Question About Wood

[ghostrider]

I'm wondering what people do to preserve the wooden covers on their traditional pocket knives.

If used over time won't they all eventually turn black? Or, is there a way people prevent that from happening? Some of the wooden scales are so beautiful it seems a shame to let them turn black.



I've been wondering if Renaissance wax would be effective, and what has worked for others.

 

[willard0341]

I just finished putting 2 or 3 coats over this one (blades, wood and fob). I’ve carried this knife more than others the last couple of years and couldn’t tell you if the wood has darkened from handling etc. I hope someone can give you a definitive answer (if there is one). Good day.

I have coated this knife with ren wax every couple of months. About a week ago I used Cases equivalent of flitz to clean up some speckles of rust here and there. (I got the case paste for Christmas from my supervisor)

 

[lambertiana]

Many of the traditional woods used for pocketknives will turn dark with time, and at best you can only slow the process some. UV resistant sealant is recommended by many woodworkers, but that is only a temporary fix. Some woods eventually turn so dark that they are mistaken for ebony; cocobolo is a good example of that. Some woods turn from light color to darker, like osage orange, which slowly changes from a bright yellow to a very mellow medium amber honey color. Some wood changes from the color that made them so attractive to a plain brown, like purpleheart (but the purpleheart change is very slow, taking a number of years).

The Ren Wax suggestion above is at least worth a try. Some of the darkening is caused by oxidation and UV exposure, while some is caused by dirts and oils. The wax will protect against the dirt and oil, and possibly a little against air oxidation.

 

[afishhunter]

A coat or three of high quality Marine "Captain's Varnish"?

That keeps Teak and Mahogany on boats from turning gray ... even in South Florida and the tropics.

 

[rockman0]

Nothing, use em. I have 90 year old knives with rusty bolsters, blades with original wood and no problems with the wood.

 

[traumkommode]

Echoes of what has been stated, with the caveat that it's not going to "turn black", just darken. Cocobolo turns dark brown enough that, in dusk, say, it could confuse you for ebony if you're color blind, but it retains enough of its red/purple that you'll be able to discern. Same with Bloodwood - actually behaves similar to blood, turns from a bright vibrant red to a dark, deep red, but not black. Ebony and blackwood will deepen in their blackness.

I personally wouldn't recommend renwax for any carry/user knife, as it is likely to rub off in your pockets and on your hands and yadda yadda. An option, if you want to preserve something, is to buy two of the run, and keep one as a safe queen and use the other. Another option is recovering in the future - like getting tattoos touched up. Doesn't matter how good the tattoos are initially, the fading/blurring is a function of biology and organic chemistry. Kinda like with the wood, but the wood is much more durable. Maybe ask waynorth or @Primble or @pistonsandgears to post some pictures of really old knives with wood covers?

 

[JTB_5]

I'm guessing (could be wrong) that much of the "aging" of the wood is on the surface, where exposure to sunlight, oils, etc. is taking place. Would it be possible to do a light sanding of a knife and get to the wood below the surface oxidation, or would it require removing too much material?

 

[traumkommode]

I'm guessing (could be wrong) that much of the "aging" of the wood is on the surface, where exposure to sunlight, oils, etc. is taking place. Would it be possible to do a light sanding of a knife and get to the wood below the surface oxidation, or would it require removing too much material?

I don't intend to be a downer, but... One might pull that off once. The pins (including pivot), shield, and bolsters are all hafted flush with the covers after careful peening. So keeping them all flush together means sanding everything, or sanding only the covers and having a concave-handled knife. The shield will wear down in an unflattering way (eventually deforming, and I don't know why, but I saw an acorn turn into a tipped oval once while experimenting on an old cover from a rehandled knife); the pivot and spring pins loose their mushroom from peening, the more you sand down, and then don't offer any guard against lateral force of potential handle separation. And so, at this point, you're not talking about the sandpaper equivalent of flitzing patina off a blade, you're talking about removing a layer of material from two different materials that wear at different rates, and then refinishing (in my mind to factory standards, which requires power buffing tools).

I do hope that one of the porch members who collects old knives will chime in with some pictures of 75-100+ year old knives. They really are kinda like engines, and hold up with proper maintenance under intended use, while undergoing expected-and-requisite-though-not-distasteful-or-untoward aging. Natural materials and soft metals wear. It's just their nature. (Not suggesting that anyone is making a comparison to modern materials in this thread, but) Modern materials (titanium, micarta, G-10, carbon fiber, etc.) wear at a much slower rate, and thus don't appear to have the same subjectivity to wear as natural materials, and that can skew perceptions of expected life spans of natural materials.

 

[mrknife]

Unlike bone scales, I feel wood wears differently and can withstand much more wear and tear. However if one was to carry only one knife for a long duration as folks in the past have done or even now, I believe there is a lot more wear and tear on the treatment of that wood. The lacquers can rub off over time and the oils from the hand/sweat in the pocket can eat into it. This is why I have always favored wood scales that come from hardier trees.

