How to Protect Wood Knife Handles?

[plainsman1]

What is the best way to protect wood knife handles?
What do you use to seal/finish them when you make a knife?
I recently purchased one with osage wood.
The surface feels almost like a thin wax coating.

I'm using CLP on the metal (1095) so no worries about that.

 

[m. wohlwend]

On osage, I use a few coats of danish oil. Then I buff with beeswax... kinda old fashioned. But it looks nice and protects the osage...

 

[NoahL]

Protecting knives? Psh! Who does that?

Seriously, though, I'm a fan of Mark's method when it comes to wooden handles. Some oily woods like Cocabola don't need the wax, though.

 

[KFU]

I use aproduct called Howards feed and wax. It has citrus oil, beeswax, and carnuba wax. I use it on gun stocks after multiple coats of oil as well. Its a good product.

 

[Liveitloud]

Aren't there certain kinds of wood that just have a natural oily property or hardness to them that requires little maintenance? I just got a Mule rehandled in Thuya Burl and I have noticed that the wood seems to have an oily quality to it and you can smell the woodsiness of the wood all over the room. It (so far) looks like it is not going to require much maintenance.

Desert ironwood also seems to be a stable wood as it is. Just curious. I am really liking this Thuya though!

 

[Rockywolf]

I use clear nail varnish. Works well.