Looking for ideas to seal a knife handle.

[bowtarist]

I usually use wood or bone for knife handles, seal em with beeswax and elbow grease.  I've got an antler with an osage pommel just as smooth as I can get it w/o powertools.  I've always used bee wax or propolis on the wood, don't really seal the bone.  What do you use?  Do I seal the antler too?  It's all PC7nd together and pinned.  Just looking for some options.  Thanks for lookin and a reply! dpg

[bubby]

dp take the bees wax and mix with some mineral oil, it will soak in real good, I use it on cups and bowls cause it's food safe, antler I just get a gloss on the buffer

[Pat B]

I used Tru-Oil on the cholla handle knives I posted recently. Look it up to see how they look.

[bowtarist]

Thanks for the reply guys!  Bubby, I've used mineral oil too, I may give that a try.  Pat, I'll check em out, I remember when you started that post.  Thanks again, dp

[CaptainBeaky]

Errr... Mineral oil ain't food-safe, gents 

Beeswax dissolved in turpentine, possibly, or preferably Danish Oil, I would suggest.

Danish Oil will soak into the tiny fissures in the antler then set hard. Once you've polished the surface after 2 or 3 coats of oil,  a coat of Renwax should seal the whole lot in nicely.

[Pappy]

I use tru oil also,buff with 000 steel wool in between coats,I use it on wood/horn/antler and bone.  with good rusults.
   Pappy

[bowtarist]

Errr... Mineral oil ain't food-safe, gents.

I thought they sold mineral oil as a laxative?

[bubby]

yep, says right on the bottle lubricant laxitave , think I got the how to on wooden bowls to use the bees wax mineral oil mix right out of an old mother earthnews

[bowtarist]

Bubby,

Do you heat the wax to liquid then mix with the mineral oil?  What does it turn into a "snow seal" type of mix?  1/2 and 1/2 or what?  experiment?  Thanks bubby, dp

[bubby]

warm the wax up some and then just add a bit at a time till it gets the texture of a loose paste wax, basically experiment with it till it works best for you, my son mixes mine up, if I can get ahold of him i'll see what his mix is

[CaptainBeaky]

Errr... Mineral oil ain't food-safe, gents.

I thought they sold mineral oil as a laxative?

You may be thinking of "liquid paraffin". Strictly a mineral oil as it is an alkane.