Carnauba paste wax for horn handles?

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Amko

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I don't have easy access to Hooflex where I live, so was wondering if I could use carnauba paste wax instead for my horn handles. Is this ok to do? Will it yellow the handles over time?

Whenever I get a new horn handled khukuri I make it a point to immerse it overnight in a jar of Fiebings neatsfoot oil. Every 6 months. Just wondering if this is enough, and if the wax would help.
 
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Amko,
All I have ever done with horn is immerse in plain mineral oil for at least 24 to 48 hours, it tends to hydrate the horn very well, even to the point of bringing out colors I didn't even see before. I do this every year to keep them hydrated. Im not sure of the wax but I think it would buff them up nice.
 
Thanks pugs, will try your mineral oil treatment - sounds quite doable and will update the results here later.
 
I was going thru old threads here and noticed that Bookie recommended paste wax for horn handles to guard against moth damage...
 
I has some slight concern that the wax would seal up the horn and not allow the mineral oil to rehydrate, but I remember the wax recommendation from the old mule skinner about the moths. So I'm gonna go with him and think it's probably a good thing.
Maybe he'll think higher of me and pull the pin out of the left shoulder on my doll. Hurts pretty smart.

Just a thought.
 
Good one Bawanna! On a serious note do you apply paste wax to your (non user) blades?

And Bookie: the wax wouldn't seal up the horn, right?
 
I apply paste wax to the blades of all of my non user's and some of my users. Usually I just oil the workers.
I don't put wax on the handles. I intend to put hoof flex on the horns handles but haven't got around to it and since I do the mineral oil thing, I'm not too concerned.

I'm just not sure the mineral oil would get through the wax and not sure how deep it penetrates anyhow but I do know the oil helps.

Maybe it soaks right through. I just don't know.
 
Bawanna said:
I has some slight concern that the wax would seal up the horn and not allow the mineral oil to rehydrate, but I remember the wax recommendation from the old mule skinner about the moths. So I'm gonna go with him and think it's probably a good thing.
Maybe he'll think higher of me and pull the pin out of the left shoulder on my doll. Hurts pretty smart.

Just a thought.
Click to expand...

Think of the wax as nothing more than a vehicle to transfer the oils (natural or artificial) thats mixed with it. It will eventually transfer the oils into the wood and also protect it from intruding moisture. Kinda like that Tyvek PTFE Teflon stuff they use on your house to keep it dry and breathing without letting liquid water in to rot the wood. Wax can build up and collect dust but it will still protects the wood from drying out and keep the oils in the wood that condition it. Wax is a reservoir for oil. If it builds up too much and yellows or becomes cosmetically undesirable then you can just rub the surface clean of the residual wax and then repeat.
The wax keeps the water out but supplies any oils that it contains to the wood because the wood wants the oil more than the air around it does. EVERYTHING prefers the path of least resistance.
Pugs is right on! It will bring out colors especially when sanded to high grades.
 
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+1 for (automotive) carnauba paste wax on horn handles then, right, ndog? Thanks for sharing.

This thread started because I didn't have easy access to Hooflex and I was seeking opinions regarding carnauba paste wax on horn handles. I'll apply said wax to my horn handles and keep you posted.
 
Amko said:
+1 for (automotive) carnauba paste wax on horn handles then, right, ndog? Thanks for sharing.

This thread started because I didn't have easy access to Hooflex and I was seeking opinions regarding carnauba paste wax on horn handles. I'll apply said wax to my horn handles and keep you posted.
Click to expand...

Yup! Id use Auto wax myself and have. Its especially nice if you dont have time to let hooflex or mineral oil soak in etc. It can be rubbed on then rubbed of instantly and will condition it for immediate use. Hooflex is mostly composed of mineral oil anyway with other compounds (lanolin, neetsfoot oil, paraffin and various tree resin forms) that are prolly in Auto wax as well. Id polish my car with Hooflex to test cross compatability but it would cost too much:poop: ;) I dont think my car has ever been washed since I bought it. I better not. Like they say if it aint ...then dont...:D.
 
Thanks ndog! Waiting for the carnauba paste wax .

Oh yeah: Also ordered couple of bottles of liquid paraffin (mineral oil?), 400 ml each, equivalent of USD 4.50 for both, for (now 8 - 5 of them horn) blades. Wifey will be raising eyebrows for sure.
 
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I just tried the carnauba paste wax treatment on my M-43. Handle and blade. Perhaps I went about it wrong but I found the results disappointing.

The brand of wax was hard in the tin. Manufacturer directions recommended moistening the folded cloth and applying it evenly. I heated up some water and then moistened the cloth. It spread the wax ok. I noticed flaking though. After applying I waited a couple minutes and then buffed with a clean cloth. It didn't really add any lustre. Perhaps I should have bought American. The brand I chose, purely because it was cheap, was made in India. It did have decent ratings on Amazon and was made from carnauba.
 
I just use regular old car paste wax. The can I use I've had for 20 years. It's soft. I think most waxes have carnauba in them.
Not sure how much or exactly what the positive side of carnauba really is.
Without a buffing wheel, wax alone might not improve the lustre that much. It still protects.
I guess regular application of cheap wax is better than infrequent application or none at all.
I often times clamp the blade gently in my vise and use a soft cloth in sort of a shoe shine motion. This generally gives me a pretty good shine, you might try that if you haven't already.
 
Thanks much Bawanna. Yes, will take another crack at this and buff some more.
 
Since my carnauba wax seems to be hard (perhaps Amazon sent me an older tin?) would anyone like to share if they've had experience softening wax? I did some Googling and learnt it could be mixed with mineral oil in a pan to make a paste...
 
I nuke bees wax and mix with coconut oil but for lip balm but carnuba and mineral oil should be about the same thing. Mixing with oil lowers the melting temp so consider that if you store it in a leaky tin in the car or somewhere hot.
 
Thanks ndog, I put my hard auto carnauba paste wax out in bright sunshine which melted it some and made it sort of easier to use. There was some flaking as I applied it with a moistened cloth. Apparently this is desirable from the point of purity of the carnauba used in my brand...perhaps I was a little hasty when I dissed the brand in an earlier post. After letting the wax breathe for a few minutes I just buffed it with microfiber which polished to a good shine. From reading reviews about the brand (an old Indian made product called Waxpol) it is harder to apply and buff but lasts longer than many international brands that are easier to apply and also take off. I'm going to do this carnauba wax thing every quarter. Waxpol has a strong solvent like kerosene which takes me back to my scouting days cooking with camp stoves.
 
I am definitely NOT speaking from experience, but it seems to me that paste wax for furniture (like Johnson's, in the yellow can) might be a good choice. It is softer and oiler than any auto paste wax I have tried and doesn't have any of the polishing/oxidation removing ingredients. I haven't put anything on my slightly cracked blem horn handle, but I think a liberal layer of soft(ish) furniture paste wax left sitting for a few days then rubbed off would be a good thing.

Doug
 
Doug, thanks for sharing. Unfortunately Johnson's isn't available easily in India and while I saw one listed on Amazon India it was 7-8 times more expensive than another softer, non abrasive carnauba auto wax I ordered yesterday: Abro Super Gold carnauba car wax. Reviewers say it goes on easy and is hard to take off, which is all to the good. Will update.
 
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