 extra fine steel wool rub entire handle. Clean with half sheet of paper towel make sure steel wool dust off. Than put on second coat same process then third final coat & steel wool & buff. I do it on handles & saya's.

 

[dragjp]

One thing worth to mention is that if you're doing a (super) gloss finish, don't buff it too much. I use to buff my handles with some white jewelers rogue for a glass smooth finish but I stopped doing that. The super smooth finish got quite slippery when it got wet, and can cause troubles.

 

[M1k3]

One thing worth to mention is that if you're doing a (super) gloss finish, don't buff it too much. I use to buff my handles some white jewelers rogue for a glass smooth finish but I stopped doing that. The super smooth finish got quite slippery when it got wet, and can cause troubles.

Same reason handle makers shouldn't put lacquer on handles

*cough* Chopper King and Marunaka *cough*

 

[Alpine.knifeworks]

One finish that works nice but isn’t mentioned often is Tried & True original wood finish. It’s a food safe boiled linseed oil mixed with beeswax. You don’t get a high polish, but it will keep your handles or cutting boards in good shape.

I came here to say this! This is my go-to.

 

[refcast]

Petrolatum jelly makes a really nice shine, for what it's worth. Better than mineral oil or beeswax/mineral oil. The handle is still grippy too

 

[hd_snow]

Petrolatum jelly makes a really nice shine, for what it's worth. Better than mineral oil or beeswax/mineral oil. The handle is still grippy too

Petroleum jelly is mineral oil and wax.

To make the mineral oil and bees wax better. Replace half of the bees wax with carnauba. Carnauba is harder, has a higher melting point and it is food safe.

By weight:
6 ounces mineral oil
1 ounce carnauba
1 ounce bees wax

 

[refcast]

Ahhh cool to know! Felt that way

@hd_snow

 

[Choppin]

Petroleum jelly is mineral oil and wax.

To make the mineral oil and bees wax better. Replace half of the bees wax with carnauba. Carnauba is harder, has a higher melting point and it is food safe.

By weight:
6 ounces mineral oil
1 ounce carnauba
1 ounce bees wax

Nice, I need to try this.

I like to apply carnaúba wax on top of other finishes (mineral oil + beeswax, tung oil, etc), with lots of buffing after. It gives a nice shine and protects whatever finish is under it.