The above tips for applying wit a finger is great. I've used Tru oil a lot on gun stocks. And on the bow I just posted. The very first thing you should do is clean your wood with mineral spirits or denatured alcohol. And then absolutely never touch the wood with your bare hands. Your finger prints will show up every time. Also to make a really water tight seal on the wood use the Tru oil and wet sand it working the slurry into all the pores in the wood. Just keep adding oil until your finished. Let it dry overnight then buff it well with 0000 steel wool. Be sure to wipe it down with a clean lint free cloth in between coats. Remember it don't take a lot of oil to cover it. You should be able to do 3 to 4 bows from one small bottle. Patrick