How do you treat bone?

D

d.weglarz13

Joined
Jun 4, 2008
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Okay, quick question. Got my Madison Barlow with the camel bone and I just love it. I will post some pics in a little bit when I get home and set up a light box.

How can I treat the bone? I usually use wd40 and mineral oil for my knives. Is that ok for the bone? I would hate to ruin the knife after 1 day. Any advice is very much appreciated.

Dave
 
A light rub-down with mineral oil will be fine for bone. No need for heavy application; just a drop or three on a clean rag, then wipe the scale covers with it. It sort of brings out the color & shine in bone. Probably wouldn't need to do it very often, maybe once or twice a month.

Having said that, I often haven't even used the mineral oil, or anything else. Bone is pretty durable, and not really prone to drying out anyway. If it gets scuffed or blemished, it can be polished back up using the same methods as for the blades, with some polishing compound.

Some like to use paste wax or similar on bone or stag, or wood covers. I'm sure that'd be fine as well.

WD-40 is sometimes useful for cleaning out the joints and flushing other grit from the knife. It won't harm the bone at all, and it'll leave a little bit of light oil behind.


David
 
I wouldn't use WD40 for oiling a knife's joints, It won't stay lubricated for very long. I would use Rem oil, Honer's gun oil or Quick Release oil. Just a suggestion.;)
 
All good suggestions Perry!
Me, I just stick with mineral oil for the joints too. :)

Dave
 
Me personally, I will give my bone handled knives a light coating of Renaissance Wax every now and then. It is not with the intent of protecting them per se, but because I like the way it makes them look. It may also have the effect of protecting the bone from discoloration by putting a protective layer over the pores inherent in the bone, I can't attest to that.

Other than that, I put them in a pocket and carry and use them.
 
Right you are Dave, I use mineral oil mainly when storing knives, but it would work just as well for daily use.
 
The smell of WD-40 is not something I enjoy. Here is the MSDS
http://www.wd40company.com/files/pdf/msds-wd494716385.pdf
sounds hazardous.

Here is the MSDS for Rennaisaince Wax
http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/msds/renaissance_wax.pdf
note the reference to Mineral spirits, something I avoid

I use Sunshine Cloth, here is the MSDS
http://www.riogrande.com/Content/Sunshine-Cloth-MSDS-pdf?Pos=16
It does not stink like turpentine the way WD 40 does, and I suspect Rennaisance wax does too, since it lists Mineral spirits, but I have no first hand experience

Mineral Oil is what I use to oil the joints, and I also oil my knife handles with it. Here is the MSDS
http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9927364
It is an odorless, non digestible petroleum product that does not go rancid, nor does it get tacky like vegetable oils. Probably the most harmless of the items listed.

Keep in mind that if the bone has pores, the oil will go into the pores, which can change the color of the bone. Check with your vendor for their professional advice.

Here is a knife with very porous bone handles. The dark spots by the middle handle pin are where I allowed 3 drops of mineral oil to soak in, something I regret
IMG_7632.JPG


otoh, I have never regretted using Sunshine Cloth. It does have abrasive in it, and it will quickly remove patina. It also leaves a deep shine on handles, because it contains wax. And water beads up on the blade after treatment also. It is by far my favorite polishing product.
 
I tend to only use mineral oil on the blades and joints. I don't really use anything for the handles unless it's an old rag.
 
I have been using virgin olive oil and like it much better than mineral oil. A very light coating and wipe off and rub in with hands. Voila.
 
Thanks for the replies guys. I do plan on using the knife for food too, so thats why I was saying the mineral oil.

What about with age? Does the bone age? Im guessing if it were dropped, the bone would crack or chip?

Again, this is my first knife with bone. Good news, i did apply some mineral oil to the bone and didn't change it at all. Just wondering if you guys are extra careful with bone, since it obviously is no G10, but so beautiful as a natural material. Kind of want to cover all the bases on what NOT to do with bone, if that makes sense.

