Tips and other odds and ends for refinishing.

[Delmonico]

Well since the grip finishing thread got hijacked and we were wondering what would happen with one that was meant to, toss in any handy tips for refinishing and we'll see where this goes.


For a natural no gloss finish I use on knife handles in my kitchen gear I use Canola Oil, it holds up to dish water far better than anything else.  It's slower to dry than linseed or tung.  I get a rag wet it with the oil and wipe a good heavy coat on and let it soak in for an hour or so.  I then wipe off the excess and let it dry a week or so.  A couple times a year I wipe them down again with an oily rag.

[wildman1]

I used moisture cure high impact polyurethane. Dip the handles in for a few seconds, hang em by the blades ta dry. It took me 35+ years of washin em in the dishwasher ta get the poly ta start showin wear. WM

[Delmonico]

I used moisture cure high impact polyurethane. Dip the handles in for a few seconds, hang em by the blades ta dry. It took me 35+ years of washin em in the dishwasher ta get the poly ta start showin wear. WM

But they look like they've been dipped in some sort of goo.

Besides I won't put my knives in the dishwasher, if I had one.    See how nice and natural this looks:





Green River Skinner, a bit pitted before I got it, paid 50 cents at a thrift store it had broken grips.

Second grips I put on it, the first were some plain mapel and it just did't look right, now this folks look at and want.   They so far ain't wanted it bad enough.

[Tascosa Joe]

Del, when you found that GR blade was it a 5 pin or did you modify it from 3 rivet to the 5 pin?

[Delmonico]

Del, when you found that GR blade was it a 5 pin or did you modify it from 3 rivet to the 5 pin?

It was a 5, it is one of the Russell Forge ones.  You know now that you mention it I think the one's Dixe sell ar 3 pin.

I have a Chrise Johnson butcher knife made in Sheffield that is like this:





I've never had the frips off it but I think it it original.

[Professor Marvel]

Greetings My Dear Netizens -

At This time ( for wood ) I have been using three finishes:

- Boiled Linseed if I am not in a hurry
- Tru-Oil If I I am in a hurry
- I have been experimenting with an assortment of waxes, including parafin, beeswax, carnuba, and old-fashioned shoe polish/wax

the waxes are interesting. I have been rubbing them in by hand, and/or applying heat (as in from a hair dryer) and/or buffing it out on  a cloth flap wheel. Waxes are ... strange. Finding the right wax or the right mix it is sort of like fussing with bullet lube until one gets it right. Then, some waxes come out pretty and shiny but slippery (ie Johnston Paste Wax - Don't use it!) some work out a bit too sticky...

yhs
prof marvel

[Paladin UK]

PM says....

some waxes come out pretty and shiny but slippery (ie Johnston Paste Wax - Don't use it!) some work out a bit too sticky...

Yessiree........ The  ole  `trials `n tribulations` Yup thats whut they are..., ... `trials `n tribulations`  

Paladin (Whut frequently gets..`trials `n tribulations`  ) UK

[Professor Marvel]

Ah My Dear Paladin -

yessir the trials at least are fun and amusing- I have not had a knife "slip" out of my grip (yet). And periodically
I sometimes stumble upon a wonderful combination, such as working dark brown boot polish into the edges
of my knife sheaths while heated, and buffing it quite firmly with a clean cloth wheel, followed by the traditional boning.
It makes the sheath edges come out quite nicely.

The tribulations are not overly difficult, so far I can always strip off the failures down to bare wood and try again.

yhs
prof (trial and error) marvel