Handle finish advice?

[Seemore]

Hi - I’m seeking suggestions for a material to use for a finish coat on a knife handle. My new knife came with a raw (unfinished) magnolia handle. I plan to change it when vendors restock the size & type that I want.

Meanwhile, I stained it with a mixture of mud-strength coffee plus tannin powder from walnuts. For coating it, I thought of shellac, because it’s “non-toxic when dry”, but it’s not a good choice around dampness. I do not want anything with toxic compounds in it, obviously, because I’m handling food. I’m considering using cutting board paste, and refreshing it monthly.
What do people use?

 

[jedy617]

Although not food safe, tru-oil is a great finished, joe at sugi cutlery uses that. I use a mix of beeswax and mineral oil and apply monthly.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

Board wax should work fine. Ho wood is really porous so I like an oil/wax mixture. I make my own and like it a little thinner.

If you go that route and your wax is thicker, try a couple rounds of straight mineral oil first and then the wax once it is all soaked in.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

Another side benefit of the oil and wax is when you do your board, you can use the same towel (I use paper towel) to wipe your knife handles when you're done. Then I save those and use them for BBQ lighters.

 

[RRLOVER]

Board wax ....Tru-oil is alot of work.

 

[Boynutman]

But... you'll miss that nice used bare wood feeling in your hand.

 

[Seemore]

But... you'll miss that nice used bare wood feeling in your hand.

Hi - I’m seeking suggestions for a material to use for a finish coat on a knife handle. My new knife came with a raw (unfinished) magnolia handle. I plan to change it when vendors restock the size & type that I want.

Meanwhile, I stained it with a mixture of mud-strength coffee plus tannin powder from walnuts. For coating it, I thought of shellac, because it’s “non-toxic when dry”, but it’s not a good choice around dampness. I do not want anything with toxic compounds in it, obviously, because I’m handling food. I’m considering using cutting board paste, and refreshing it monthly.
What do people use?

Thanks, all, for quick replies - much appreciated. My intuition was mineral oil then board paste. Now you’ve confirmed it.

 

[Choppin]

tung oil + turpentine

not sure it’s food safe or not but it’s all natural and hardens, unlike beeswax + mineral oil. leaves a nice satin shine.

 

[enchappo]

+1 for Tung oil

 

[jedy617]

Gotta be careful tho, most tung oil finishes doesn't have any actual tung oil in it. Find the ingredients.

 

[tostadas]

Mineral oil and beeswax is a good one that keeps it from drying out and gives a slight barrier against moisture.

I bought and experimented with a bunch of different finishes for wood. I was never able to get Tru oil to finish in a way I liked. It always felt like plastic. For the custom handles that I make, I really like finishing with osmo hardwax oil. It protects the handle well, but still allows it to "breathe", and retains much of the natural wood texture. Not as much as simple mineral oil, but I think the tradeoff for the added durability is worth it.

 

[coxhaus]

Board wax should work fine. Ho wood is really porous so I like an oil/wax mixture. I make my own and like it a little thinner.

If you go that route and your wax is thicker, try a couple rounds of straight mineral oil first and then the wax once it is all soaked in.

How do you get the beeswax to melt in the mineral oil. Do you cook it? What temp?

I use beeswax and boiled linseed oil with turpentine. I mix beeswax and turpentine first as the turpentine melts the beeswax then I mix in the boiled linseed oil. I have not used it on a knife but on a lot of other projects.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

How do you get the beeswax to melt in the mineral oil. Do you cook it? What temp?

I use beeswax and boiled linseed oil with turpentine. I mix beeswax and turpentine first as the turpentine melts the beeswax then I mix in the boiled linseed oil. I have not used it on a knife but on a lot of other projects.

I put a jar (jelly sized) in a water bath and slowly heat up a chunk of bee's wax about half my thumb in size. Once it's melted I start adding in the mineral oil. The wax will seize until everything heats back up, just keep an eye on it and stir it frequently. Adjust quantities to suit your desires. I guess I go roughly about 1 part wax to 4 parts oil.

EDIT: Sorry, I had a mess up, I go about 1:4 waxil. Maybe even thinner.

 

[jaydee]

Tungoil makes any old pirce of wood shine over time and seals rather well.
It properly hardens too.

Linseed oil, linseed oil varnish or camelia oil.
I guess lots of you have one of these around anyway.

 

[M1k3]

For that handle, just maintain it with mineral oil. Sand smooth first though. About 240-400 grit sandpaper. It'll help keep the grippiness, while keeping it from becoming overly grippy.