And, I'm guessing since its bone, I should always use the leather pocket sheath, right?

thank you again for all the help. Im obsessed with these traditionals now, thanks to you guys:D

dave
 
Bone seems to age with time due to a) humidity b) sunlight exposure c) handling in particular- What I've noticed with bone and stag is that the more a knife is carried/handled the better the handles look. Leave it alone for a few weeks in the drawer and it gets lacklustre. Soon rectified mind.

Like Gevonovich, I favour olive oil. It could get rancid if left a long time but if you use & handle the knife treated with it you get fine results. Knife maker Bill di Shivs opposes soaking in mineral oil as promoting softening of stag in particular and bone. A wipe down with mineral oil/lemon oil is all that's needed and works well.

Wish I could get a Sunshine Cloth in Europe they sound excellent.....
 
Probably the most significant risk to bone is chipping/cracking from hard impact. Even then, it's never been much of a worry to me personally, as I've yet to actually damage any of mine (20+ years collecting & using them). The nickel bolsters on most traditional knives can take a beating, and still protect the covers on these knives from serious damage due to drops. I wouldn't worry about it.

Bone is quite hard and resistant to scuffs as well. If using a pocket sheath to protect yours, it'll likely afford more noticeable protection to the bolsters, from scratches, dents/dings and scuffing. If the bone does get somewhat scuffed or dingy in appearance, some polishing compound will buff it up again. All in all, it's much easier to get along with, than many would assume.


David
 
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Wow, I had no idea WD 40 was so bad..... I have used it for years with my balisongs, and I always thought that the "WD" means Water Displacement. It works great after you rinse any dirt out, and then replace the water with the wd40, before applying whatever oil for prolonged use. But, glad to know this for bone or antler, I won't be using any for these knives. thanks for those links Jon.

Btw, what is the best knife specific oil out these days? I used to use Militec 1 which was a knife and gun, and you would heat it up on the knife to get even better results, but no good for food. Maybe I should just stick with the mineral or olive oil? Doesn't seem as good on the joints, I would think?

dave
 
WD-40 won't faze bone at all, on modern bone-handled knives; or their color, for that matter. I know BRL may not like it, but his unique perspective is likely geared to much older knives, which may've been dyed/stained/assembled/etc. with older compositions of dyes or glues, which may or may not be sensitive to the light solvents in WD-40 (which, BTW, will evaporate in seconds, leaving only light mineral oil behind). Viewing it from his perspective on old & potentially valuable collectibles, 'better safe than sorry' might be applicable. Sometimes it doesn't take much to make a really old & delicate antique fall apart. It may literally be old gummed-up oil and dirt and rust holding them together, in which case, WD-40 may not be the best choice...

I've been using WD-40 to (heavily) flush out all my knives for a long while (2 decades+), and I've yet to see any degradation at all in bone covers on them.

Modern glues/adhesives and dyes are likely a lot more stable and colorfast. Resistance to the usual oils & solvents used to maintain knives is practically a prerequisite for handle covers by now, I'd think. No reason to worry.


David
 
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Yes, i see what you mean. Very interesting, to say the least. I too wouldn't really think the newer knives would be too affected by it. And right, it does evaporate in seconds, thats why i oil after. But, again, since this is my first knife with bone, I had to ask. For now though, i will stick with just the mineral oil, and perhaps the WD40 if there is that much grime where it needs a real good cleaning, which shouldn't be often. Man, i learn more stuff on here everyday, i swear.

dave
 
I use WD-40 Silicone Spray as a quick protectant on my CV steel blades. Just a tiny squirt directly on the blade itself then rub it on with my fingertips. I don't intentionally put it on the bone handles, but occasionally a little gets on them when I spritz a little onto the joint, which I then wipe off. I've noticed with lighter bone handles like the Case Amber Bone that the bone seems to get a slight grayish tinge near the bolsters over time, but I don't know if that is attributable to some oil getting on them or not.
 
I believe it is John. Stop using WD40 and try some true oil as I mentioned earlier. The WD stands for "water dry" so if you have water to dry off, let's say engines or parts to an engine then fine, but I wouldn't use it on knives at all. When my grand mother discovered this product, she would use it for everything on the lawnmower, which was fine but for knives I like the good old traditional oils for traditional knives.
 
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