Finish and finishing

I like to use solid, un stabilised wood for my knife handles. I do this because resin filled wood feels dead. Practically it does have benefits however for me, a simple, live handle feels more natural.

The trade off is care, finding a way to protect the wood and allow it to age with the knife and holder. Originally I was soaking in mineral oil, which wore away quite quickly. The ‘upgrade’ from this is a balsam, with mineral oil and beeswax. This seems to penetrate into the wood well and the wax helps keep it in for a while, as well as being food safe and non rancid.