Can pakka wood be refreshed?

[DitmasPork]

I have a few knives where the pakka wood handles have shrunk a little—some I've had for as short a time as three years. I'm in NYC where the air is very dry in my apartment. Is there any way to refresh them so they expand back to their original size? Or, is there just nothing that can be done?

 

[pete84]

You can try keeping the handles submerged in a jar of mineral oil or slather on some board butter type beeswax/oil thing and wrap the goop-covered handle in plastic wrap for a few days or more...

I've had varying levels of success with said methods, pakkawood might be tough one ...

If the shrinkage is not too bad, you could try using a dremel to grind down at the raised metal edges to make them flush with the pakkawood.

good luck!

 

[DitmasPork]

You can try keeping the handles submerged in a jar of mineral oil or slather on some board butter type beeswax/oil thing and wrap the goop-covered handle in plastic wrap for a few days or more...

I've had varying levels of success with said methods, pakkawood might be tough one ...

If the shrinkage is not too bad, you could try using a dremel to grind down at the raised metal edges to make them flush with the pakkawood.

good luck!

Thanks for your reply. Will try mineral oil—I was trying to decide if the fix would be oil or water based. Was originally considering soaking in water, since its evaporation that causes shrinkage—it's a stainless knife.

 

[daveb]

I thought pakka was a fancy word for fake. I've tried oiling pakka handles to make them look nicer to no avail. But it wouldn't hurt to try.

 

[guari]

Please do not use water

 

[jessf]

I thought pakka was a fancy word for fake. I've tried oiling pakka handles to make them look nicer to no avail. But it wouldn't hurt to try.

I don't know if it means fake, but in general you're correct. It's a wood composite.

 

[merlijny2k]

I don't recommend it in any way but I learned from watching a knife I gave to my sister over several years that repeatedly washing it in the dishwasher makes pakkawood expand

 

[DitmasPork]

I don't recommend it in any way but I learned from watching a knife I gave to my sister over several years that repeatedly washing it in the dishwasher makes pakkawood expand

Dishwashers sound a bit destructive to the knife and its heat treatment, have never, and never will put one of my gyutos into one—I wonder it soaking the handle in something for a few weeks might do the trick? Though that goes against Guari's comment of "Please do not use water."

 

[Bensbites]

I thought pakka wood was a commercial stabilized product.

 

[malexthekid]

Dishwashers sound a bit destructive to the knife and its heat treatment, have never, and never will put one of my gyutos into one—I wonder it soaking the handle in something for a few weeks might do the trick? Though that goes against Guari's comment of "Please do not use water."

sorry, can I just say, that a dishwasher will never effect a knives heat treatment.... it may f your knife up, but not from the heat treatment.

 

[guari]

I have a kanetsugu in pakkawood too. I use some board butter, the same ones used for end grain cutting boards. That should do the trick. If not available, try with a bit of mineral oil.

Hope that helps

Water and wood aren't friends.

 

[RDalman]

I'd recommend sanding it to say 600 grit with sandpaper and treat it with something blo based, danish or tru-oil.