AEB-L and Turkish walnut

K

Kev

Well-Known Member
Not the greatest photo, but I’m working on that.
A little custom hunter that I did, 3-3/4” blade, 8-1/2” OAL.
I learned quite a bit doing the handle in this one. I used an entirely new technique on the grinder and refined the shape with fine files before hand sanding. I also used a technique new to me for the finish. I followed to the letter, the technique used by a friend of mine for finishing “best” quality shotguns. It leaves a very nice finish, not to slick but smooth, and a very nice satiny sheen.

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John Wilson said:
Beautiful job on both the blade and handle. Did you use boiled linseed oil?
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No, to be perfectly honest I’m not sure what the “oil” is. My friend gets it from a guy in the UK, that makes it in small batches, specifically for stock makers.
The process combines applying the finish, and polishing with a powdered stone product, I also know nothing about.
 
Overall the knife is great but I REALLY like the handle finish. Love the satin. I really like tru oil but I struggle getting a muted finish with it. Yours is the look I try for but never get. Well done.
 
J. Doyle said:
That's a nice clean design.
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Thank you. I especially appreciate the compliment, because simplicity was my intent from the beginning. I spent a chunk of time making things far more complicated than they needed to be. This knife was a step back.
 
Chris Railey said:
Overall the knife is great but I REALLY like the handle finish. Love the satin. I really like tru oil but I struggle getting a muted finish with it. Yours is the look I try for but never get. Well done.
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Thanks. I use tru-oil as well when I’m after a little glossier finish. This stuff does a very nice job of protecting the wood, and I love the look too. I will do more probing and see if I can get a brand name for the oil.
 
Kev said:
No, to be perfectly honest I’m not sure what the “oil” is. My friend gets it from a guy in the UK, that makes it in small batches, specifically for stock makers.
The process combines applying the finish, and polishing with a powdered stone product, I also know nothing about.
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that would be rotton stone as it is called by the old english gun trade which is powdered pumice and available from Brownells. A little is mixed with your finishing oil for the last coat and rubbed gently with a special pad to take the shine off and leave the very pleasing satin finish you have got on that lovely piece of walnut. It is a similar process that has been used on the best rifle and gun stocks for a very long time.
 
Von Gruff said:
that would be rotton stone as it is called by the old english gun trade which is powdered pumice and available from Brownells. A little is mixed with your finishing oil for the last coat and rubbed gently with a special pad to take the shine off and leave the very pleasing satin finish you have got on that lovely piece of walnut. It is a similar process that has been used on the best rifle and gun stocks for a very long time.
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The one I used was similar to rotten stone, but that wasn’t it. He had/has both. I believe this is finer, but I’m not certain.
 
Chris Railey said:
Where would I get the special pad?
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We just used a soft cloth. He did say there was a special pad but he hadn’t used one in years. Given the nature of the gun ($200,000 Boss O/U) that he was showing me on, I think a soft cloth would probably work.
 
Great work, Kev. I echo what everyone else has said and will add that your design should make for a terrific little workhorse of a knife. Well done.
 
Chris Railey said:
Where would I get the special pad?
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Chris, you don´t need a special pad. Von Gruff pointed you already in the right direction.
Pumice comes in different grades (fine, extra fine etc)
I use tung oil mixed with turpentine from the turpentine tree as a thinner. Then add just a tad of pumice to the mixture.
Gently rub the oil into the handle by hand (rubber gloves) then move to fine sandpaper like 800. The abrasive dust and the pumice powder will fill all pores of your wood. Once the oil becomes tacky, it is important to remove the surplus with a soft cotton cloth. Let dry for several days until this layer is really dry. Oils like linseed or tung oil and the like are oxidatively drying, once you cover a layer that has not dried thoroughly you will probably fail. Repeat the procedure two or three times then move to 1000 or 1200 grit paper for one or two times if you like. There are other approaches or variants of it of course. Polish surface with a buffing wheel but be careful to not apply to much pressure and heat.
This procedure requires some patience but is very rewarding. I try to find pictures.
 
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Just so I can completely highjack this thread, I think I figured out part of why I have not been happy with tru-oil finish. I have been putting it on too thick and it has not been drying correctly. I put on thin coats with my finger but still too much because I can see the oil on the surface. I re-sanded a handle last night and rubbed in ultra thin coats with a cotton cloth. Much better results. I could tell the wood accepted the tru oil but there was no gloss build up with the first coat. I guess “thin coat” is a relative term and I had it wrong. Thanks for the help and sorry for the highjack Kev, great knife.
 
Chris Railey said:
Just so I can completely highjack this thread, I think I figured out part of why I have not been happy with tru-oil finish. I have been putting it on too thick and it has not been drying correctly. I put on thin coats with my finger but still too much because I can see the oil on the surface. I re-sanded a handle last night and rubbed in ultra thin coats with a cotton cloth. Much better results. I could tell the wood accepted the tru oil but there was no gloss build up with the first coat. I guess “thin coat” is a relative term and I had it wrong. Thanks for the help and sorry for the highjack Kev, great knife.
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Don’t mind at all. I like the discussion. Like stated above, it’s a bit of a longer process, but it’s worked well for a long time on firearms.
 
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