top finish for handles

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KNIFE MAKER
So I have been playing with finishing wood for handles. Oil finishes, wax finishes, polyurethane, etc.

So far the finish that seems hardest/toughest, very clear, very fast to do is UV cure polyester casting resin. I can harden it in 5 minutes with a UV LED flashlight. It fills pores amazingly well. Can be buffed (lightly...I tried to see how much pressure it liked....not much...lol) Seems to do just fine over stabilized or unstabilized wood. I think it's a winner.:7:

NO CATYLYST!!

cons:still stinks to high heaven though....two small blocks (knife scale size) tested and it smelled like a surfboard shop in here. Almost a bit on the thick side...needs to be brushed out smooth with a fine art brush or you have lumps to sand.

So are any of you using this stuff? If so , how do you like it?

Thanks,
Ted
 
I've not used it but it sounds very interesting.

I put Tru Oil on everything that will take it. For the oily woods that won't let Tru Oil cure, I wax and buff.
 
Experience has taught me that most "coating" type finishes will have issues over time.... especially the "poly" variety. I can't be sure if it's the fact that a knife handle is constantly in contact with oils, dirt, etc from the human hand, but eventually they will tend to "color", becoming either dingy or somewhat opaque, and in some cases where extreme temps are involved, they can become "crazed" (super tiny checks/cracks).

It of course depends on the wood type, but most of the time I will simply wax and lightly buff, and in cases where the wood requires sealing, my go to is Tru-Oil. Beyond protection, how the handle finish maintains it's looks over time is a factor in how I finish.... wax/buff type finishes are simple to repair.... generally a light cleaning, and another coat of wax with a light buff following, and the handle looks as good as the day it was completed. Tru-Oil finished handles, can be lightly wiped/cleaned with alcohol, another coat of two applied, and it's back to "new" looking again.

When choosing a finish for knife handles, don't just consider how things will look "off the bench"....think about the long term. If you do something that looks the same two, three, or five years down the road, as it did the day the knife was completed, then you're on the right track. I know that's a difficult thing if you're just starting out, and haven't yet gained that experience, but that's where the forums come in! :)
 
Why would you want to coat stabilized wood? It's already impregnated with resin and is as stable and resistant to things in the environment as it's going to get.

Doug
 
Why would you want to coat stabilized wood? It's already impregnated with resin and is as stable and resistant to things in the environment as it's going to get.

Often times after grinding/finishing stabilized materials, I run into some "surface pores". If left as is, they will collect dirt, hand oils, etc. very quickly....basically it will just look "dirty", where the surrounding areas won't. I've gotten to the point where with any stabilized wood, a single, super light coat of Tru-Oil is just how I finish thing off.
I also use a single, light coat of Tru-Oil on synthetics (like G10 & Micarta).....it prevents hand oils from being absorbed into the surface pores....and keeps the material from getting that "dingy" look.
 
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