I generally just fine hand finish, light buff, and wax the following..... African Blackwood, Desert Ironwood, Cocobolo, and any other woods that I feel are not conducive to stabilizing, or Tru-Oil finishes.
I've always been one to "test" things before actually doing it on any knife I sell, whether that be me, of preferably others doing the "testing". (I always feel like I'm getting the best feedback when it's coming from someone else.
When I first started using a paste wax "finish" on certain handles (Years ago), my testers were hunting guides, and myself. I did the same thing before I'd offer Damascus blades using Gun-Kote. In that instance, I not only had knives in the hands of hunting guides, but also carried one of the knives myself.... for TWO hunting seasons before I pronounced it fit for clients/customers.
One big contrast that I see with knifemaking in general now, versus a decade or more ago, is the concern on both buyers and makers part for longevity. Not just the longevity of the overall knife/knives, but on the "little things" that I feel really matter.... things such as "glues/epoxies", finishes for both blades and handles/hardware, etc. This is another area where FIF has had a negative impact on the Custom Knife World.... teaching people to use 5 min epoxy, and all kinds of other inferior materials/methods.
The one thing that I see being used considerably these days are the composite handle materials/handles made of of resins and wood, and/or the aluminum "honeycomb" and resin handles. Nobody has yet come up with any of the clear resin/epoxy type stuff that will hold up to a knife handle for the long term, nor solve the fact that the natural material WILL move, and the synthetic will not..... nobody using or buying a finished knife with it thinks about that... they use it because it's "cool looking" and the current fad. And like it or not, in the current state of things, it doesn't matter if the person who's knife failed is a "newbie".... or not even a serious knifemaker..... it reflects badly on anyone who calls themselves a Bladesmith/Knifemaker. Sorry...got WAY off track there...but I think it does have some bearing on the subject at hand.
