Wood handle finish ?

[Pine]

I have used polyurethane on my knife handles for years . I finish with gun stock wax buffed out with compound .
I buff untill the poly melts and walk the goo off the end of the handle .
Makes a very nice finish when done .
Trouble is , the finish will eventually wear thrue and leave exposed wood in spots . Like where it touches the sheath .
What I'm wondering is , how about not using the poly at all and just using the stock wax ? I'm thinking the finish wouldn't be as shiny but it wouldn't wear off . And I could just wax the handle once in a while .
So what do you experts think of this idea  ?
Or have you a better idea for me ?
Thanks for your input . Graps

[tippit]

I just use TruOil.  Wipe on with paper towel and immediately wipe off.  By wiping everything off immediately, you don't need to re-sand.  You can add as many coats as you like but the cool thing is you can add another coat anytime you want...days, weeks, years later if the finish is wearing off by just doing the same thing.  You can handle the finish with in a couple of hours or leave it in the sun and it is dry within a half hour.  Plus it won't chip.

[Pine]

That sounds interesting , I'm going to try that .
My poly wax buff looks like glass when done but the edges and corners can wear and it's down to bare wood .
Thanks for the info . Graps

[tippit]

I sand my handle to 320 sometimes to 400, wipe on wipe off like the Karate Kid, and don't buff the finish.  Comes out smooth as glass.  I do the same this when reducing weight on bows.  TruOil will blend right in with old finish if that was scratched up to 320.  Dad made and fitted gun stocks and that was his finish.  He was more of a perfectionist than I am...many coats of TruOil.  I usually do 3-5 coats.

[ray tareila]

I'm not a knife builder but have made some selfbows and have finished a few of them with paraffin (canning wax) with fine results. After getting the smoothest finish on the wood, melt the wax in a double boiler (2 used tin cans, one bigger than the other. Fill the bottom one with an inch of water and get to boiling. Then set the inner can with some small broken wax pieces into the boiling can to melt the wax) to about 125F. Dip a piece of t-shirt into the wax and wipe on the pre-heated grip (let the knife sit in the direct sun for awhile until it is warm). I would wear a glove to avoid a burned finger if you got the wax too hot. Rub it everywhere on the grip,  and then wipe the excess with the rest of the t-shirt. This will give you a pretty much permanent, waterproof highly smooth semi-matte finish for the cost of a box of wax that will last a long time. I bought this Fred Asbell neck knife with tiger maple grip and wanted to emphasize the stripes, so I sanded and did the paraffin finish with good results. Ray
 

[tippit]

Ray,
I've used paraffin on a couple of selfbows that I made.  I melt it in with a hair dryer and rub the cake of wax as it melts.  I like it but it seems to spot when wet for me anyway. Another coat of paraffin can be applied at anytime but so can Tru Oil...just simpler for me. There are all sorts of urethanes out there too.

Knife made from old rusted buggy springs with Tru Oil finish...

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[Bladepeek]

I have really learned to like stabilized wood. I use no finish as the resin penetrates all the way through the wood. It makes the wood a little heavier, which would not lend itself to a gunstock, but there is no rubbing through the finish. I sand to 600 or 1000 grit and then polish lightly with "pink no scratch" polishing compound. Gives a glass-like finish, but if you scratch it, just re-sand and re-buff. It's also more waterproof than any surface finish. I wash the handle when necessary with warm soap and water and it looks like new.

It does add to the cost, I guess, but not all that much.
 

[ray tareila]

tippit: My paraffin finish as applied above gives perfect little water beading in the rain. Pre-heating the wood and applying molten wax probably allows for more uniform wax penetration. It's a little more work but the finish quality is worth it. Ray

[ray tareila]

Tippit: PS: I like the primitive look of your knife. Very artistic too! Ray

[Steve Nuckels]

I am currently in the process of finishing a stained curly maple handle as Jeff described.  It is easy and looks great.... I'm sold on that technique.

Master Smith Bill Buxton told me about it at this years Blade Show.

Steve
---------
Potomac Forge
Member, W.F. Moran Jr. Foundation
ABS Apprentice Smith

[Pine]

I just started refinishing two knives with the true oil .
Two coats and they are looking good .

[Pine]

Got the two that I refinished done and started using True Oil on a new knife that I'm making with Bocote scales .
This is the only finish I'm ever going to use from now on .
It's not only easier but it seems better .

[Pine]

 
This is the Bocote handle after just two coats of True Oil .
This stuff is amazing .
Thanks Tippit !
I've been doing it the hard way for about 30 years .

[tippit]

The number of coats depends on how porous the wood is.  I stop when I can't see or feel any pores and it feels like glass.

[damascusdave]

There is another product out there that is like Tru-Oil yet not like it...the product is called Linspeed and whereas Tru-0il is modified Tung Oil Linspeed is, as the name implies modified linseed oil...the big difference is that Linspeed is designed to go more into the wood than onto the wood...the only way to know what that means is to try it...you can get it from Amazon.com

DDave