 

[Pinemoon]

I'm guessing (could be wrong) that much of the "aging" of the wood is on the surface, where exposure to sunlight, oils, etc. is taking place. Would it be possible to do a light sanding of a knife and get to the wood below the surface oxidation, or would it require removing too much material?

I would try a fine steel wool rather than sandpaper, no matter how fine the grit.
The wool is more flexible.
Put some tape over the bolsters to protect them.

 

[JTB_5]

I don't intend to be a downer, but... One might pull that off once. The pins (including pivot), shield, and bolsters are all hafted flush with the covers after careful peening. So keeping them all flush together means sanding everything, or sanding only the covers and having a concave-handled knife. The shield will wear down in an unflattering way (eventually deforming, and I don't know why, but I saw an acorn turn into a tipped oval once while experimenting on an old cover from a rehandled knife); the pivot and spring pins loose their mushroom from peening, the more you sand down, and then don't offer any guard against lateral force of potential handle separation. And so, at this point, you're not talking about the sandpaper equivalent of flitzing patina off a blade, you're talking about removing a layer of material from two different materials that wear at different rates, and then refinishing (in my mind to factory standards, which requires power buffing tools).

I do hope that one of the porch members who collects old knives will chime in with some pictures of 75-100+ year old knives. They really are kinda like engines, and hold up with proper maintenance under intended use, while undergoing expected-and-requisite-though-not-distasteful-or-untoward aging. Natural materials and soft metals wear. It's just their nature. (Not suggesting that anyone is making a comparison to modern materials in this thread, but) Modern materials (titanium, micarta, G-10, carbon fiber, etc.) wear at a much slower rate, and thus don't appear to have the same subjectivity to wear as natural materials, and that can skew perceptions of expected life spans of natural materials.

I knew you’d have some points to make that I wasn’t considering. Thanks for chiming in!

 

[lambertiana]

I do hope that one of the porch members who collects old knives will chime in with some pictures of 75-100+ year old knives. They really are kinda like engines, and hold up with proper maintenance under intended use, while undergoing expected-and-requisite-though-not-distasteful-or-untoward aging. Natural materials and soft metals wear. It's just their nature. (Not suggesting that anyone is making a comparison to modern materials in this thread, but) Modern materials (titanium, micarta, G-10, carbon fiber, etc.) wear at a much slower rate, and thus don't appear to have the same subjectivity to wear as natural materials, and that can skew perceptions of expected life spans of natural materials.

These are all cocobolo, not ebony. Some are very dark, some still retain some red.

And a much more recent cocobolo after about five years of regular carry, before and after shots:

 

[traumkommode]

These are all cocobolo, not ebony. Some are very dark, some still retain some red.

And a much more recent cocobolo after about five years of regular carry, before and after shots:

Yessss! Thank you. I think these serve perfectly to illustrate the longevity and character of wood as it ages.

 

[waynorth]

I am guessing that this old Knife is Ebony, but it could be Cocobola!! Thanks for showing that before and after Comparo, L lambertiana !!

 

[300Bucks]

Here's one of the original Buck folding knives. Actually, a surplus WW2 life boat knife that Buck put a new forged blade in back when the factory was a lean to against a building. Note the new brass blade pin.

Here's a near 40 year old 110. How old do you plan to live, I know I don't have 40 more years to see if it holds up.

I have some old Cami TL's that are who knows how old. I still go with Ren was. I use to be a Johnsons paste wax man, dabbled is various car waxes but have settled in my old age with the very hard feel of Ren. On blades and all material scales. Yes, even my favorite elk stags. 300Bucks

 

[Old Hunter]

These are all cocobolo, not ebony. Some are very dark, some still retain some red.

And a much more recent cocobolo after about five years of regular carry, before and after shots:

Beautiful knives! OH

 

[r8shell]

Drop them to the bottom of the Missouri River for about 150 years. They'll be fine.

 

[Flint Hills]

I use a little Formby’s lemon oil every once in a while. It was recommended by a couple of knife makers.

 

[Peregrin]

I use a little Formby’s lemon oil every once in a while. It was recommended by a couple of knife makers.

A link to a @KnifeHead (Kerry Hampton) post from years ago, Case/Bose Norfolk "Ebony"? I bought some Formby's back then and have used it some. Seems to do the job. I'm pretty sure Tony Bose also recommends using it.
I have Cocobolo handles on a few knives. They have darkened. Both knives that were oiled, and those that weren't. It seems to be the nature of the beast.

 

[mrknife]

I am guessing that this old Knife is Ebony, but it could be Cocobola!! Thanks for showing that before and after Comparo, L lambertiana !!View attachment 1257100 View attachment 1257101

I can still hear @Campbellclanman saying "that'll buff roight out won't it Jack?"