Finish for kitchen knife handle

Re: Finish for kitchen knife handle

John McGaw

If you had a resin-impregnating rig I'd suggest that. Of course if you had it you would have used it without prompting. Lacking that, I'd say that any sort of oil would work. Or maybe one of the "food safe" finishes on the market even though the handle really won't see any food contact. I've used a combination of walnut oil and bees wax for various items of treen with good success and it has held up to hand washing.

Re: Finish for kitchen knife handle

John in NM

I doubt any finish will really withstand washing often. They are all vapor permeable and the wood will swell and crack any film finish, providing a route in for liquid.

Penetrating oil finishes wear off fairly quickly, since they do not penetrate especially deeply. I still prefer to use them for applications like this because they are very easily renewed if you want to keep things looking nice. Re-wiping some oil on the wood just becomes part of the routine.

A final option, and one that takes a bit more planning, is to use stabilized wood. The last time I was getting some burl stabilized I sent along some scraps of cherry as well, and made small cutting boards with them after stabilizing. In the interest in experimentation I ran one through the dish washer, it survived just fine.

Re: Finish for kitchen knife handle

Dave Bair

I use mineral oil. It's food-safe and doesn't turn rancid but does require a reapplication every few washings. It's also good for cutting boards, rolling pins, etc.

Re: Finish for kitchen knife handle

William Duffield

Waterlox.

But, the choice of wood species is even more important than the finish. Several dense, waxy closed grain tropical species will work better than Appalachian hardwoods.

For example I made a cooking spatula from purpleheart about 25 years ago. For all practical purposes, it has no finish, because I wash it regularly in the dishwasher, although I have applied walnut oil a few times. It is, however, of monolithic construction: no metal blade, no rivets, no glued up pieces, etc. I have also used lignum vitae, kingwood, cocobolo, other rosewoods, ipe, bocote, etc. successfully.

Another important consideration is the scale attachment method. If water can penetrate between the blade and the scales, or between the scales and the rivets, eventually it will damage the wood. I don't like to use hammered rivets because they put tension on the scales, and eventually lead to splitting. Korby bolts are better. Epoxy on every surface except the show surfaces also slows water penetration. I use structural marine epoxy (e.g., West System), but not the cheap 1:1 ratio 5-minute stuff from the home center.

You can use more readily available woods like walnut and curly maple, etc., if you are diligent, don't let them stand in water in the sink, scrub (but not with green abrasive pot scrubbers -- I won't use anything more aggressive than white Norton synthetic steel wool pads) and wipe and dry them off as soon as you are finished using them, and oil them regularly.

Thanks everyone

Re: Finish for kitchen knife handle

John b

Super glue and walnut oil. Walnut oil on paper towel, drip some super glue on wood, rub it on. Let sit for a while. Sand smooth, 320 then some more walnut oil. John b. Chicago burbs

Re: Finish for kitchen knife handle

Henry (Raleigh NC)

TO follow up William's suggestion, I have replaced a small paring knife handle with a piece of ipe. It has been in daily use for at least 5 years without issue and without any finish. That type of oily tropical species would be my suggestion, used without additional finish. Does not answer your actual question though...

Henry