 

[JoBone]

For oils, there are 2 general ways

1) Hardening oils - these oils harden with time and create a barrier which protects the wood. One main benefit of these is they prevent oxidation which keeps the handles looking fresh and new. The main ones are Tung and Linseed. I often mix oils depending on the wood, but I often use tru-oil for ease. It is basically linseed oil with a drying component and something to help it penetrate the wood.

2) Non hardening oils - the most common one being mineral oil. These are easy to use and help preserve the wood. They also keep the natural feel of wood. The downsize is they attract dirt, dust, oils from your hand…. With time the handles may darken, more true depending on the type of wood.

For a ho wood handle, a non-hardening oil is a great option. If you spend cash on a nice looking burl or ironwood, going with a hardening oil is a better option to keep the aesthetics.

3) High quality rosewoods - I thought I would add a note on these. Rosewoods are an oily wood especially some of the denser varieties like African Blackwood, Kingwood, Cocobolo, Siamese, Honduran, Brazilian and East India. In my opinion these is nothing like the feel of a good rosewood in your hand. With the natural oils, there is much less need to apply other oils and are easier to maintain.

 

[toddnmd]

I think most finishes that harden mentioned above become inert and there is no issue with them being food-safe.
I would have no issues putting my hand on one of my finished handles and then eating an apple out of that hand It's not like you're preparing the food on the handle, it's a totally different thing than a cutting board, which gets cut by the knife edge.

 

[Wdestate]

Tried and true original , it is great i use it alot for my cutting boards and when i make handles. Its food safe and easy to use . Polymerized linseed oil and beeswax mix

 

[tostadas]

Another option for oily woods such as ironwood or rosewood, which don't take the hardening oils well, is carnauba wax and buffing. It lasts longer and is less sticky feeling compared to beeswax.

 

[coxhaus]

Another option for oily woods such as ironwood or rosewood, which don't take the hardening oils well, is carnauba wax and buffing. It lasts longer and is less sticky feeling compared to beeswax.

If you buff beeswax it gets thin and shiny like a finish. I don't buff my workbenches as I think the unbuffed beeswax protects more especially from glue. I am thinking with an electric buffer.

 

[JoBone]

Another option for oily woods such as ironwood or rosewood, which don't take the hardening oils well, is carnauba wax and buffing. It lasts longer and is less sticky feeling compared to beeswax.

That’s what I used on rosewoods, gives it a nice but temporary layer of protection.

For rosewoods, I sand to 320 grit then buff with Tripoli and white diamond for smoothness. Follow it up with carnauba for protection.

 

[tostadas]

If you buff beeswax it gets thin and shiny like a finish. I don't buff my workbenches as I think the unbuffed beeswax protects more especially from glue. I am thinking with an electric buffer.

It does, but also comes off after a wash or 2 with soap.

 

[northside]

Using thin coats of Tru Oil works very well. Typically multiple coats of a diluted 1:1 ratio with Turpentine.

For a deep finish you can give your handle an overnight soak in a jar of the mixture and then let dry. The magnolia will slurp it up. It may take a couple of days to dry depending on your climate.

Honestly though, it’s a cheap handle that you’re replacing shortly. Just send it!

 

[coxhaus]

It does, but also comes off after a wash or 2 with soap.

I never use soap on my workbenches. And yes, after a couple of years it tends to wear off.

 

[coxhaus]

Using thin coats of Tru Oil works very well. Typically multiple coats of a diluted 1:1 ratio with Turpentine.

For a deep finish you can give your handle an overnight soak in a jar of the mixture and then let dry. The magnolia will slurp it up. It may take a couple of days to dry depending on your climate.

Honestly though, it’s a cheap handle that you’re replacing shortly. Just send it!

I have used Tru Oil on wood gun stocks. After a lot of coats it makes a hard finish which gun oil does not bother. It is kind of expensive for a finish.

 

[Guirotin]

After lots of trials, i ended up using odie's oil + odie's wax.
This is a top notch combo, that lasts very long and is magnificent.
+ it's food safe.

The only con that i have, is that you must wait 24h between the oil and the wax, and another 3 days before using it in a moisture/water environment after the wax buffing.

 

[Seemore]

Thanks, all, for the detailed discussions. I went with what I had on hand - mineral oil and beeswax/mineral oil paste.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

Looks great.

Are you happy with how it turned out?

 

[Seemore]

Looks great.

Are you happy with how it turned out?

Thank you. Yes, the outcome is pretty decent. It’s my first project of this kind, clearly modest in scope. The coffee/tannin stain took a few applications. At one point it was going a little green, so I used some pomegranate juice. It all brought out the wood grain fairly nicely. Thanks for the support!

 

[JoBone]

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.