Handle Feeding

by Paul VanKeuren
Customer Service
www.loghelp.com

Wooden handles are excellent. On hammers and axes they absorb shock, protecting the user. They are durable when used as a lever, as you would discover while using a peavey, cant hook, or shovel. And they decompose gracefully when accidentally abandoned in the woods, unlike fiberglass or plastic. However, wood handles are susceptible to the same forces that lead to the decay of any other wooden object, log homes included. Water is the enemy. Not only does it lead to the decay of the handle, it can also rust the metal parts of your tools. To prevent this you need to apply something to your handles, and while most handles already come varnished, I argue that a drying oil is the best treatment.

Why treat your handles with oil rather than varnish?
An oiled finish is easier on your hands than a varnished surface, and is less slick when wet. This makes it safer for you and those around you. Oiled finishes also breathe better than varnished surfaces, helping you get moisture out of the handle if any ends up getting in. Another benefit of an oiled handle, is the fact that it swells when treated with oil. This helps the wood form a tighter bond with other parts of the tool like an axe head.

Aren’t handles replaceable, why not just buy new ones when needed? Wood handles are replaceable and renewable which are some of their many virtues. However, quality handles are hard to find at your local hardware store, and the prices keep going up. If you carve your own you can avoid this, but then you still have a month of waiting for your freshly carved handle to dry. It is best to care for your tools AND replace/repair as needed. High quality replacement handles are available to order here.

What oil should I use?
When it comes to treating wood, there are essentially two types of oils, the drying oils and the non-drying oils. Drying oils are oils that cure to a plastic-like state, they include oils like linseed, tung, or walnut. A non-drying oil does not cure, but can evaporate or wash away with time. For tool handles, I recommend drying oils as they cure inside the wood making it a more durable material, while also protecting much longer than a non drying oil. Traditionally linseed oil has been used.

Be warned, drying oils heat up as they cure and can burst into flame. Any rags you use to apply drying oils should be burned, or soaked in water and spread out on a hot surface. I’ve heard several stories of folks throwing oil soaked rags in the trash only to have them start on fire and burn down their homes.

Boiled or Raw?
There are two kinds of linseed oil on the market, boiled and raw. The boiled linseed oil is not actually boiled, but has heavy metal driers added at the factory to make it dry faster. Raw linseed oil is the same thing as flax oil without any additives. Raw linseed oil will dry much slower, but is also a more natural product. To further complicate things, some folks thin their linseed oil with turpentine to aid in penetration. The turpentine then evaporates out of the handle depositing the oil further into the wood.

Application?
Apply liberally to the handle paying extra attention to the end grain until refusal. Then let the handle sit out in the sun for a minute or two, and wipe away any excess. There is an old adage that says you should oil your fresh handles once a day for a week, then once a week for a month, once a month for a year, and then yearly. I think this is over prescribed, but you do want to build up a good layer of oil within the wood.